A big jump can be a lot of fun, but let’s face it: Just flying through the air over and over again can get a little boring. An easy way to spice up your airs is with rotations. Rotations are easy and they will add a lot of variety to your jumps, as you can spin frontside or backside for either one or multiple rotations. The key to rotations is all in your head, and we don’t mean your brain.
Single Backside Rotation:
1. As you pop your board off the water, put your chin to your lead shoulder and look over your shoulder. All rotations begin with your head. Wherever you throw your head, the rest of your body will follow.
2. Pull your knees in to speed up your rotation. If you leave your legs extended, the rotation will be very slow and you might not make it all the way around.
3. Keep your chin tucked to your lead shoulder until you see your landing. When you see your landing, look at the water. Remember, your body will follow your head.
4. As you approach the landing, extend your knees to slow your rotation and to absorb the landing.
5. Land with your board pointing downwind to avoid skipping out on your heelside edge.
Single Frontside Rotation:
1. As your board leaves the water, tuck your chin to your back shoulder and bring your knees up.
2. Keep looking over your shoulder until you spot your landing on the water.
3. Stare at your landing and extend your knees to slow your rotation.
4. Land with your board pointing downwind to avoid skipping out on your heelside edge.
Tips:
- If you are only rotating about halfway through your spins, you are not keeping your head tucked to your shoulder. Your body follows your head, so keep that chin on your shoulder and look for your landing.
- To do multiple rotations, you need to commit to the number of rotations before you take off. To get through two or more rotations, you will need to spin faster, which you can do simply by pulling your knees up tightly to your body.
- If you are over rotating, extend your legs earlier in the spin to slow your rotation.