ANTOINE MARTIN: REWRITING THE RULEBOOKANTOINE MARTIN: REWRITING THE RULEBOOKAfter finishing 3rd at the Maui Pro Am, Antoine Martin has once again stamped his name on the progression of wave sailing. Landing the first-ever no-handed goiter at Hookipa during competitionand doing it under pressure! Martin continues to cement his reputation as one of the sports most innovative riders, constantly experimenting, refining and pushing wave sailing beyond the limits. We caught up with Antoine to break down the move, the mindset and the moment that had the beach going wild.Photos: Fish Bowl Diaries / WWT/ PWAWINDSURF: What sort of wave are you looking for when you line up for a no handed goiter?ANTOINE MARTIN: When I do a no handed goiter, I need a section thats big and pushy enough to really project me forward, otherwise, you can lose the sail or land awkwardly which is risky for your ankles or knees ha-ha. I set it up like a normal goiter but once Im engaged, I let go about a quarter into the move. The momentum flips me around and I have to keep the right speednot too fast or Ill over-rotate, not too slow or I cant re-catch the sail. That balance of projection and control is what makes it all come together.WINDSURF: Can you talk us step by step through the technique for the no-handed goiter?ANTOINE MARTIN: To do a no-hand goiter, its like any manoeuvre. You really have to build it step by step. You need to start by mastering a regular goiter in small waves and be able to land one of those perfectly.Then you should be able to do a one-hand goiter.The step before the full no-hand is doing one hand one hand which really helped me progress. Basically, you need to take it step by step, do hundreds of them and have at least a 90% landing rate before thinking about going for the no-hand goiter. Its important to land normal goiters perfectly, especially in all types of wave sections.WINDSURF: Were you planning to do a no-handed goiter at the Maui Pro Am, or was it spontaneous?ANTOINE MARTIN: It was totally spontaneous. I had been training the no-hand goiter from time to time when the opportunity came up during sessions, but it wasnt something I was specifically preparing for in competition. Even though I knew I wanted to land one in a contest someday, I wasnt ready to do it at the beginning of the season, especially with the consistency I had at the time. During my heat, I got a wave that was a bit different from the others and I started thinking about what I could do with it. I wanted to do a wave with a lot of combinations, but it didnt really allow for that. So, I thought, What can I do to improve my score? and decided to go for a big move. Even if I fell, I felt like it wouldnt impact my heat too much, so thats what pushed me to go for it.WINDSURF: What did it feel like when you landed it so perfectly?ANTOINE MARTIN: Wow, it was incredible. The moment I put my hands back on the boom and the board started sliding, I already knew I had landed it, even before finishing the manoeuvre. Then I started hearing the crowd going wild and I got this huge adrenaline rush. My celebration just came straight from the heart. It was pure excitement. The only downside was that I got so hyped afterward that I could barely land anything else. I think I was a bit overhyped! Luckily, I already had my scores.WINDSURF: Did that boost your confidence that you could go on and win the event?ANTOINE MARTIN: It definitely gave me a boost but there are so many factors that come into play. I was really focused on everything I did throughout the event and gradually raised my level, but I wasnt at my absolute best in every round. So, for me, it wasnt something that made me feel like I had the event in the bag. In competitions at that level, nothing is guaranteed.. .you have to question yourself in every single heat.WINDSURF: What was that new board you were riding?ANTOINE MARTIN: Its a funny story. That board was shaped for me last year for light wind conditions. Its a 90L board, which is quite big for me since Im a lighter rider. I brought it to Guadeloupe to train but ended up lending it to a friend for the whole winter, while I was mostly riding a smaller board. So, I barely used it.Before leaving for Hawaii, I wasnt even planning to bring it, but my friend insisted so I decided last minute to take it just in case. During the contest, even though there were waves, the wind was quite onshore and tricky, so I had to use a bigger board. Since I only had smaller ones with me, I went for that one. It wasnt my first choice and I didnt know it very well, but as the heats went on, I started to understand it better and really enjoy it. In the end, I used it all the way to the final and Im really happy with that decision.WINDSURF: How did it feel to be a part of the Goya Quatro team at the event?ANTOINE MARTIN: Im stoked to be part of the team. It was a choice I made last year and Im still really happy with it today. What I really appreciate is having your sponsor support you directly during an event. Ive had sponsors in different countries before and distance makes things different compared to direct face-to-face interactions.Having the whole team on the beach, making sure everything is set up so you feel good and well-equipped for the competition, takes a big weight off your shoulders. Its one less thing to think about and it allows you to focus even more on your performance.Quatro BoardsGoya WindsurfingThe post ANTOINE MARTIN: REWRITING THE RULEBOOK appeared first on Windsurf Magazine Online.