This is a topic I feel like a lot of people don’t talk about! Everyone will have to spot a stunt at some point, so it’s important to know how to do it safely and effectively! Here are my tips:
ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
Be attentive and ensure you have no distractions. Don’t talk with others while spotting, watch what other stunt groups are doing, tie your shoelace, etc. Your full attention should be on who you’re spotting.
KNOW THE STUNT BEFOREHAND
In order to spot safely and most effectively, you need to know what’s going on beforehand. Are they going to prep or extension? Are they doing a double down or just lowering back down to the ground?
STAND IN THE RIGHT SPOT
Stand where the flyer is most likely to fall. Usually, you want to spot one of the 4 corners around the stunt so you can cover multiple areas more easily. You can likely tell where the flyer might fall if they have a history of doing something specific (like stepping off the front of a stunt or sticking their butt out), or if the nature of the stunt might send them in a certain direction.
REASSURE THE STUNT GROUP
Give the stunt group more confidence by reassuring them that you’re there, focused and ready to help, if needed.
STAND CLOSE TO THE STUNT
To have the best chance of catching the flyer safely, stand close to the stunt. Standing too far away means taking more time to reach the flyer as they fall. It may also make the group feel safer if they can see you’re nearby.
WATCH THE HIPS
The flyer’s hips can indicate where they’re going to end up if they fall. For example, sticking their butt out will result in them going backward, or sticking their hip out to the side in a lib will mean they’ll likely fall to that side or step off the front corner.
️BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY
Not every stunt fall is slow and gradual. Be ready to move fast in case it comes down at the speed of lightning!
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