Hi,

Just been watching the DVD. I really like it and I have already picked up useful tips that the book is not able to show.

The question I have is whether you need a 100% freestyle board for freestyle or whether you can just use the same volume freeride / freestyle wave ?

I use a Tabou Rocket 105 for light wind freestyle, Heli Tacks, Upwind 360s and wonder whether I would be much better off getting a 100% freestyle orientated board. eg RRD Twin Tip ?

Interested to hear your thoughts

Hi,

I think for the purpose you are using it, your board is perfect. A 100% freestyle board makes sense as soon as you start doing jumping/sliding moves... Airjibes, Willy Skippers, Flakas, Grubbies, Spocks,...
A Freestyle board is made for that...
Use a small fin when starting with jumping moves!! that helps a lot!!!

Freemove or Freestyle wave boards - even Freeride boards are very good for "old school" freestyle like 360s, tacks, jibes... sometimes working even better than pure freestyle boards...

Are you planing to start with jumping ?

all the best
Rossi

Hi Rossi,

Thanks for your reply. As well as the Old School moves I am also really up for getting into jumping. I tend to use the stock fin in the board, but I also have a 27cm / 25cm and 23cm fin that I could use.

Which fin would you suggest I use ?

Thanks

Hi - whats your name?

Stock fins are usually bigger than they would need to be - especially on freestyle boards...
It also depends on the type of fin you’re goin to use. If it has really little area and you go on a big sail you might go with the 25cm fin - although that'll be not perfect for jumping...what's the biggest sail you plan to use it with?
For jumping-freestyle-moves, use the 23... it helps you to get the board around in the air without lifting it too much... and it makes the sliding a lot easier.

all the best
Rossi

Sorry Rossi. My name is Justin.

I have decided to trade the Tabou Rocket 105 in for a 100 Litre Fresstyle board. My key goal now is to learn get my chop hops dialled so that I can go for forwards.

I am thinking a freestyle board will plane earlier and enable me to pop the board easily which will mean that I can can attempt forwards at a more slower speed?

Hi Justin,

Cool - good idea...
For the Chop Hop you won't need a Freestyle board so much, but for the Forward it will help a bit as it is made for that, while the Tabou Rocket is made to go fast.

Do you have waves where you want to learn Chop Hop and Forward??
Anyway, to do Forwards, the more speed the better...

A Freestyle Board is shorter and should pop more easily, right. If you go from 105 to 100 liters - it might not plane that much earlier probably.. the 105 might be pretty good in early planing too..?

I think you should learn Chop Hops in light (planing)winds... then go for Air Jibes and that stuff also in light winds...

Do the preexercises for the forward even when non-planing-conditions...
Then when you have a good day with 5,0 weather or smaller, take an even smaller board and go practice forwards/speedloops... it will be a lot easier on the small equipment to get the rotation...
Of course you can try the forward also in light winds, big sails, but it will be a lot harder to get the rotation, as you need more technique in light winds.. and to get the technique you need practise... and that's a lot harder to learn when starting in light winds...

All best
Rossi