My little demo van from Dave White on Vimeo.

Mark Hosegood. Image credit Dave White.

Name:        

Mark Hosegood aka: Sparky

DOB:            

21^st February 1979

Windsurfing History:      

A lot! PWA judge for the last five years and instructor/coach for the last 16! Loads in between including managing windsurfing shops in the UK, managing and setting up watersport centres around the world including helping to set up The OTC in Tenerife and equipment tester for UK and international magazines and manufacturers. I was also semi pro which involved competing in a range of competitions, national and international plus “trying” to teach Jeremy Clarkson to windsurf for the BBC’s Top Gear (most incompetent student ever…don’t worry, I’m sure he’d agree with me!)

Who has inspired and influenced you in windsurfing?

Robby Naish was, and still is, my childhood hero and Francisco Goya is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Nowadays, I think the guys like Kauli, Brawzinho, Jaeger Stone and Philip Koster are the most inspirational and awe-inspiring windsurfers around. Then you have some of the young English guys who I was lucky enough to be involved with from a very young age: Graham Woods, George Shillito and Adam Lewis. Being the “old” man now it’s an inspiration seeing how successful they are, all in their own way and are fairly unique in the directions they’ve taken and are now heading. The boys over in Somerset that I grew up sailing with also had a massive input in my early years, especially Stu B, who taught me how control my fear, by mainly convincing me (or convincing each other) that it’s a good idea to do some really dim things, normally with Dad there watching with his head in his hands!

Mark Hosegood SUPing with Roberto Ricci and many others at NWF. Image credit Dave White.

Why did you enter NWF?

Because I was there helping out on the Ezzy and Seasprite stand.

What fleet did you enter, where did you finish and what was the experience like?

I went in for the pros light wind freestyle event and I won! Beating guys I normally judge on the PWA Freestyle World Tour….with a bit of luck! The wind was actually picking up in the afternoon finals session so we switched from old school longboard freestyle to high wind new school freestyle, which definitely favoured everyone but me. In the end the wind didn’t come through and with no-one planing I went into sail spin mode, in which I love to flow from one move to the next, combining as many moves into one until I run out of ideas. Luckily for me the judges scored me higher for that then some of the more difficult technical individual moves the others were doing.

Mark Hosegood spinning his way to victory. Image credit Dave White.

What was your favourite part of the event this year?

I loved the whole thing! But in particular it was seeing a lot of old friends that I’ve not seen in a very long time having lived in Tenerife for the last five or six years and been out of the UK windsurfing scene.

Have you entered any other events this year?

I had a go at The OTC slalom event in Weymouth earlier this year. My first slalom event and it was great to get some competitive fire back!

What’s next for you?

I’m out to Denmark and then Sylt judging and then have a very exciting windsurfing project starting up in Tenerife in November…. Watch this space!

What do you want to progress with your windsurfing?

I’d like to change my mindset with windsurfing. I injured my knee very badly about four to five years ago and have had major problems with it since. I’ve had to be really careful in the way I sail now, where as before I’d go for stuff and figure out the consequences later, now I basically can’t crash badly. Because of this I’ve not learnt anything new for years. But now my knee is feeling much stronger, I’ve been lucky enough to find a very high quality Ossur CTI carbon knee brace that’s kept me injury free since I got it three years ago and I’m now a Personal Trainer and utilising that knowledge, managed to train and build up the knee to a much better condition.

Mark Hosegood on the top of the podium. Image credit Dave White.

Check out the rest of the NWF Stars series:

Oscar Carmichael

Simon Bornhoft

Adam Sims

Megan Kraft

Plus, The Only Way Is The Beach aka a day in the life of George Shillito!

]]> http://boards.mpora.com/features/stars-nwf-mark-hosegood.html/feed 0 http://boards.mpora.com/technique/the-carve-gybe.html http://boards.mpora.com/technique/the-carve-gybe.html#comments Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:39:52 +0000 Amy Carter - Editor http://boards.mpora.com/?p=39242 Jem Hall continues his series ‘The Moves That Matter’, this time round Jem looks to unravel the keys to learning and boosting your carve gybes.I hope you have enjoyed my recent articles in my new technique series, the Moves That Matter (MTM), check out all the previous technique pieces and my latest news right here.

