Anybody have any tips on getting your jumps working well, ie with some style?
Problems I've got:
1. Heavy landings / coming off the plane
2. No sense of the board floating
3. Burying the nose (ouch!)
What are the things you focused on to get your jumps cranking?
Be powered up.
I've only been chop-hoppin' for less than a year, but the one thing I've learned is that when fully powered up it just happens automatically. I'm going to guess that you bury the nose because you pull up too much with the legs, i.e. "ollying" (a skateboard)? That's what I used to do. When powered up the sail does most of the lifting, although a nicely timed depress in the trough will greatly assist.
Let yourself float/turn slightly downwind too, to stay on the plane.
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As you jump go slightly into the wind, the wind will get under your board and help lift it and get higher. Just land tail first to start for softness.
Slowly broke my old board in half by landing badly. I improved too much on getting height without mastering my landings. You can softly land the nose first if your jumping more horizontal, however I never did master this and am just as likely to nose dive followed by a catapult.
For me, I prefer to land tail first. Find my ramp, lift front foot while pushing down on back foot, sheet in, tuck feet under me in the air, tilt bottom of board slightly into wind for more lift but be rdy to push feet down on decent (soft knees of course to cushion). Just like evlpanda said, land slightly downwind which also helps avoid spinout. My head on jumps are now pretty nice, irrelevant of the height, but still working on good landings for when the waves are side on, where I have to jump upwind and cut back mid-air. All timing I guess.
Best tip for me was actually concentrating when airbourne, instead of just going for it. Really working out where I am and what my body is doing.
I broke my board landing huge jumps almost flat, so it may be better to either bail mid-air or nose dive if you think this may happen.
I still can't jump right foot forwards. I know what to do it just doesn't happen.
. Cause I know all about lack of control, sometimes when I see a good ramp I can't help myself, hit it fast and, Oh well
If you are having trouble with nose first landings just sheet out the sail on the way down to land tail first. Sheet in and land nose first - sheet out for a tail first landing - easy
I still think the best thing to get jumps working well is downhaul, and plenty of it. Makes the sail much more controllable in the air, makes the board feel "lighter" off the ramp rather than glued to it, and gives you a much better floaty jump because you are getting good lift from the sail when in the air and on the descent, which can make the landing softer.
Well it works for me.
Wow I havn't really thought about it that hard. I stay hooked in as most ramps are about 1-3 feet, so I guess by leaning back it is effectivley sheeting in, but I don't think this happens until I have actually cleared the crest of the wave, thats when the feet and knees tuck up, lean back then in the air point the nose of the board slightly downwind to continue planining when landing, Thats in a perfect world, and believe me, it's not always perfect
After take-off and during flight, tuck your knees and elbows into your chest. Creates a strong and controlling body position.
Point your toes (ie drop leeward rail) to get wind under windward edge of board.
Remember, you continue to sail through the air, remain sheeted in while in flight.
Sheet out as you approach the water, this softens the landing.
Just before you land, poke your back foot down to break the surface tension with the tail of the board and avoid a bone-jarring, flat landing. Sheeting out as in previous step aids with this.
I almost always jump hooked in. Thats how you do one handers etc. You can do fowards hooked in also. (not that I can land them yet). When trying really tweaked jumps like table tops you want to be unhooked.
Staying hooked means you can just concentrate on fanging into your ramp without any changes and because you tuck when you jump you can often end up landing unhooked which means you can sheet out for landing if you have slowed down.
Also to achieve a nice jump technique; try doing tail grabs.. or if your too chicken just visualise yourself doing it.
Hit the ramp amped
Pull a face and stick your tounge out
Throw head back, sheet in to the max
Control your speed,,,settle your board,,, often hitting ramps to fast puntches you through the ramp,,,,,, use your wave ramp as a spring board. Go up,,, sheet in....lift legs to chest and or execute the move , stopping forward momentum at the top of the jump, and use the sail to float down
If all else fails just
Whip it and then whip it good
Isn't jumping hooked in a bit risky? Mind you I'd love to as by the time I unhook & get ready having weak arms I'm generally too buggered to do anything..
