Jumping strapless help

[mattv]

I have been working almost every session on jumping strapless. I am getting pretty good at the ollies but I want to get better at popping the surf/skim into my hands and getting the board back under my feet and riding away. I have got the pop into the hand part down but not the landings. Up to now I have been taking off heel side and trying to land heel side. After much frustration I started watching videos of Mark Shinn, Top Hat, and Felix in slow motion to try and get some tips. Then is suddenly dawned on me. 9 times out of 10 these guys are taking off heel side but landing toe side. After thinking about it it seems that this would be a natural progression as you are already turning your hips into the wind to initiate the jump and you can just let your hips continue to rotate as you put the board under your feet. Also it would seem that if you pop the board into your front hand that switching to toe side would make your body position better for placing the board back under you feet.

Does anyone else do their jumps this way. Am I on the right track? Your thoughts please.

mattv
http://www.kitesurfinfo.com

[JonModica]

Hey Matt,
You are on the right track, ANY type of rotation will help keep the board under your feet.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY
YOU NEED TO LEARN TO JUMP STRAPLESS WITHOUT GRABBING THE BOARD.
Let your feet learn how to hold it!!!
NOT YOUR HAND.
check out this clip, its a fairly high jump and i keep the board under me the whole time WITHOUT A GRAB




-Jon

[gman]

Sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two weeks and we are in Jupiter (warm water and magic powers)

[mattv]

Hey Matt,
You are on the right track, ANY type of rotation will help keep the board under your feet.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY
YOU NEED TO LEARN TO JUMP STRAPLESS WITHOUT GRABBING THE BOARD.
Let your feet learn how to hold it!!!
NOT YOUR HAND.
check out this clip, its a fairly high jump and i keep the board under me the whole time WITHOUT A GRAB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRh3bi6icdQ

-Jon

I get what you are saying and I am working on that as well but there are some times when I want to grab the board. You have to grab the board to do any sort of rotation during the jump.

mattv
http://www.kitesurfinfo.com

[Yann]

Hey Matt,
You are on the right track, ANY type of rotation will help keep the board under your feet.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY
YOU NEED TO LEARN TO JUMP STRAPLESS WITHOUT GRABBING THE BOARD.
Let your feet learn how to hold it!!!
NOT YOUR HAND.
check out this clip, its a fairly high jump and i keep the board under me the whole time WITHOUT A GRAB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRh3bi6icdQ

-Jon

Impressive Jon! Wonder if you could throw in a kiteloop in there?

[Lonny]

I get what you are saying and I am working on that as well but there are some times when I want to grab the board. You have to grab the board to do any sort of rotation during the jump.

mattv

Actually on the skim you would be amazed what you can do without ever touching the board with your hands, and Jon's point is well taken. The more you can learn to do in the air without touching your board and utilizing your feet when you do add the grab it will be much easier. For instance, I really enjoy launching pop-shuvit transitions off of waves. Generally, I never touch the board, and just use my feet to initiate the rotation then use the kite to lift me above my board. As I come down I use the kite to steer me back onto my waiting board (hopefully ). Its really great when it all comes together. Also by constantly learning how to control my board with just my feet it evolved into a kickflip 180, and that was mainly from doing 1000 ollies without ever touching the board.

In case you did not know, or have never had the pleasure of seeing Jon ride he is without a doubt one of the best strapless Surfboard riders on the planet. Jon is always landing the most mind blowing tricks in surf or flat water, and constantly evolving. Once you think you have seen him do it all he does something else. I have seen Jon launch 15 foot airs on his surfboard and he thinks its nothing... Well I know better. Jon kills it period.

[gman]

So i got 10 days to work on some new stuff on our florida trip -any advice on on getting some Mark Shin style air transitions

- have been getting some pop-360 transitions - whats the trick to get airborne and redirect (aside from getting the shit airborne and then redirect )

[Lonny]

Gman,

Hope you get great wind in the Sunshine State while you are here!

Check out this post it might help you out:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=145&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a