watch video on youtube »

freestyle fundamentals: mastering flatspins and shuvits

episode 2

Hi there, Brandon Willms here from the Alberta Play Boaters League. We're stoked to be partnering with AQ Outdoors on this Freestyle Fundamentals Skill Series. In this lesson, we'll focus on the core body movement trunk rotation. In the process, we'll show you two new tricks that you can easily practice and develop in flat water, Shuvits and Flat Spins. Both of these tricks are trivial to do in flat water, so focus on doing them with good technique to build muscle memory for a surfable feature.

What You'll Need

To get the most out of this video, you will need:

A well-fitted modern play boat
The ability to use a sweep stroke effectively
A location with warm, calm water, with plenty of space as you progress

A slow moving and well-defined Eddy line can be a great next step. This skill is a key progression step for shove its, flat spins, blunts, back stabs, and more.

the goal of a shuvit

To perform a shuvit, the paddler uses trunk rotation and sweep strokes to rotate the kayak 180 degrees and then back again to the original position. This trick involves dynamically shifting the body and paddle to initiate and control the spin in both directions, making it a foundational skill for more advanced maneuvers.

the goal of a flatspin

To perform a flatspin, the paddler uses trunk rotation and sweep strokes to spin the kayak 360 degrees while keeping it flat on the water. This trick involves seamlessly transitioning between forward and backward sweeps, allowing for smooth and continuous rotation. It's a fundamental skill that sets the stage for more advanced moves, and is best practiced in flat water to build control and precision before taking it to moving water.

Step-by-Step Guide

Trunk Rotation Exercises

Sit frog legged with your legs in the air. Hold your arms in a pose as if you're holding a paddle.
Rotate your upper body in a dynamic motion to full extension. Note that during this motion, your legs will swing in the opposite direction.
Repeat this on the opposite side.

Back Sweeps and Forward Sweeps

Now that we're in our boats, let's look at the back sweeps and forward sweeps:

From the neutral body position, hold the paddle steady with the blade out of the water and rotate your upper body from side to side. Maintain square shoulders in a paddler's box.
At first, allow your gaze to lead each turn. Then try more side to side rotations, this time locking your gaze on a reference point straight ahead.
Note that your head turn can influence your trunk rotation. IE. It can help build momentum and synchronize the moves, but it can also be entirely independent.
Wind up in a stern rudder position. Plant the blade back, sweep around stern through to toes. Feel your legs swing towards the paddle and the rotation in your trunk and shoulders.
Leave the blade planted and front sweep around toes through to stern. This time, feel your legs swing away from the paddle. The boat will have completed a semicircle in one direction, and then come back through to 12 o'clock.

Using a Point of Reference

Identify a point of reference on the shoreline at 12 o'clock. Keep your eye on the same point of reference throughout the whole move on a wave feature. This will allow you to maintain control of your edging and snap the boat around through its rotations. Use complete sweeps, attempting to spin the boat 180 degrees in each direction. Remember the clock analogy, so we're moving from 12 to six and then back again.

Flat Spins

Now let's transition these building blocks to learning the full flat spin using alternating back sweeps on one side and forward sweeps on the other. Get the boat spinning steadily in one direction. Concentrate on resetting before each sweep. Stroke stern for the back sweep, bow for the front sweep. Get into a rhythm where the sweeps happen slowly and steadily, and the reset occurs faster and more dynamic. Refine the sweeps until the boat free spins 180 degrees with each stroke. Now let's complete full 360 degree flat spins:

Start in the same way as a shove it. Pick a point of reference at 12 o'clock, wind up and back sweep to initiate the move.
This time, allow the boat to free spin past six o'clock. Keep your eye on your reference until it is no longer visible.
Now dynamically reset, allowing your head spin to lead your trunk rotation until you once again spot your reference. Plant your blade at your toes and finish the rotation using a forward sweep.

Adding Forward Momentum

Now we'll add forward momentum to the spin. Paddle forward towards a reference point at a steady pace. Allow the boat to start to turn, wind up to initiate a flat spin, but allow the boat to free spin without interfering. Now let's do the full flat spin with forward momentum. Once the boat spins between 45 to 90 degrees, plant the blade and initiate the flat spin.

Common Problems and Solutions

Some of the common problems we see paddlers having are:

Not winding up before taking a sweep stroke
Not completing a full sweep stroke
Swinging the arms instead of using the core to complete the sweep strokes
Turning your head too early, causing your edge to transition too soon and leading to an edge catch

This is just a key list of problems we see, as there are lots of variables in these progressions. Being a flat water progression, the key points to this skill are easily separated as there isn't the added input of moving water. Choose a point of reference to look at, wind up and take effective and complete back and forward sweeps. Delay the head turn until you can no longer see your point of reference, then quickly turn to locate it on the other side.

Practicing in an Eddy Line

Take these movements to a slow moving, distinct eddy line. Cross the eddy line at around 45 degrees, like you would with an eddy turn. You don't need much speed for this drill. A great outcome for the positioning and timing of this drill is that you can spin on the spot without the boat moving downstream very far. Practice the same techniques as the flat water progression, but allow the current to initiate both the bow and stern when turning.

Conclusion

So that's the end-to-end version of the shuvit and flat spin. We hope you found the breakdown engaging and useful, and are now stoked to get out and continue your progression. Thanks so much for checking out this video, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter using the form below for the latest instructional videos and browse our paddling courses.