Technique Time
Although the frontside wave 360 is considered one of the most difficult wave manoeuvres there’s nothing wrong with setting your sights high and being ambitious. If you are already sailing to a reasonable level in the waves and are able to hold good speed through your bottom turn then it could be time to turn your attention towards the wave 360. To give you a kick start we caught up with a few of the world’s top pros to gain their top tips.
Dany Bruch (Starboard / Challenger / AL360):
“First of all you need to find a nice wave and make sure you carry a lot of speed through your bottom turn, then get as vertical as possible or even further if possible - 11 o’clock - at this point throw with your hips and pull your head back so you get the power of the wave to rotate you through the move.”
Alex Mussolini (RRD / RRD):
“My tip is that it’s all about timing, which requires time on the water and practise. It’s really important to be able to select the right wave and make sure you are in the critical section, so the wave throws you around.”
Adam Lewis (Fanatic / North):
“For this move it’s mainly about timing and position - the movement itself is quite simple. You need to take as much speed as you possibly can into it and try and get yourself right into the pocket of the wave as positioning is critical for 360s- then you can use the power of the wave to knock you around and back into the wave. You have to aim to go as vertical as you possibly can and then present as much of the board as possible to the wave.”
Antoine Martin (JP / NeilPryde):
“The Frontside wave 360. For me the most important thing is finding a good section to perform the move off. It all depends on the wave, you need a steep section and to be right in the pocket.”
Ross Williams (Tabou / GA Sails / Mystic):
“My top tips for frontside 360s would be to look for a wave which is already almost throwing. The wave needs to be steep and have enough power to push you around. The moves all about timing, you want the wave to be slapping the bottom of your board to throw you round. It’s a move that needs a lot of practise and experimenting with the timing!”