Gybe Talking CREDIT: Sue Winston

I have previously covered the basic tips on how to waveride front side, now it is time to get Gybe talking.

This first piece of a mini series on carve gybes and freemove / ride sailing will present the main skills with images and text, I will then follow this up with video in the next feature.

As I have often said, ‘ordinary actions done consistently will produce extraordinary results’ so it is the small parts, that make up the big picture of the carve gybe.

Perfect stance will get you great gybes. CREDIT: Jem Hall

TOP GYBE TIPS:

Stance

I have mentioned before just how important the holy trinity is and if you want great gybes, then you need to focus on planing early, sailing fast (under and overpowered) and flying upwind. All these skills means that you can try more gybes as you will be more upwind and in a position to bear away and go fast into your gybes.

Tacks will let you attack your gybes CREDIT: Mary Bush

Tacks

With the modern wide boards and people now venturing out in light winds more this move is now back in vogue and very very useful. Please learn and improve and upon it, as you will use it later should you get into wavesailing and it means you can get and stay upwind. When you are confident you can stay upwind you will try more gybes and bear away in your preparation to gybe, both of which will drastically improve your carving skills.

Marti does his clew first drills! CREDIT: Mary Bush

Light wind skills

I see the most improvement in peoples gybes after a session of drills and skills in light winds on a floaty board or windSUP. Getting to grips with the footwork and timing of the gybe, aggressive steering up and downwind and being the master of clew first sailing will fire up your muscle memory and give you both valuable and transferrable skills to utilise in planing conditions.

Back hand back – do it now and forever please. CREDIT: Mary Bush

Back hand, back hand, back hand

Simply put the further back your rear hand is positioned the better many of your moves will be. The people on my clinics who place their hands the furthest back learn and improve their gybes the fastest. I say this as my first coaching point and plug it as the most important part of the gybe and the bottom turn, forward etc etc. When learning and improving your gybes this is the first action you perform before you look to gybe.

Unhook low and then keep low CREDIT: Mary Bush

Unhooking

How you hook in and unhook is more crucial to your sailing than you think. Do it well and your stance and footstrap usage develops fast, do it poorly and you’ll be out the front door! My clients and I have found it best to unhook by bending your arms from a low position before we gybe (do moves) so as to keep us low, the alternative is to raise your hips which puts you upright and sinks the tail … not good. We can lose so much precious speed before we even start gybing just by inefficient unhooking, so please get down James Brown and unhook by hanging off straight arm, then bending them to release the line from your hook.

360s boosted Andy’s Gybes CREDIT: Jem Hall

360s

Now we are moving into the moves where people who can gybe should be working on. Great gybes, planing ones especially, take a good amount of time and as we enjoy the journey it is best to try some other moves on the way to keep you fresh and challenged. By working on 360s your entry speed will be boosted and you will gybe more off the front foot AND you will really commit to carving hard. My clients really enjoy going for these now, and often the one handed variation too.

Duck gybes seriously improve your carve gybes CREDIT: Mary Bush

Duck gybes

This is a fantastic move and everyone remembers getting his or her first! It is a more simple gybe than a carve gybe and can often be your first planing gybe due its less technical nature. You duck the rig early and then just focus on carving. The duck gybe will give you a great thrill, increase your confidence and make you more dynamic – get into them.

Bearing away into your gybes

Now all these skills and drills will really get your gybes talking and flowing but I have saved the best tip for last (along with a reminder to get your back hand back). After getting your back hand waaaay back, and unhooking smoothly, if you bear away into your gybe and stay low you have the best opportunity ever to significantly step up your gybes! Turning downwind / bearing away by scissoring the board (not carving it) and keeping it flat will see your board speed rocket and the sail will then go light, whilst the board will then be ready to carve. Going fast into your gybe will give you a wider arc and therefore provide you with the time to do all that damn footwork and rig opening and rotating. More on all this later ….  Including all the nitty gritty of the actual whole process of gybing.

