It doesn’t matter whether you’re a hardened pro or every day windsurfer the forward loop remains one of the most iconic and crowd pleasing moves you can pull. For anyone at their local going over the handle bars will earn you instant respect, mainly because all sailors appreciate the amount of will power needed to perform such a trick. Whilst not technical per se – at least when compared to other windsurfing contortionism – telling yourself to willingly catapult, having spent those early years trying to avoid this, is completely counter intuitive.
At pro level some forward variations, such as huge stalled inversions performed at breaks like Pozo, Gran Canaria, are awe inspiring. For the jumping connoisseur adding a second rotation, or even heading part way through a pushloop, before stalling and going back in the opposite direction ala push forwards, are moves that’ll set you apart and put you in the upper echelons of skill.
A 17 year old Cesare Cantagalli first unveiled a forwards rotational move at the 1986 Aloha Classic. His cheese roll version wowed the crowds. In 1998 he did the double at a PWA comp in Barbados thereby solidifying his reputation as one of the greats.
Back on flat water and the humble spin loop is mostly attainable for any sailors able to pop their board and go for it. Adding additional height, having hit a ramp, will see further kudos given. Whatever your style of forward loop, there’s one thing you can’t deny: it still looks spectacular among a whole array of new school moves and wins respect and nods of approval from all.
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