Q: Why duck jibe?
A: It's so much fun!
A dozen years ago I got out of big sails. If I couldn't do basic tricks with it, I didn't want it. I thought that meant 6.0 was about the limit. Good bye 9.8 and 8.8. Yeah I'd miss some planing days but this was my thinking. Dumb. Fortunately one day in Bonaire I met a guy named Steve who I knew liked freestyle, and also had a 7.5. What gives? Can you duck it, Steve?
"Duck it? I'm gosh darn donkey jibing it!"
So I returned to the 7.5 fold. While I've never made anything but the ugliest donkey jibes with it, I'm pretty good at ducking the thing. The trick I've figured out is to break the rule (guideline, really) that you must throw the boom so that your "new" front hand catches the boom in front of the harness line. Break the "no shuffling your hands down the boom" advice. I love the pure duck jibe with the single elegant throw, but with the big sail it disrupts the mast base pressure too much, and keeping the board planing becomes a challenge.
So I walk my hands for the 7.5 duck. And I plane out, happy.
End of screed.
(Please excuse the "Ha Ha!" after the jibe. I'm basically an eight year old.)
I'd be a seven year old if I could duck a 7.5!
Posted by: Brian S | July 09, 2018 at 08:45 AM
Duck jibing a 7.5 is not as hard as it sounds. It's all about keeping the upper body still, chin up, and being patient (and optimistic)! Try it. I once ducked an 8.8, though no I did not come close to planing out. But it can be done!
Duck those 7.5's everybody!
Posted by: Michael | July 09, 2018 at 04:20 PM
I remember watching Dorian van Rijsselberghe ducking his RS:X 9.5 during the Olympics on the way to gold. Not sure if it was his parade lap or it improved his chances of planing out of a jibe.
Since I have T-Rex arms and I'm short, this is like reading about dunking a basketball.
Posted by: William | July 11, 2018 at 01:40 PM