Sally's Gonna Jibe

My wife is learning to carve a jibe. I have a number of thoughts and emotions about this, so I'll just make a list:

1. It took me forever to learn to jibe...she can't just waltz on in, fit jibing into her mega-busy schedule of things to do, and succeed.

2. I still can't jibe! Actually I can...on a good day I rip through jibes and duck jibes, but I still blow some. The racer who said "Jibing is a career" in a magazine interview a few years ago had me in mind.

3. You have to sail pretty darn fast to be able to pull off a planing jibe. Sally has never had a taste for speed, though lately I've had to work to pass her on the water as she's begun to put the hammer down. And I'm mindful of Dasher's prophetic words to my svelte bride in Aruba: "Speed will never be a problem for you."

This all started last year in Bonaire, during an ABK clinic. I was looking across Lac Bay, catching my breath while struggling to learn Grubbies or some other mutant aerial, when my eye was caught by Sally bearing off and initiating a carve. I thought I was mistaken...she'd been hovering on the waterstart/speed in the footstraps plateau, working on pre-jibe skills...but there she was, working on jibing 101 on the Carribean blue water. I never thought I'd see the day. (I so commented to ABK later, who now sometimes put that quote on their website for promotional purposes.)

But that was last year. Yesterday we had a perfect late-summer session at Mecox. Sally was fully powered on a 4.7 (me on the 6.2) and she was charging into her jibe attempts with real velocity. Again and again and again. I realized that she's going to get this. Then she nearly hit her first, right in front of me.

It's gonna happen.

(We're back in clinic land in a few weeks...join us when ABK arrives for two clinics at Napeague, September 14-16, and 21-23. I'll be the guy making a mess of freestyle. Sally will be the jibing blonde.)

(Top: Sally flashes a shaka after barely missing her first carved jibe.
Bottom: The ABK quote.)

Comments

[Jeff]

Way to go Sally! I really agree with point 2 -- persistence is key. Andy Brandt says you'll need 500 attempts to hit a Vulcan (only 497 attempts to go!). The elusive grail of perfection seems forever out of reach, until one day you surprise yourself by nailing it, and suddenly all those frustrating crashes become well worth it!

[Andre]

I was similarly overpowered yesterday at Cold Spring, albeit on a 6.5. My arms are killing me today, but the session was well worth it.

Good luck to Sally with her jibes. I'm still working on mine, but am happy enough when I'm able to stay on the board after getting into the back footstrap. I guess ABK will see me again this year...

[Manfred Schreiber]

Just tell her: "Mast close to the nose" and it will work without the 500 attempts.
Hang loose!