What is the best approach to getting helicopters wired?

[downriver]

try 2" fins for practice.

M

[jonysan]

Hope you won't mind me making some suggestions, I've been practicing, trying 360's with very little success! and using a 9'9 Gong board (very longboard style) so should be the right type of board to learn on,
If i'm practicing I get on a nice wave, do some turns, wait till it turns to whitewater, then try a 360, so at least I don't waste a good wave, wrong!!!!
take a look at Gong Sup website, go to videos, maybe start with "Too Long" ,  the guy in the videos is Patrice Guenole owner shaper of Gong,  lots of noseriding, into 360's, slides, etc.
I was talking to him recently and asking for some tips, explaining that I was trying hard to "back Paddle" to initiate the first part of the rotation and couldn't get the fin to break loose before I sank the nose, and then fell off! first of all he told me if I was pushing hard to back paddle then I was positioned wrongly as that shouldn't be necessary
so here are some tips from an expert to pass on, - start early in your ride, get the board parallel to the wave face, and high up the face near the top, step forward quickly, bracing with the paddle into the wave, because you are high on the wave and parallel, the fin should break out more easily into air, keep shoulders hips ankles in same vertical plane, and use paddle to brace as necessary, as soon as the board turns approx 130 degrees, step back down the board, planting the fin and allowing the front to come round to complete the rest of the rotation.
The two main tips were stay high on the wave, and start after you get the board parallel to the wave.