Forwards / Forward Rolls

[melpel]

Like others posting I am trying to get through the forwards. Have had a few failed attempts over the years and lost the nerve to go for it.

A friend has been practicing rolling... going around the nose with the sail only to get the feel/control. Finally tried this yesterday a few times on each tack. Was easy enough.

My question: Is there something specific a person should get out of practicing the roll? What is the difference between a good roll and bad one? Anything else I should be learning from this move? What do I look for to tweak my technique on this before going back to full forward attempts?

I know someone will post and just say go for it (seen the previous posts)... thats not particularly helpful... Been there-Done that... now looking for other ways to get me back into this move...

m

[tshred]

There is not a lot in common with the cheese roll and loop except guts.

I did cheesers for several years before I got the nerve to go forward.

Cheesers are good for over powered conditions or a little steeper wave. They can be done on almost flat water in 4.5 or stronger conditions.

Breafly to initate a cheese roll jump off a steep wave, you can head up pretty high on a big wave but going more on a reach on smaller stuff makes landing eaiser.

As you head up and off the wave bring the boom too your chest and look back at the tip of the mast, bend your knees. I like to have my front hand in an underhand grip but like all moves there are many ways to do it. After awhile if your not too banged up you will learn how to tweak on bigger waves, arching your back on the way up, delays etc and how to really throw your momentum into it.

Enough has been posted about forwards, my only tips are to make sure you jump first. Throw your sholders like you want to land on your back, keep your front arm straight and look at your back hand. But like all moves unless you are willing to do it a thousand times you will be talking more about it than doing it and complaining about people telling you to go for it.

An example of sticking to it is Fabari, he started trying loops last year and everytime I saw him he was always trying to loop no matter how little the wind or waves. Now this year he is making forwards on hardly anything and looking great.

Have fun its worth all the effort, to overcome your fears is a great feeling.

[shitan]

Hey Tshred,
I know you ment Shitan not Farabi, hes at Cape Cod . I remember last year i stopped by many times to get some tips from you Thank you again when i was not even aible to go for them. Im so in love with forwards now, with all te psychlogical and physical pain i went through before i got them wired. Actually the challenge was one of the main reasons for me to always try them in all conditions.
I find this move so intimidating to initiate but builds great sens of daring and guts.

melpel, somehow the roll or catapult helps breaking the move into steps, gives you the feeling of the rotation and youll look silly enough so you wanna move to the real thing. I did the roll for many sessions, non planing and then planing, the latter is so harsh on the back shoulder but also was so close to a real forward without taking the board with me.
May be a couple of 16oz of beer would save you time, that was the way one of my buddies went for it this summer.
No matter how long youll roll around the nose or into how many sub-steps you try to break the forward, still the time of truth has to come and you have to face the real thing where only clearing the fin, sheeting-in(keep the front arm extended)and committing are the keys to this technically easy move.
Try to throw your body sideways (spin).
Tuck your feet and stay tucked until you hit the water again (will help you sheet in even more and make the rig-board-body more compact)
Dont change your mind mid flight that will damage your board.
Make sure your fin is clear before you waste an attempt for noting.
Sail with a friend who loops even if hes not a friend approch him see how he does it, immitate him.

90% of forwards is fear. Ironically, the chances of hurting yourself are much less than:
Jumping hooked in high wind
Duck jibing
cutapult after getting hooked (before the straps)
washed out by an overhead wave
Back looping
Hitting a submerged gallon milk
walking your gear to the beach
Rigging
loading/unloading your gear from your car
The list is long.

[outcast]

You know whats not bad....Try a beach foward.....no board, small sail....run, plant it int the sand, and roll,,,,,

[tshred]

sorry Shitan, I had my names mixed up. Your looking great and in a year or two youll be passing us all up.

[hildebra]

Very helpful, as you often are on this subject. You sail at TI? What sail to look for? Also, I guess one of my biggest fears with this move is actually OVER-rotating. How unfounded is this fear and what are some ways to make sure I dont do it, at least in the beginning?

[harris52]

Its just to help the idea of sheeting in. In the end, its just a minor step to get you more comfortable. The next step for me - was to jump and point so far downwind that you are going to crash on your back. That puts you past the point of no return w/o actually doing the really scary thing. From there, you will begin to get enough presense of mind to sheet in at the same time - youll start late but your timing will improve. Just keep crashing... it gets less and less scary the more you do it.

greg

[shitan]

Indeed,fear from the over rotation cant be deniable. Fortunately for all windsurfers we CANT over rotate on forwards until we build the right technique that comes after many hundreds of attemps. For now sheet in as much as you can all the way till the landing its never enough how much you should pull that back arm and extend the front one.
Anyway, if youre too good and got over rotated it will feel exactly the same like you under rotated when the fin is not cleared and you get pulled out of the straps and catapulted around the nose of your board.
RESULT: splaaaash!! on your back. Aouch, one more bruise!!!
To reduce most kind of fears of the forwards beginners should sail slightly under-powered. The more attemps you do the more wind you crave and youll figure out towards the end that this move to be landed nicely if powered up to slightly over-powered cruising at a high speed and hit a meduim size ramp (2-3).
For now just go for it and build your way up. The more you practice the better you get, hurry up not much wind left for ths season. When the winter storms come it would be too windy for you to practice. I remember sacreficed many sessions just to try over and over untill i wear out and cant wait for the following day to try more an average of 30 to 60 times a session it was brutal but rewarding.

I sail TI 4-5 days a week mostly on my 4.8 Revo Sailworks its red with some yellow. By the way TI is really good when reading only 18 or 19 even on flood days like this week.

[shitan]

Thank you Ted,
You are the godfather for all of us, you inspire us with moves technique and courage, we all get exited when we see you on the water. An example to look up when it comes to quality sailing. I hope i can reach your level one day.

[farabi]

believe me it will not happen! as you progress with forwards you will start to rotate faster and landing further downwind but in the begining you are guaranteed to rotate less then you need to land standing on your feet.