Issue 315 - MAY 2012
SIDESWIPE
Guy Cribb Intuition
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Sideswipe Words: Guy Cribb photos: Guy Cribb INtuition except opening spread by John Carter
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Guy Cribb Intuition What?
The Sideswipe is an INtuition Core Skill that helps get your backhand further back and gets the rig further forwards, improving many aspects of your windsurfing. INtuition Core Skills are movements you make in windsurfing time and again whether beginner or expert, in all different aspects of the sport. INtuition’s Core Skills have helped thousands of windsurfers radically improve as they are the very blue print of our sport.
Why?
The INtuition Sideswipe is good because - Sideswipe gives you more strength in your back arm to control the power of the sail going into gybes, forward loops and wave rides. - Sideswipe increases board control in gybes and wave riding. - Sideswipe gives you much lighter rig handling in freestyle tricks, especially heli-tacks, spocks, flakas and shakas. - Sideswipe allows you to depower the sail instantly going in to gybes.
When?
The Sideswipe is used to improve gybing, forward loops, freestyle, tacking and even waterstarting, so when you learn it for one thing, you naturally begin improving the other moves.
Who for?
Beginners and experts alike.
Sideswipe to enter a light wind gybe
Sideswipe to get into the back winded position for a helitack
How?
The Sideswipe is essentially extending the rig forwards with your front hand, allowing the boom to slide through your backhand. Follow these sequences of photos carefully- note how the back hand has essentially stayed where it was (if measured with a GPS), but the rig has travelled forwards, enabling the back hand to end up much further back down the boom. This is what the Sideswipe is all about- getting the backhand way back down the boom without it reaching back- the rig travels forwards instead. This allows you to keep your back arm bent which is stronger than if it had become extended, giving you supreme control.
Why not just reach back?*
If you reach back, you extend your back arm, which can be bad news as a straight back arm is not as strong as a bent back arm. *I am trying to word this carefully so as not to be misleading since a golden rule of gybing is to get your backhand back. I am not debating that. It’s the process which it travels back I am discussing. Some people have the strength and technique to reach back and not Sideswipe. But the Sideswipe could be your answer to getting more control as you enter a gybe. You do reach back in so much as your back hand crucially re grips further back down the boom, however in the Sideswipe it is be the action of the rig travelling forwards that allows this, not the action of rig staying still and you sliding your back hand back.
Forward looping and advanced freestyle
Sideswipe to get your body closer to the clew to smoothen and speed up the rig rotation.
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Gybing and wave riding Note the boom sliding forwards through the loose grip of the back hand?
Sideswipe to get the mast forwards, increasing the length of the rail engaged in the water, and getting your backhand further back for more control.
Tacking and waterstarting
Waterstarting
Summary
If you’re not planing on the water, or looking for something to do whilst on the beach waiting for the wind, why not practise some Sideswipes? It will improve your rig handling and help you fall in less. When practising the Sideswipe in non planing conditions (on the beach or water) it is crucial that you slide the mast directly into the wind, not across the wind.
Tacking Exiting a tack or recovering the rig from the water often requires and significant throw of the rig, with the mast travelling towards the wind. This is an exaggerated Sideswipe.
1. look directly into the wind. 2. radically bend both arms. 3. tip the mast directly into the wind by extending your front arm. 4. allowing the boom to slide through the fingers of your back hand. 5. the final position should be a straight front arm and a bent back arm Always ensure you know exactly where the wind is coming from for this exercise.
Guy Cribb INtuition - Britain’s Professional Windsurfing Coach
Guy is multi time’s British windsurfing champion and has been coaching national teams and individuals for over twenty years. His coaching experience and development is second to none and as such all his INtuition windsurfing courses are fully booked all over the world- not just for your radical improvement, but for the great socials and travel experiences. For more info about the INtuition Core Skills check out the INtuition DVD, and for the INtuition travel and coaching please visit at www.guycribb.com INtuition. Riding the world by storm. www.guycribb.com ©Guy Cribb 2012
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