Jumping in the Gorge

[updraft]

OK, one small pointer on controlling spinout on landing: I found that spinout is caused mainly by board rotation upwind while airborne. The fin gets stuffed back into the water at a high angle that promptly stalls out, cavitates, and spins. If you get in the habit of pointing your board slightly off the wind before landing you may find that you sail away with solid control.

[macesix]

Sorry if some of this is a repeat: A size 6 sail is on the big-ish side for jumping and the Event Site is not the best place for swell/ramps. Also, your board looks too small. What's that like 80 liters and a 6 sail? Ugh.

For me, jumping is like a skateboard ollie. I can do it better with my dominant skate foot forward. On the smallest chop, you always hit the second wave. The first one piques your interest, but the second one always seems steeper to me. So stand up over the first wave, and pump in the trough with your knees and then pop off the second wave. You can get 2 feet of air on even the smallest of chop.

Get a slightly bigger board, 95 liters, get a 4.0 sail and go to Swell City. You will be hard pressed not to jump, man. If the Event site is 5.0-5.5, Swell City is 4.2. I have some really funny images in my head of my little bro skipping across the water on a 103L e-rock and a 5.0. He hit three swell @ Swell City in a row catching way too much air off each one even tho he was trying his best to not catch any air. Looked like a rock skipping across a lake. If you are under 40, this is good fun.

Also, if you really want to jump, go kiteboarding! hahaha; however, Dale Cook was boosting by me at Swell City a couple of weekends ago and he looked like he was kiting with the height he was getting.

[mchaco1]

[macesix]

Whoa, your board is way bigger than it looks. If you are pinging of the waves, that is a good start to jumping. Now just use your knees more and make sure your straps are a little looser to hold your whole foot and that will give you more control. Don't forget that Robby Naish was jumping & looping that huge 12 foot board on Hookipa. I also used to catch a lot of air (read: 3 feet max) with my 125 liter, 9'2" Astro Rock on a 5.0 before it tore apart with abuse. Big isn't necessarily bad while learning, you just have to absorb every piece of chop you don't want to jump off with you knees. I still kinda like big boards and smaller fins, but I don't think I'm a normal gorge sailer either, having sailed for a decade on a small lake. Good luck. it'll come naturally the more you sail. Also, practice your ollies on no wind days.