TATY’S TIPS – SLALOM SPEED FOR THE LIGHTER RIDER

Taty Frans is blazing a unique trail in the PWA slalom circuit by being one of the very few lighter weight sailors able to challenge the heavy weight contenders on tour. Well known for his freestyle prowess, we caught up with the man from Bonaire on his secrets for going fast as a lighter rider and being one of the most well rounded sailors in the world, competing in two very diverse disciplines.

Photos  Marc van Swoll (Slalom), Markus Seidel (Freestyle) & John Carter (Portrait)

As one of the very few lightweight slalom riders on tour how do you keep up with the big boys?
TF – It’s hard to keep up with the bigger boys truth said, but I always believed that there could be a chance to beat them, and I know I have the will, courage and hunger to do so. I think in 2007 I competed in Slalom in Pozo and finished 9th using the SuperX Starboard S-type 94 litre. That motivated me more to keep up slalom sailing and it made me believe that actually light weight sailors do have a chance to do good or even win in Slalom. Weighing 70kgs and finishing top 10 in Slalom pissed off a lot of guys. I also got disqualified for the most ridiculous reasons because I was always jibing on the inside cutting them off and making them lose places, so thank goodness they took that rule off, oh yeah ! As far equipment setup, I always try to get the most power from my boards and sails. I always put my foot straps all the way in the back strap inserts and have my sail down-hauled as much as possible. My boom is at chin height in light & strong winds but my lines are at 28 cm in light wind and 30 cm in high wind. The fin to me is the more important part. I never go smaller unless I really have to, so I always stick to the same fin size even in light and strong winds. I do however change down to a smaller sail, because then in my mind I know I will always have the same board feeling and board control and the sail is all I need to worry about. This gives me a better feeling and less to think about. It’s maybe because I am freestyle windsurfing so much that I have developed this technique. It definitely helped me during my progression into Slalom.

How do you tune your gear when your training is mostly done by yourself?
TF – The fact is every Professional or normal windsurfer has their own way of windsurfing, tuning, and feeling the way their gear is working for them. All my Slalom gear is tuned and tested by myself and I really don’t like someone telling me that you need to pull more downhaul, you need to have more outhaul, or the fin is too small or too big. I rig my gear the way I feel comfortable with, which is all that matters. I love my gear setup. Nowadays I just look at the specs on the sail and rig them accordingly to the downhaul spec, but I usually go 2cm less on the outhaul to have a deeper profile.

Gym is a big part of your training – what specific exercises do you do ?
TF – Gym has become a part of my weekly routine. I joined the fitness program to stay focused. I am doing two completely different disciplines and the body/mind/muscle/strength needs to be ready for each. I don’t want to feel sore once I go from Freestyle to Slalom or vice-versa. My coach mostly pushes me to do a lot of pull-ups and push-ups. Weightlifting is not a big part of the program, because you will gain more control of the body once you can lift your own body weight using your own strength. We work more on the lower body parts making the legs fit and strong, keeping the heart rate low, even when fully tired. The fitness is intense, during the first 2 weeks of training I felt like throwing up, but now I’m good!

Is there crossover advantages you bring from slalom to freestyle and vice versa?
TF – It’s easier to make a Slalom board into a Freestyle board, but not as easy the other way round. I think a Slalom board is more sensitive and you need to spend a lot more time developing them. That said, because I do so much freestyle, the control I get when I step onto an iSonic is easier. The iSonic has so much speed and it’s much more nervous than a Flare, but because I have been sailing a lot of freestyle it helps me be able to adjust my body when I start to feel out of control.

It seems like a return to super X could be your strong point – do you have any ideas or dreams about formats to combine slalom and freestyle
TF – I always liked the idea of Super X. I competed in the PWA Super X back in the day, but as soon as I started to get dialed in, the discipline just vanished. So is it a good idea to combine both disciplines? I don’t know but I think that a Super X event should be done in a place like Fuerteventura, Pozo, France (Defi Wind) where it’s windy and the wind and sea conditions are extreme. It would also be good to see more moves like Flakas, Spocks, Loops and Grubbies, because then it’s not only about speed but it will have a more extreme side to it. My biggest dream is to one day see Windsurfing be as big as it was during the time of Robby Naish and Bjorn Dunkerbeck’s career.

What is the craziest move you have done on slalom gear?
TF – I think freestyling with your Slalom quiver is the worse thing you can do, but hey once you’re having fun you’ll find yourself automatically busting a Loop, Spock or even a super mega high jump. I still think looping is the best feeling when you are doing it with your slalom kit. When you start the jump and during the rotation, you get a feeling which is kind of slow/fast at the same time. With the slalom gear you will have to pull faster on the sail and lift your back foot up as much as possible. This is because the Slalom gear will take more time to rotate in the loop compared to when you’re on wave or freestyle kit. The feeling is scary but great at the same time, but please don’t try to do this with your Slalom gear, it’s really bad, especially for your board.

