Your 2008 Top Windsurfing Goal?

[Bill]

Being a little more specific to Hatteras, I wanted to start a thread
to see what everyone's number one windsurfing goal is for 2008? The
poll is up on OBX Beach Life, but there are so many things that could
be a goal, that I only listed more generalized goals to poll for. In
this thread, we can see details, and perhaps return to it later in
2008 to note when we accomplished it and link/post any related photos/
videos.

Well, as I posted on rec.windsurfing, my number one goal for this year
is to land a: Backside Wave Aerial FWD Loop.

I thought about trying one after the TS Gabrielle Point/Cove sesh last
year since back side air was so easy that day. If we get a similar
set up this year, then I will have to try it, though given all the
regular side-on days when the south side is flat, perhaps could try it
on some of those days as well!

[Andy]

Ditto on the Backside Aerial Forward! I have visions of Bjorn going
huge in Pozo, awesome! Also add to the list:

Fully planing forward loop (no more splash down and waterstart
landings)
Shove-its
Port tack freestyle (I'm stubbornly starboard right now)
Flakas/Grubbys

And the number one goal for 2008, the ever evasive:

Clean, Lofty, Huge Back Loop!

Caleb's had a running wager pool bet thing going on the back loops for
like 3 years now. Should we make it official and actually gather some
dough? Count me in the running (I'll have some spare cash come
April)!! Maybe someone will actually land one of the damn things if
there's cash/bragging rights on the line!

[Keith McCulloch]

my number one goal for 08'  is to sail more in 08' than any year before.
and to ride the biggest cleanest wave i can find on this sand spit of an island.
i hope you all will join me! happy new year, Keith

[Bill]

Great idea! Perhaps everyone should throw in $20 bucks, and the one
who lands it and sails away gets the cash! Proof has to be either in
someone to vouch for the successful loop, or caught on video. Perhaps
if there was a pool of about $100 bucks or so, someone will land it
this year!

Heck another could be a true DTL wave aerial floater (Maui-style)
landing out in front of the whitewater or on a clean section of the
wave face. I do not think any of the current wave crew has pulled
that off either.

[Andy]

Bill:
Check continentseven.com and look under "moves", then "professional"
for "front loop off the lip" to check out a few clips of your backside
loops! Can't hurt to see how the pros do it! There are 3 different
clips up as of right now, by Angulo, Swifty, and Victor Fernandez
Lopez, all pretty similar conditions in Pozo, but 3 different camera
angles. I find it really helps to visualize the move after watching
someone else do it!
Good luck!

[Bill]

Thanks Andy! I actually will add a link to the "Moves" section of
that web site since there is a wealth of info there for people
interested in viewing specific moves.

Definitely another Cove/Point day similar to Gabrielle will be perfect
for the wave and wind lineup. That day was probably the closest to
Pozo conditions with the long wave line and side on wind. I remember
it being really easy for back-side aerials that day. Throw in a loop,
and you got it!

[Stuart]

Stu's windsurfing goals for 2008: to do it all! forwards off of swell
(already attempted a couple); back loops (just got to get the
confidence when I'm really boosting on those huge days); sticking all
my port tack vulcans, starboard tack vulcans and port tack spocks;
arials (they're tougher to do well than they look); to charge it on a
lumpy side-on day instead of twiddling my thumbs and road surfing all
day; to promote the art of longboard wavesailing; duck gybe on the
face of the wave for the kick out; and maybe even get to the flatwater
forward. Well, I've got a whole year ;-). The great thing about
windsurfing is we can work on all these things at once: there's no
linear progression one must follow, there's just the stoke that
spreads in all directions!

[Andy]

C'mon Stuart! I'm just as guilty as you in naming 8000 goals, but
what is the one damn thing you really want to do on a sailboard?!
We're holding you to it, so choose wisely!