How To....Push Loop

Push Loop from Stephen Gibson on Vimeo.

Note: The first thing to do when wanting to learn to push loop is wait until you have a windy day, meaning slightly overpowered, not to the point where you cant hold onto your sail but enough wind that you are fully powered up. Secondly especially when attempting a push loop for the first time a steep ramp will help.

Step 1. As with a back loop you want to hit the wave or chop just as it's about to break, in my opinion with a push loop its more essential to get more vertical, this means trying to go as straight up as possible and with lots of speed.

Step 2 & 3. Ok, so your now airborne and thinking what the hell do I do now. Although it may not look like it you need to rotate just before the apex of your jump meaning try to rotate just before you actually get to the top of your jump. You do this by throwing your weight back and looking over you shoulder down at the water as well as opening up your sail so your clew is heading into the wind. Do not try and push your sail around, it doesn't work that way, it's the clew of your sail pointing into the wind that actually rotates you or pulls you around. This takes a bit of practice but, as with any, move be patient.

Step 4. Now you will be looking directly over your equipment through your sail and straight down at the water. This part I must say when not used to it will feel unnatural and you will be very tempted to bail which is common. I spent a good couple of weeks bailing continually at this point. You must tell yourself to hang on no matter what. This is where you push your sail, meaning push your back hand down or your boom end of your sail down towards the water. At the same time, drag the sail forwards with your front hand. This will start to bring you upright again. The key here is to concentrate on not over rotating which is also common and landing on your back which everyone does from time to time. Its as simple as this - to perfect your landing push until you are upright and then sheet in, think of your sail as your car accelerator if you don't want to stop rotating just keep pushing and you will always over rotate. By sheeting in, this is your brake to stop rotating you must sheet in and fill your sail with wind. Its about playing with this part of the move for a while and getting used to when to push and when to sheet in.

Step 5. Land your board tail first, do this by extending your back leg towards the water. This will avoid a flat landing as well as preventing a broken board!