Footstrap Position

[telluride]

Whats the deal with footstrap position? Im an old school boarder who always postioned the front straps in an outboard position, and had two straps in back. Now I see that a lot of boarders are setting up the front straps in an inboard position and use only a single strap in back. What am I missing. Im currently riding a F2 Air 260 in 20-25 mph conditions. Feedback appreciated.

[kencarp]

I Sail both the Air 260 and 265 and like having the dual straps in the back. These boards have really wide tails and I never feel too far out on the rail with this set-up. Also having the extra-wide strap for the back foot ensures no back foot fly-aways during BIG jumps. I set the front straps in the inboard holes for a little more upright stance, which helps in planing freestyle.This is all purely up to ones style but this works for me. The AIR boards have put the fun back in sailing! K.P.

[telluride]

Great feedback. Thanks. While Im still working on getting BIG air, I agree that the 260 is a sweet board.

[DonORiordan]

Theres a lot to be said for inboard versus outboard strap positioning. Heres the simple answer. If you want to go FAST, then put two straps on the back, and put all straps as outboard as they will go. Especially if you want to go fast upwind. This enables you to have more leverage over the fin, hold down a bigger fin, control the lift from the fin when going fast, etc.

If you want manoeverability, then use inboard straps in front, and a single on in rear. The single strap in rear allows you to sink the leeward rail while your foot is in the strap, great for slashing a sudden downwind turn on a big swell, or getting extra air under the board for extended float time during a jump.

Lots of people these days are getting into slashy freestyle tricks, as opposed to just blasting along fast for a mile and then jibing around only to repeat it. The AIR boards are designed for jumping and freestyling, hence they come with the option of inboard straps. Of course, you always have the option of putting them outboard simply because you are old school, or find it more comfortable, or you are more interested in going fast (and thus possibly jumping high), than you are in doing ankle-ligament tweaking freestyle tricks, radical turns, etc.

Lucky you for having such a great board to have both options.

And try some of the freestyle stuff...its a great way to inject a ton of new fun into your sailing...oh the satisfaction of nailing a new move for the first time. Whether its a (relatively) simple duck jibe, or a body drag, or a Vulcan (no, Ive never made one of these, but I KNOW Im gonna be stoked when I eventually do, which has to happen barring injury)