To start trying One handed shakas, you have to have regular shakas on-lock. I mean fully-sliding-backwards, full-power shakas. This will still help you get your head around those.

Sail crosswind, full speed, but preferably not overpowered, especially the first few times, and look for a steep piece of chop ahead and slightly upwind to launch off of. Put your back hand in the centre of the boom, right above the harness lines, in order to have control over your rig with just one hand.

Every movement has to be freakishly feline and precise, otherwise you'll end up scrapin' your face on every batten to the head of your sail...it kinda makes a funny noise as well!

Anyways, both hands are now super close to each other and in the centre of the rig. Lean hard on your heels and sheet in with the back hand, creating the necessary momentum to take off and rotate. Once the board hits the chop, swing your front arm first into the wind, and then throw it back to the tail to make your upper body rotate upwind.

By sheeting in before taking off, the sail will still have plenty of power and the mast will magically swing low to the nose of the board, obtaining the trademark position of this sick trick.

Once you're travelling in the air, one handed, turn your head and shoulders into the wind, pushing the tail of the board under the clew with the back leg, while repositioning your weight to the centre of the board.

This helps the board start sliding backwards on landing, like a flaka, giving you plenty of time to put the hand back on the boom - or not if you’re showing off!

Try leaning foward to pivot around the nose and keep looking downwind around the rotation, to complete the full 360°.

I recommend trying it slightly underpowered, especially for the first attempts, to get a hold of controlling the sail with one hand only. The placement of the back hand is vital. Too far back would mean a head concussion from your boom swingin in your face and too far to the front simply doesn't generate enough momentum to take off.

'Practice makes perfect' though, so keep trying and once you do everything properly you'll even be able to pull some sick tech variations like Shaka One Hand Cana Brava. MP