15 TIPS TO THE SHUV-IT by WYATT MILLER

[wyattmiller]

15 Tips to: Makes a good header, but what we really need is to Deconstruct the Shuv-It.

First off the Shuv-It is a CARVE NOT A JUMP.

If you Jump it’s already over.

The Sail needs to be “Laid Down” before you enter the air.

The Shuv-It… IS a front foot initiated lay down tack (upwind carve).

As most HERO JIBERS know, if you carve hard enough you can “lay the sail down,” and your apparent wind will carry the weight of the sail.

The same concept applies to laying the sail down for the Shuv-It = you just need to carve hard enough up wind WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN

The reason carving upwind with your back foot does not work is that it Kills SPEED.

HEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM FOR MOST WINDSURFERS:

Until we learn the Shuv-It most of us have never initiated an upwind carve with our FRONT foot, (and it’s not that easy to do.)
Wave top turn = back foot initiated up wind carve
Tacking = is done out of the straps
Narrowly avoiding oncoming windsurfer or bouy = back foot initiated, last last minute upwind carve.

THE AWESOME SOLUTION:

The terrifying part of learning the Shuv-it is the fact that you need to be going full throttle.

The force that holds you up, soaring through the air as if gliding on your own airplane wing, is your apparent wind. Once you lose forward momentum Shuving–It will not do much, and you plummet like a rock.

The great part about the Shuv-it is that it is possible to learn the front foot initiated carve, on flat water, without getting airborn. (Although it does involve a crash.)

Thus, gain the confidence that you can make the upwind carve and “lay down the sail” with out the plummet out of the sky part.

HERE IS WHAT YOU DO:

1. Sailing at near full speed across the wind, look for a flat section of water.

2. Initiate the carve by: Knocking your knees together forward and over the upwind rail effectively shifting your weight to the OUTSIDE EDGE OF YOUR FRONT FOOT, with a little weight on the INSIDE EDGE OF YOUR BACK FOOT.
(This is bit hard to describe without body language, and a great reason to check out one of my clinics)

3. If you do this correctly the sail should “Lay Down”, as you carve upwind away from it. (This should happen on it’s own, with out you doing anything special with you arms.)

4. It is possible to get the sail to “Lay Down” by carving incorrectly off your back foot.

5. The sail should lay down so far that it hits the water and causes you to stop abruptly.

HEREIN LIES THE TEST:

6. As the sail is laid down into the water, you either:
A: Go tumbling out of the straps, over the front of the board...SUCCESS!
B: Slow down and plop into the water still in the straps………FAILURE!!

7. The difference between success and failure is speed.

8. If you go tumbling over the front, that means you carved upwind off of your front foot and maintained speed.

9. If you slowly bog down and drop into the water it means YOU WERE CARVING UPWIND OFF OF YOUR BACK FOOT!! TOO SLOW TRY AGAIN.

NOW YOU ARE READY FOR THE REAL DEAL:

1. Go flying across the water at Mach 10

2. See the nice swell that is too close, upwind of you, to initiate a normal jump.

3. Knock your knees together, forward and over the upwind rail effectively shifting your weight to the OUTSIDE EDGE OF YOUR FRONT FOOT, with a little weight on the INSIDE EDGE OF YOUR BACK FOOT.

4. Let the sail drop down as your carve upwind.

5. Right at the top of the swell, spring off of your toes projecting your body over top of your laid down sail.

6. Love the feeling as you soar through the air as if gliding on your own airplane wing. Probably the best sensation in windsurfing.

7. Look down at the water through your sail….this will cause a natural shuving reaction as a part of your mind’s inherent will to live.

8. This life saving reaction will capture your apparent wind and cause the sail to right you

9. Bend your legs and absorb the landing.

10. SMILE

[wyattmiller]

NEW DATE
Looping, Trick Jibes and Freestyle Clinic
@ Crissy Field

SATURDAY MAY 30TH!!!