So there you have it, lots of tips and skills for you to consider and practice. If you can’t wait for the next instalment then please check out some of my technique clips on the Boardseeker website too.

Plus all of this and more is covered in my technique DVD ‘Beginner to Winner.’ 

Or you can check out my Live Coaching chapter on carve gybes, from Beginner to Winner, right here:

More Windsurfing Videos
Jem Hall runs a range of clinics both in the UK and abroad, head to his website for all the information. 

A number of these clinics are with Sportif, head to the Sportif website for all destination details.  

Jem is sponsored by RRD boards, Ezzy Sails, Flying Objects, Big Salty Weather and Prosport Sunblock. 

Check out the introduction to the pro quivers and profile one from fifth placed rider Adam Lewis here. 

Second up in the series was Ben Proffitt, find out what he has in his van here. 

John Skye with his RRD and Mystic quiver. Image credit Duncan Dumbreck.

Name: John Skye

Current BWA Ranking: 2nd

2011 PWA Ranking: 12th

Sail Number: K57

Height: 179cm

Weight: 82kgs

Sponsors: RRD boards, RRD sails, Mystic, MFC.

John Skye in Ireland. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

Favourite conditions: Fun playful conditions. I don’t care whether it’s port or starboard tack, onshore or sideshore. But I like to be able to try stuff without too many consequences.

When your equipment works best: My equipment right now is probably the best it’s ever been, working in everything from down the line 5.7 weather, through to 3.4 onshore.

Describe your sailing style: Tricky one to answer. I pride myself on being pretty good whatever the conditions, probably never the best, but up there no matter what. I like to sail with more sail power than most as well.

Sails:

3.7 4.2 4.5 4.7 5.0  production. RRD Fours.

5.3 5.7 prototypes for next year. RRD Fours.

I flew in from the Canaries, so to save weight I didn’t bring my 4.0, which annoyingly was what I needed in Rhosneigr.

For next year we are trying to put a little bit more power into the Four, which is why I used prototypes in my two bigger sizes. The extra power in the prototype 5.7 was definitely useful on the first day of Rhosneigr!

I use the Four because 4 battens seem to give a bit more feedback and response in the hands, which I like. I like to feel when I have power in my hands. I’ve been using these for two years now, I don’t use any five batten sails anymore.

There was a bit of a cross over last year, when sometimes I would still use the Superstyle (our five batten sail) when it was a bit more onshore. But we’ve worked a lot on stabilising the Four now and giving it a bit more drive, so they seem to work well in a bigger wind range.

John Skye in Ireland. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

Masts:

Again because I flew over I couldn’t bring as much as I would have liked.  Mainly I have the carbon 75masts for the smaller sails, and the carbon 100 for the bigger sails. The carbon 100s are a bit stiffer, which works really nicely with the big sails, whereas I prefer a bit more flex with the smaller sizes.

Booms:

I have 3 standard 145-195 booms so I can rig whatever sail I’m using, plus one above and one below just incase the wind drops or picks up. I also have a bigger boom for the 5.7 too.

Boards:

RRD 91 Hardcore Wave Contest edition Production Quad – incase we had some classic Gary Williams! It’s super turny for a big board, but this is more built for a Ho’okipa style wave, which isn’t generally what we get at the UK and Ireland competitions, although I think I’ll be out on it in Gwithian.

RRD 90 Wave Twin Contest edition Production – I only use this really with 5.7 in really light conditions, I’ve had different versions of it for four or five years now and I know I can rely on it when its really light winds. This is the contest version, which is a bit lighter.

83 and 75 – RRD Wave Cult Custom Quads – I don’t use too many customs, but these were prototypes for next year’s Wave Cults and worked so well I had to keep hold of them. In South Africa over the winter we worked a lot on the development of these, so what I have now is basically what the 2013 shape will be, aside from some minor changes to the tail. It sounds like a cliché, but the new shapes quite honestly plane earlier, go faster and turn even better.

