BACKFLIP - GONG Galaxy

Our team rider Malo Guénolé dissects the backflip in detail : “First of all, the backflip is probably the hardest maneuver that’s possible on a wing to this day. It is a complex and dangerous maneuver that requires a high level. Don’t attempt this move on your first week of practice. If you train regularly and thoughtfully, in a few months you will be able to reach the level necessary to try this stunt.

Wing foiler : Malo, GONG team rider, with the Lemon FSP Pro, Wing Plus and Fluid foil Set-up.

When you feel ready, meaning when you have mastered the Jump, Frontside 360 and Backloop, and are confident in your moves, you can go for it.

It’s best to opt for a session in which you can find bumps or waves that will give you height without even using your wing to take off (believe me, pulling off this move on flat water is not easy). It’s also recommended to use a wing in 4m max because a bigger wing would be very bulky and therefore not great for learning.

So there you are, the conditions are good, the gear is good, let’s get into it…

Going upside down

First, I advise you to do a try in which you will only go up with the board as high as possible without worrying about the wing. You’re going to land badly, but it should be harmless. Then you can repeat this action two or three times to familiarize yourself with placing the board above you.

Now you’re confident and ready to go for it. For your first backflip, start by choosing the ideal section in the gust of wind that suits you and at a pace between upwind and crosswind. Then when you arrive on the right bump, you will have to put a fairly frank impulse in the foil and throw your wing above your head, or even behind your head. Throwing the wing in this way will help you pass over it as it will catch in the backwind and catapult you like a pendulum over it.

Be careful, if you do not place the wing behind your head but keep it close to you, you are not going to benefit from this catapult effect that the wing offers you. Your rotation will be blocked because your board will hit it. In this case the rotation stops above the wing; you fall and you will remember this wipe-out… Falling this way is also the best way to break the wing or harm yourself !!!

In addition, if you place the wing well with a good momentum in your foil but without leaning your head back, it will not work. Indeed, the simple fact of throwing your head back and looking for the landing will greatly help you pass over the wing.

It’s true that if you already know how to do back flips on a trampoline or on the floor, throwing your head back will seem much easier. But if you can’t backflip on dry land, throwing your head back is just a matter of mindset, sort of speak. The only advice I can give you is just to unplug your brain and go for it as hard as you can. If you don’t commit fully, you could hurt yourself badly.

Last tip when it comes to momentum, it’s best to bend your legs up in the air. By doing this you will turn in a shorter radius and therefore faster.

Adjust the power

If you’ve applied the method correctly you are supposed to be upside down over the wing now. Rest assured, you have done the hard part. But now is where the success of the maneuver is played … It mainly depends on the power with which you sent your backflip. Indeed, if you do not go for it hard enough you will probably land on the wing or in nose-diving because you will not have had time to turn. On the other hand, if you send too hard, you will over-rotate which will surely lead you to a very violent landing. Rest assured, the over-rotation happens very rarely. So you have to find a balance between too much and too little, that’s up to you depending on which section you’re going for and how strong the wind is. However, no matter how hard you launch the maneuver, always focus on throwing the wing well behind your head and tucking your legs in the air (this is the key to this maneuver).

Now that you’ve done all of that, you should be in the descent or even landing phase. At this point, you have the wing in front of you and your body should be about 45 degrees from the water. There you have to pull the wing towards you while raising it to the level of your head. This action can be done while you are still in the air or while landing, it all depends on your height and speed of rotation. On the other hand, if you don’t do this the wing will stick in the water and you risk landing on it and cutting it with your foil. When it comes to landing, I also advise you to cushion well with your legs because the impact can be quite heavy.

Now that you have regained your senses and your balance, you just have to pump a few times with your wing and let go of your biggest claim because you have just pulled off one of the most technical and beautiful tricks in the sport …

The point of sail

Last little tip on the backflip, pay close attention to your point of sail, that is to say your sailing angle in relation to the wind. Indeed, if you try this move too close to the wind, your wing risks facing the wind and offsetting your rotation by going backwind too early. On the other hand, if you bear away from the wind too much, you will have no power in the wing and the maneuver will be much harder to perform.

There you go, now that you have the theory in mind all you need is the practice. I’m not going to hide from you the fact that you probably won’t do the backflip on the first try, unless you’re very gifted ;-). So you’re going to have to repeat the move probably a hundred times or even more before you land one. But above all, think about the mistakes you make after each try, this is the only way to improve.

So you’re all set, you just have to take your wing, adjust your straps properly, put on a helmet and get into the water with one and only goal: to do backflips !!”