The regular kono was originally invented by former PWA Freestyle World Champion - Kiri Thode (JP) - and has since become one of the must have moves on the world tour as well as being a prerequisite for the kabikuchi. While the regular mono is an advanced move as long as you can duck the sail in regular stance there’s nothing to stop you trying and to help you on your journey we caught up with a few of the best freestylers in the world to find out their top tips. 

Antoine Albert (Goya Windsurfing)

- Prerequisite moves: basic freestyle (spock and flaka variations), normal stance duck, clew first backloop might help you as well. 

- The duck has to be a bit lower than for a bob/culo variation, but not too much otherwise you lose power and speed and lift. 

- Flat water is easier when first learning the move. Lift the sail with both arms and not only by pushing on the back one, as with all the other moves stay on your front foot otherwise the mast will catch the water.

- Top tips -> after the first 180, bring your body back over the base by pulling your front leg under you and in the same time, let go the back hand and throw the sail forward with the front hand.

Riccardo Marca (Fanatic / NorthSails / Maui Ultra Fins)

- It’s really important to duck the sail right, so make sure you try to keep as much speed as possible.  that’s the hardest part but also the most important one. Try to be fast when you duck the sail and don’t lose your balance on the board. 

- Not losing your speed when ducking the sail is so important because when you lose speed you won’t be able to take off!

- Once you have ducked the sail bend your knees before jumping. 

-Don’t put too much pressure on your back foot otherwise the board will spin out even before jumping. 

Sarah-Quita Offringa: 

- Top tips for Kono: The best kono’s are when you duck perfectly and can translate the speed and power in your sail into major lift.

- With kono’s if you carve too much upwind after ducking the sail you will lose speed and power in your sail.

- So after you’ve ducked the sail rather than pointing the nose of the board too far into the wind, find the point where you’re just pointing a slight bit more upwind from when you started ducking. 

- And then try to get your sail behind you so that it’s in the power zone once you start pushing out. That way you get maximum lift. 

- Once you start pushing out with your backhand, don’t give in to the sail, keep your front arm straight and counter the sail’s power as hard as you can.

- You’re upside down and flying now captain!

- To ensure a safe landing on your feet and not on your back remember to pull in with your back hand so that you come upright again.

- BOOM!”

Rick Jendrusch (Severne):

- It’s really important to duck the sail well. To make this a bit easier it is important you duck the sail fluidly. Try not to go too much downwind when you duck the sail for a kono just try to do it on half wind, maybe a really, really small bit downwind.

- If you have the sail ducked try to push a bit on your back hand to get the sail to power up and stay on your halfwind course.

- Now you press full power on the sail, mostly you push away the backhand, but also make sure you bring the sail up!

- Watch with your head for the spot where you want to land… i.e. so watch over your shoulder.

- Hang on to your sail and try to get your legs under your bum and pull a bit on your backhand to turn all the way around.

- (The most important things: go half wind, let the sail fill up with power, push hard on your backhand when the sail has the most power)