John Skye in Ireland. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

Set Up:

90WT with 5.7

83WC with 5.3 5.0 (and 4.7 if it’s onshore.)

75WC 4.7 and below.

As I am a bit heavier than some of the other guys on the tour I probably find light wind, 5.7 weather, the hardest! When we get small waves, around waist high, with light winds my gear works well but I definitely find it harder to get good turns. I think the smaller guys on smaller equipment seem to adapt better to these conditions, but it’s always more of a struggle for me to really turn well until I at least get some power in the sail.

Fins:

I use all the MFC QS series. Generally, I put slightly smaller fins than normal, on both the front and back. Mainly because with takas etc using smaller fins makes the board a little looser and easier for these. If you go too small you can suffer with the jumping being a little less directional so it’s a tough balance. I’m playing around a bit still, sometimes I use a smaller front fin and a bigger back fin, for example if I was using a 90 quad, to give it more of a twin fin feel and make it a bit more skatey.

On the 91 Hardcore I’ve some big 10cm wider based front fins, if it’s really good riding I then put bigger fronts and smaller back fins in to give it a more equal feel, this gives it a bit more drive and grip through the turns.

John Skye in Ireland. Image courtesy BWA/Dave White.

Accessories

8’11 super SUP, plus a 5’8 surf board. I always take them both on tour with me, it’s great to get out on the water when the conditions are good and when’s the competition’s not on.

Wetsuits wise, I use Mystic suits. For these contests I had the Voltage 4/3 and High Voltage 4/3. Both were perfect. They are really warm so I can get away with a much thinner suit than normal. In general for contests I don’t like thick suits! I’m always boiling in the heats so I wear a thin suit, but always try to have a couple of spares so I can keep warm by getting changed and then putting on a fresh dry suit when we’ve had a bit of a break.

Also pretty essential are all the hoodies, jackets and hats that Mystic make. Have multiple layers is the number one essential for contests. If you are cold before you even hit the water it’s a nightmare!

This video was filmed at the recent RRD international conference in North Cyprus where all the distributors from the RRD family were present. They were all guests of Aphrodite Airlines http://www.kiteschool-cyprus.com/ at the Aphrodite beach front village http://www.aphroditebeachfront.com/

Ezzy Wave Panther Limited

Seasprite Sports are rubbing their hands with glee as the Ezzy Wave Panther is now available as the ‘Panther Limited’. It is the lightest and most advanced sail David Ezzy has ever built. Not only is this sail a technological marvel, it is also cosmetically the coolest thing we’ve ever seen.

The Limited has a unique “designer” sailcloth that David has helped develop with Dimension Polyant in the US. They have come up with a unique process to blend multiple colors into the sailcloth during the laminating process. The new features include:

• New head profile gives unparalleled control, even when grossly overpowered.
• Lighter feel in the hands.
• New designer sailcloth that makes every sail unique. No two sails are exactly the same … but each is gorgeous.
• New innovative tack strap ruler, for insuring pinpoint accuracy for base extension settings.

The existing features are still there, of course, with its huge wind range, super strong construction and easy rigging. Lastly, quality is guaranteed because Ezzy rig every sail in their factory before it’s shipped. Available from all fine Ezzy windsurfing retailers and more info on www.ezzy.com

Jem and his RRD FireMove in Cape Town

Top coach Jem Hall put RRD’s new Fire Move through its paces this winter in Cape Town as part of his work in their research and development division and is now proud to announce its release. The FireMove now completes the whole family of RRD’s new ‘FIRE’ range and is placed between the highly acclaimed FSW and the FireRide, classic freeride. It is the closest freemove board to a pure freestyle-wave and incorporates a lively feeling with great speed and top end control, and the gybing sensation of a much smaller board. A wide body planshape allows for a better earlier planing capacity by keeping a relatively short compact shape, and with the boards reduced thickness throughout you get a looser carving feel.

