Lizzie Baillie joins Boards to guide you through one of the coolest freestyle moves out there: The Shaka.

I spent last summer chasing a big freestyle goal, to learn arguably the coolest move: The Shaka! (For us mere mortals Pasko’s, Shifty 720s and triple Culo’s are fairly unattainable!)

I never thought I would find a move that could frustrate me as much as the Vulcan… but I was wrong. Not just the awkwardness of it, or the feeling of being right back at square one when you start, but also the lack of any good advice (even asking a handful of pros).

Being simply told: “Yea, you just carve upwind and throw yourself onto the sail” is really a hindrance rather than help; it’s a move that needs to be broken down and built up in stages.

So, if you’re reading this you have probably nailed the freestyle basics, you’re sliding around no problem, can most likely spock, flaka, grubby and a few switch moves and you’re ready for power!

Perhaps you’ve tried some Shakas already, maybe you can shove it but can’t get it to rotate and now you’ve resorted to getting some advice from a girl!

I am going to break down the move and everything I learnt along the way and the most irritating (and fairly embarrassing) elements of the move…