You are known for being a minimalist on your gear in Slalom – for someone looking to keep gear costs down – give us a

breakdown of your quiver
TF – My Quiver would be as follows

with 4 sails and 3 boards…

Sail: Gaastra Sails: 8.6, 7.9, 7.1, 6.4
Board: Starboard iSonic 120, 107, 87
iSonic120: fin size 44
iSonic107: Zfin – size 38
iSonic87: Drake Slalom DW Ready to Race – size 34

and for 3 sails and 2 boards…

Sail: Gaastra Sails – 7.9 7.1 5.6
Board: Starboard iSonic 110, 97
iSonic110: Zfin – size 42
iSonic97: Drake Slalom DW Ready to Race – size 34 / 36

With these two quivers I can cover any wind strength from 30 plus knots, down to 12 knots. You can minimize most of the cost when you know the exact amount of gear that you’ll need. It stops you buying certain boards, sails, and fins that you will just never use. The money you spend on windsurfing should go towards kit you’ll actually use and not just kit that will lie around your house.

What are your top tips for going fast and gybing round a slalom course.
TF – I’ve always been told the bigger sail the faster you will go, and the taller and heavier you are the faster you’ll go too. But actually I never believed in this, that’s why I put myself up to challenge the world’s best in Slalom. With my mind being open, anything is possible. I choose my slalom quiver carefully and always use a size smaller sail and board then my opponents. That way I have the advantage of going faster as my board and sail will suit my body weight and height. I can jibe and be in control of my gear in all situations. If you can handle and control your gear, you will always be faster. Having smaller gear makes jibing faster and will also help you get out of the jibe quicker too, whereas the bigger guys with bigger sails and boards need more time to do all that. I always try to get as much power off my fin, that’s why I always use a bigger fin size. When the wind gets lighter I can always use the fin power to get through the lulls. It’s basically about tactics. My jibing style comes from all the freestyle I do, but also when I first started windsurfing I used to do a lot of Long Board “IMCO” sailing and we used to train a lot. I guess all that time on a long board and also freestyling made me a good jiber.

Diet and Vitamins you list as big parts of your training – what’s your program?
TF – I usually take 1x multi vitamin pack a day. During the fitness training I take Amino’s, Glutamine, and a shake to keep the muscles healthy. Nothing special compared to other athletes. I’m just trying to keep it as healthy as possible. During the events – Vitamin C, Fish Oil and Amino’s are my best friends. As far as eating I like bread with honey, and I keep away from mayonnaise, ketchup and french-fries. During the comps I also take a protein shake during or after the race to recover fast, but honey, water and small energy bars are best at the beach. Also anything boiled is number one.

“ If you can handle and control your gear, you will always be faster ”

What is it going to take to beat Antoine this year why is he so good
TF – I see Antoine as a really strong person physically and mentally, so to beat him someone needs more than just strength. Antoine will always be a strong contender after all his years of experience. He knows how to deal with the pressure and he knows how to keep it cool while others will let the pressure overtake them. I have respect for such a personality, but no one is unbeatable and I really believe that a slalom podium is possible for a lighter person like myself. A title is welcome, but I take each opportunity with my heart and work hard for it. My head is ready for each big moment that might present itself. The future is bright and there could be surprises from the young Slalom riders. The new slalom generation will take over soon.

For any recreational and freestyle sailors out there wanting to try Slalom – sell it to us, why should they do it?
TF – Slalom is fun, full stop. If you can combine both Freestyle and Slalom at the same time you will enjoy windsurfing more, and you could even learn more things about windsurfing faster. You can only Freestyle for a certain amount of time, until it becomes a bit boring compared to the feeling/adrenaline of being on a Slalom board. It’s just amazing. Do not limit yourself; even though I am not a tall person, I took all the time I had to learn each discipline in windsurfing. In my garage at home I have Freestyle, Wave, Formula and Slalom boards because I enjoy every side of this sport. Maybe I’m not that good in Wave sailing but I can be competitive in all the rest. If I can do it all and have enough time to keep up with the rest of the world, I see no reason why you can’t. It’s always fun to go cruising and take your mind off Freestyle. It could help you to come back and be better in Freestyle or whichever discipline you are putting your time into. If I(as a freestyler) can be fast on a Slalom board and get great results, then I really believe you can do the same or even better than me!

Taty Frans is sponsored by Starboard, Gaastra GA sails, Mystic, LSD fins, Powerex, LiP sunglasses – www.facebook.com/TatyNB9

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