They are available in both an X-Tech and the lighter Limited Edition constructions. The boards are 236cm long to ensure their compact and fun feel with volumes of 100, 110 and 120L, though their virtual volumes will be up to 8 litres above this. They have respective widths of 69, 75cm and 80cm and come equipped with MFC Liquid Pro fins in Powerboxes.

The perfect board for those looking for fun in lighter winds and choppy waters without sacrificing early planing and manoeuvrability, it will definitely put the Fire back into your sailing.

More details on www.robertoriccidesigns.com – the FireMove is available now from your nearest legendary RRD dealer, check out seaspritesports.com/dealers.php for your list of retailers.

Ezzy Freeride 5

Seasprite Sports are very excited about the latest addition to the Ezzy sails collection, the Freeride 5, which goes alongside the twin removable cam Infinity. Sporting a similar colourful look to the 2011 Wave Panther 3 to go alongside their highly acclaimed performance and strength. The Freeride 5 is designed for sailors of all levels who take their windsurfing seriously. Whether you want to be the fastest on the water, cruise around, or make perfect gybes, the unique draft-forward profile of the Ezzy Freeride allows you to sail with greater efficiency and less effort. The Freeride 5 is perfect for flat water blasting and bump-n-jump sailing. The sail has a huge wind range and is highly tunable and mainly through, easy to apply, outhaul tension. The rigging is also easy thanks to the colour coded downhaul marks and the colour coded outhaul cords. Lastly of course, quality is guaranteed because Ezzy rig every sail in their factory before it’s shipped. Ezzy sails have an unmatched customer service as they take their customers as seriously as they do their sails. Email info@ezzy.com and you will get a personal response within 12 hours.

Available from all fine Ezzy windsurfing retailers and more info on www.ezzy.com

Will Rogers, by Leah Bolton

News just in from UK RRD importers SeaSprite is that they have Will Rogers on board as a SeaSpriteSports Shop Team Rider – riding RRD boards. SeaSprite asked Will to give us a few words about joining them, here’s what he had to say:

“I’m a big fan of using the products that I believe are right for the job, RRD products along with my Chinook components and YES masts allow me to be confident I get the most out of my gear and trust it to perform – this is super important when you work full time and getting on the water is so hard.

“Im riding the new Twinzer TwinTip freestyle – when this board was released I got pretty excited as it is a very well thought out twin-fin board which is what I’ve been hoping someone would release.  RRD have hit the nail on the head, and maximised the benefits of a multi-fin freestyle board. The 88 litre is so early to plane meaning I can happily ride a smaller board all the time, its really fast and the twinfins make doubles and carving manoeuvres easier.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with fellow RRD team rider Adam Sims, who is has an incredible energy to develop freestyle windsurfing and help get more people back into windsurfing through the exciting discipline.  Were already scheming on how to develop our on forecast Xpression series as well as helping for preparations for this years exciting UKWA  freestyle tour see www.Ukwindsurfing.com/events for details.

“See you on the water!”

More at windsurfingwilly.wordpress.com

Ezzy Sails in association with Seasprite Sports announces the release of the Freeride 4. The Ezzy Freeride 4 has the power and stability of a cambered sail, without using cams.

The Freeride 4 contains no monofilm and utilises the world’s most advanced materials. Light-weight Technora fibre is used along the leech to reduce stretch and improve performance. The luff and window panels utilise their bullet-proof Spectra X-film, which provides extra tear strength in these high-stress areas. Ezzy’s new Tri-Lite scrim is used in the central panels to save weight and smooth out the gusts, making the sail even more stable and controllable.

The Freeride 4′s huge wind range means you don’t need as many sails in your quiver. And it fits both standard and small diameter masts, so there’s no need to buy a new mast. Every Freeride is rigged in the Ezzy factory, where they tune the battens and do a thorough check of their work. Ezzy Sails takes their customers as seriously as they do their sails. Email them at info@ezzy.com and you will get a personal response within 12 hours.

For more information go to www.ezzy.com or check out www.seaspritesports.com for a list of Ezzy dealers.