The board-off is probably one of the simplest first tricks to learn when doing big air but before starting out in the big air world, you need to make sure that you are comfortable with high jumps before trying the next step. The guys at Airush take us though the steps.
What is a Board Off?
A board-off is exactly what the name suggests it is; you take your board off during the height of your jump and put it back under your feet for the landing. You can take your board off your feet by using the handle as a grip or by grabbing the board close to the fins.
For this example, we are going to explain how to grab the board using the handle because it is the easiest way to do it in the beginning.
Victor Hays Board Off captured by Ramiro Gallart
The Recipe:
Step 1: The first thing you need to do is to look at the conditions. When first trying a board-off, you should try it in medium wind conditions using a bigger-sized kite for your body weight. Where you normally use an 8m/9m you can use a 10/12m because it will give you more hang time.
Step 2: Get good pop and do a straight jump, pulling in on the bar with your kite at 12.
Djebbe Hiscock captured by Mitchell Doylle Markgraaff
Step 3: When you feel that you are close to the height of your jump, you can use your back hand to grab the handle of your board and to take your board off of your feet. Try to stretch your legs as much as you can to help keep you centered. The reason for using your back hand instead of your front hand is because your front hand will need to do some steering when you prepare for your landing.