$75 Includes Lunch and Beverages[/size]

Event: Join Pro-Rider Wyatt Miller at the Crissy Field for a Freestyle Clinic. In the clinic you will learn the fundamentals of freestyle riding. Moves like forward loops, sail 360’s, duck tacks, clew first riding, heli-tacks and more will be discussed. Take advantage of instruction from a professional freestyler and give your sessions new energy!

Wyatt is the 2007 Gorge Freestyle Champion. Sponsored by: Naish Boards and Sails, Dakine, Pro-Limit wetsuits, Mean Line fins, Kaenon Polarized and H2O Audio Mp3. Wyatt currently sails full-time in Maui, the Gorge, and the Bay Area. Check out wyattmillerwindsurfing.com for more info.

What to Bring: You should bring the gear you would normally sail on and a jacket (Crissy Brrrrr).

Schedule: 11:00-12:30 On-land training and longboard discussion.
12:30-1:00 Lunch Break.
1:00-2:00 On-land training discussing shortboard maneuvering.
2:00-4:30 On-water instruction session w/ shortboard.

Call or email Wyatt Miller to sign up. Space is limited. You must reserve your spot in advance.
Email Wyattmiller525@gmail.com or call 510-375-1934 to sign up.

All Levels Welcome, We will go over everything from Duck Jibes and Carving 360's to Loops and Shuv-Its




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[jse]

Wyatt,

I don't know if I understand the carve upwind/lay sail down aspect. Seems to me if you carve hard upwind you'll lay the sail down on top of you, i.e., lay the sail down to windward. It's hard for me to picture carving upwind and laying the sail downwind. Is that what you do? Well, downwind when you initiate, but as you round up, I guess the mast is perpendicular to the wind, with the leech trailing to leeward?

Steve

[wyattmiller]

Hey Steve good question.

This move involves carving the board upwind while basically leaving the sail in place.

If you carved up wind and brought the sail with you that would involve a carve based on leaning back to windward.

In the shuv-it you are going to lean your body forward towards the nose and the whole carve is going to come from:

Knocking your knees together forward and over the upwind rail effectively shifting your weight to the OUTSIDE EDGE OF YOUR FRONT FOOT, with a little weight on the INSIDE EDGE OF YOUR BACK FOOT.

Basically to answer your question, yes, you carve the board upwind while laying the sail downwind.

In effect your quick front foot initiated upwind carve sends the board carving upwind away from the sail leaving the sail behind and causing it to drop down to the water (downwind) as you carve away from it.

Good question though, this is a real hard trick to explain without some demonstration. Keep em comming, i wish I could post a video clip for people to look through frame by frame

[kevinkan]

I usually describe it as carving the board out from under you. Imagine your head is the top of the pendulum, carving the board out from under your core . The carve is a quick foot-initiated carve, and speed is your friend.

[dabull1]

Gee Wyatt, I've performed that manouever many times, not knowing what you'd call it. But after landing the jump, my hand extending through the pristine carbon tubes of my new $600.00 boom, and my jaw attaching itself to the nicely shredded luff sleeve and mast via the empty sockets where my teeth used to be, I'd say " Shuv-It" is a great description of this move!!! Freestyle...shmestyle! Seriously, thanks for the tips. Bull

[DanWeiss]

Ah Bull, there was a time when only Robby Naish did the Shovit going up the line at Hookipa and Lanes. It wasn't called freestyle, just another kick ass backside arial. Whatever you call it, the Shovit is my favorite move and Wyatt calls it correctly: floating, flying and smiling. It's just awesome. (Sniff).

-Dan

[J_McV]

So how sharp of an angle upwind and for how long does this front foot initiated carve turn out to be if straight into the wind is 90 degrees from a beam reach? What angle do you land?
The horror!
Jeff

[J_McV]

So how sharp of an angle upwind and for how long does this front foot initiated carve turn out to be if straight into the wind is 90 degrees from a beam reach? What angle do you land?
The horror!
Jeff

[wyattmiller]

Just far enough to carve you up to the top of the swell. 10-20 degrees

And you land across the wind in the same direction as you started