All about Lightriding

When Pierre-Yves Mottier, windsurfing coach from Switzerland, talks about his baby "Lightriding", he likes to draw parallels with skiing: "Nowadays, beginners also ski backwards on their first day". In this surf interview, he explains what this has to do with windsurfing and what the fancy-sounding name actually means:

Pierre-Yves, what is the message of Lightriding? What is it all about?

Lightriding introduces various positions and manoeuvres right from the start, instead of just one standard riding position. Essentially, there are six riding positions and manoeuvres. These are exciting to discover and there is no prefabricated template into which every student is forced. Nowadays, modern ski schools also teach beginners to ski backwards in the first lesson.

What's new for beginners?

Beginners - who I prefer to call newcomers - have a wider range of things to do on the water. We use simpler language and spend more time on the water: "Less talking, more action". On a course, I spend five minutes on the beach, then we go out on the water, where we limit ourselves to five terms that basically explain everything you do with the sail: "open/close", "up/down" and "ease". There are no long theoretical introductions and technical exercises on land.

No theory?

At least not at the beginning, apart from a few tips on safety and equipment. Surfing should be intuitive. Kids who play Playstation these days don't read through the operating instructions beforehand, they want to get started straight away. That's why I prefer to give them specific exercises to do instead of spending minutes explaining them.

How do advanced windsurfers benefit from lightriding?

My experience shows that, for example, the power jibe in planing is easier if you already have a good switch stance in light winds.(Surfing in a twisted foot position, the ed.) and outhaul ahead. There are countless manoeuvres based on these simple basics. And it is precisely these basics that you learn when lightriding, no matter how light the wind is! What's more, you're simply fitter and learn faster in stronger winds if you've laid the foundations in light winds.

So there is no wind limit for lightriding!

Exactly! No matter how light the wind is and where you live, just go out on the water and experiment. This will give you a lot of routine and a feeling for sailing, which will help you with lots of wind and demanding manoeuvres. Many people would learn planing manoeuvres faster if they practised more in light winds instead of sitting on the beach complaining that there's not enough wind.

To discover windsurfing, beginners should have a board volume three to four times their body weight - it's like a green piste for beginners. The board should definitely have a centreboard or centre fin and respond quickly to sail steering. WindSUPs, which are also available to inflate, are particularly recommended. WindSUPs with a length of 9′6″ to 11′4″ (the specification is in feet & inches; 9′6″ corresponds to approx. 300cm, 11′4″ corresponds to approx. 345cm) are ideal. Unfortunately, too many windsurfing beginners start with a board that is too small - and end up frustrated!

1st clew ahead

Every jibe, whether in light wind (left) or in full planing as a power jibe (right), involves a short phase with the clew (corner at the end of the boom) before the sail shifts. The necessary sailing feeling can be learnt playfully on a longboard in light wind, e.g. by changing the foot of the Jibe deliberately delays sailing.

2. baking

When surfing, you normally stand on the windward side of the sail, with your back to the wind. When backing, you change the side of the sail and then stand on the leeward side of the sail (left). If you can control your sail in this position, control the back pressure and steer, you can learn tricks such as a helitack or even a full-speed carving 360 (right) much faster.

3. switch stance

Riding in a twisted foot position (left) is a perfect exercise to train your board and sail feeling even in light winds. Just try changing your foot position while travelling straight ahead and keeping the board on course. Many of the most complex freestyle tricks, such as a burner (right), are based on riding in switch stance.

You also have the opportunity to do this far away from the coast in countless places - for example in one of the numerous surf clubs or in a surf school. You can find an overview in our Station finder .