Technique Time

The final part of our freestyle series goes back to the roots with a popular old school move - the willy skipper, which can still look amazingly stylish particularly if you manage to pull off a Tonky-esque version where you slide on the nose of your board for several metres afterwards. As a prerequisite it’s important that you already have the vulcan in your repertoire of moves, otherwise virtually anyone can try the willy skipper. Here’s a few tips from Max Rowe (Simmer / Simmer Sails / Mystic) and Rick Jendrusch (Severne).

Rick Jendrusch:

- Put your back foot in the front of your back footstrap and keep your front foot in the footstrap.

- Look for a little piece of chop to take off from and kick your back foot like you do in a vulcan by using your toes - this will throw the board around.

- It is important to then to stay above your board and you need to pull yourself up on the boom to stay above the gear. When the nose of the board touches the water you land with your feet back on the board and sail away.

Max Rowe:

Number one most important tip for this one for me is... try and land with your feet on the board and not either side of it ;)

Good luck with learning to willy skipper. If you’ve got any moves or tips or hints you’d like to know more about - whether they be freestyle, slalom or wave related - then simply tweet us @pwaworldtour or message us via Facebook.