Technique Time

Shaka your way to glory with these top tips

The shaka is still one of the most advanced freestyle moves out there and despite being an older trick in relation to the new generation of freestyle manoeuvres it continues to be an essential move in competitions, as well as being one of the biggest crowd pleasers, which makes it a great move to learn to impress your mates down at your local beach. To try and help you along your shaka journey we asked some of the world’s top pros for their top tips:

Rick Jendrusch (F2 / Severne)

“Start with a little chop this makes it easier to get some height and carve upwind. When you do the upwind carve it’s important to do this radically and don’t go slowly upwind in a long line, you have to go from a half wind course to upwind in a split second and then jump off.”

“A really important thing is also to really pull in your back hand and stretch the arm which is closer to the mast. This makes the rotation in the air possible. Put your body/weight over the sail so that you don’t fall backwards. Enjoy trying the shaka and don’t give up!”

Adam Sims (Patrik / Sailloft Hamburg):

- Power in the sail is the most important and speed is definitely your friend. 

- Aim to take off across the wind and as you carve up to get the board in the air push down on the boom and swing it behind your body, so the sail is pressing against your shins.

- Pull up with the back hand if you are struggling to rotate in the air.

- Aim to land the move first, don’t aim to try and do it high, you need to learn the rotation first, height comes later.

- Lastly, if you are rotating and not sliding then go off the wind a few degrees.

Oda Johanne (Starboard / Severne / Maui Ultra Fins):

“My shaka tips: Have a lot of speed look for a chop and carve the board aggressively as you keep the speed and your body flying forwards (not too much upwind) with your backhand sheeted in and push down hard with your front arm. As soon as you are in the air push also hard on the backhand to fly longer. Look around in the direction you are going and enjoy the airtime!” 

Davy Scheffers (Tabou / GA Sails)

1. When you look to a move that you want to learn, or when you’re focusing on creating a new movement. Try to focus on the function of material. How it works? What does it do? What effects does it create? As well put your focus on the action performed. That creates for you a clearer understanding about the function and action of the movement.” 

2. Divide the move into a few steps - this makes it easier to learn. Orientation, take off, air rotation, landing, exit. Try to study all the steps in detail. In the shaka, as in most of the moves, there are big differences in the details of the action, which is the fun part of windsurfing. You can pretty much make it in any possible way you like as long as the material will function to get the effect you like.” 

“So you have choices.  Create an action which makes the move as easy possible, or create an action to make the move in the most difficult way, read maybe a super tweaked Shaka because your personal opinion says it has more style, or maybe because the judges liked to see the move performed in a certain way.”