Backside Air
Backside airs are great to have in your repertoire of tricks. They're perfect for finishing off a wave, and they feel really smooth when you do them correctly. In my opinion they are easier to do than frontside airs because it's easier to launch off the lip on your backhand, but the landings can be a little tricky.
Start by catching a steep backside wave with a bowling end section. Steep beach breaks are an ideal place to learn this trick. While you're paddling into the wave, angle your board down the line towards the open face of the wave in order to get lots of speed off the take-off. Pop to your feet as fast as you can, and drive up the wave with a powerful pump. Remember speed is going to be the key to getting your board over the lip so try to put as much effort into pumping as you can.
When you reach the top of the wave push down on your front foot to drive down the wave to gain more speed. Watch the wave carefully because the end section that you want to launch off will be coming at you very quickly.
Start your bottom turn from in between the bottom and the middle of the wave at a 20 to 30 degree angle so that when you reach the top of the wave your board will connect with the close out. If you do too much of a bottom turn your momentum will carry you out the back of the wave when you launch off the lip so you have to be very precise. While doing your bottom turn watch the lip you are about to launch off. Your arms should be balanced on either side of you and your head and upper body should be slightly turn towards the lip. Center your weight and bend your knees before you launch off the lip. Project your momentum off the lip by riding off the steepest part of the wave, right where the whitewater meets the open face. Bend your knees and suck your board up towards your body while turning your body towards the beach, and pushing on your back leg. This will cause your board to rotate slightly so the tail of your board will be higher than the nose of your board(style purposes). Try and stay balanced over the top of your board by staying low, and try not to kick your back foot off your board like I did here.
Once you reach your high point and start to decsend, look for a place to land. You either want to land on the top of the wave(if it has closed out), or in the transition, not in the flats in front of of the wave. As you are coming down your body will extend. Keep your knees bent and try to keep your style together.
Don't land airs with straight legs, unless you want to wreck your knees and ankles. Stomp your landing, and bend your knees to absorb the shock. Ride it out, and claim it for everyone on the beach.
Once you get straight backside airs down try to do rotations or to add grabs in for variation. I think it's actually easier to do rotation airs rather than straight airs on your backhand because your momentum carries you off the lip when you spin so you might want to try those if your finding straight airs too difficult. Check out Taj, and Andy for these ones.
Backside Bottom Turn
Like the Frontside Bottom Turn the Backside Bottom Turn is the most important move in surfing. The backside bottom turn is essential for every other move in your backside repertoire. It allows you to gain speed, hit the lip, and change your position on the wave.
Start by catching a backside wave, and riding down the face with as much speed as possible. Ride straight down the wave, and when you reach the flats start your bottom turn right away. To start your Bottom Turn bend your knees, lean on your heel side edge, and turn your upper body in the direction you want to go. Look over your front shoulder. This will initiate the turn and allow you to see the lip you are about to hit. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your front and back feet. Ride through the beginning of the turn without dragging your heels in the water in-order to maximize your speed. It is very important to keep your original line through the turn so you don’t loose any speed. Try to pick the right line from the beginning. When you begin to go back up the wave transfer most of your weight to your back foot, and drive up the wave face to gain the maximum amount of speed possible for the wave. Focus on the section of the lip you want to hit, and on pushing with your back leg. Finish your powerful bottom turn with a big bash or a nice cutback, and continue down the line to do another one. When you get the bottom turn down try to hit the lip vertically or even over vertically.
Just like the frontside bottom turn the most important thing is you’re attention to detail. If you don’t make any little mistakes, and if you’re using the wave properly you will always be gaining speed for your next move.
The Backside Floater
The backside floater is a great move that allows you to make sections, finish off a wave, or gain speed for your next trick. If you surf beach breaks points or reefs, it is essential to have a good backside floater in your repertoire of tricks.
Start by catching a backside wave, and pumping down the line. It is important to stay high while pumping in-order to gain as much speed as possible. Watch the shape of the wave as your pumping. You should be looking for a section that is going to break just in front of you. When you find a section, start your bottom turn from the middle of the wave at a 20 to 30 degree angle. This will keep your momentum going forward enabling you to gain distance while doing your floater. When you’re bottom turning up the wave face watch where you are going to place your board on the lip.
Stay low and try to place your board on top of the lip as clean as possible to conserve speed. When you’ve got your board onto the lip change the pressure of your feet from your heel side edge to your toe side edge, and apply pressure to your front foot. This will make sure you continue moving forward, and don’t get left out the back. Ride along on top of the breaking lip until you begin to loose your speed, or you see that the wave is closing out. Watch the line of the breaking lip while staying low and balanced.
You have two options at this point. You can ride off the top of the wave with the lip, or you can ollie out in front of the lip, landing at the bottom of the transition. Your choice will depend on the wave. If the wave is mushy and not breaking very hard you should just ride off with the lip, but if it’s hollow or big you need to ollie off the top. Be sure to spot your landing before you plan to get off the lip. Look for the softest spot to land. When riding off the lip you can usually just turn your board towards shore by putting weight on your toes. Stay low, and start your next bottom turn when you reach the green using the speed from the floater. When ollieing off the lip push down on your toes, and pop off the lip using your back foot to ollie out in front of the barrelling lip. Watch the landing and try to keep your board flat in the air. Your body will want to extend in the air so try to keep your style together. Land at the bottom of the wave with your board flat on the water. Bend your knees to absorb the landing, and ride out the white water bounce.
Floaters are a great move to know because of their versatility. Start out doing floaters on smaller mushy waves using them to gain speed and finish off waves. As you get more comfortable step up to heavier, bigger waves that force you to ollie off the lip. Grip it and rip it.
Speed on a Backside Wave
Getting speed on a backside wave is a little more difficult than getting speed on a frontside wave, but you follow the same idea. All you have to remember is to stay high on the wave, and you’ll have success getting all the speed you need to make sections.
Paddle for a backside wave. As you’re paddling angle your board towards the open face and pop to your feet as soon as possible. When you reach your feet get back to the top of the wave by pumping. Your back foot should be farther forward than it would be if you were doing a turn. This will enable you to get on the flat part of your board therefore making it easier to get speed. Use pressure from your back foot to turn your board up the wave.
Your front foot should guide you and drive your board up the wave. This first mini pump is the most important because it will give you speed for the rest of the wave. When you reach the top of the wave you can do your first full pump. Put pressure on your the toe side edge of your front foot, as you bend your knees. Drive down towards the middle of the wave with as much power as you can. Watch the wave ahead of you by looking over your leading shoulder, and stay low with your arms in front of your body pointed down the line. This will keep your momentum going forward.
When you reach the middle of the wave drive back up to the top by putting pressure on the heel side edge of your front foot. Push hard on your back foot while lifting your front foot. Your body will extend when you go up the wave, so try to keep your arms in front of your chest pointed down the line. Watch the place on the wave where you are going and the shape of the wave down the line. Drive up the wave as hard as you can to get as much speed out of the pump as possible. When you reach the top of the wave go straight into your next pump to get even more speed. After pumping through a few sections try banking a hard power turn or boosting an air to make full use of your speed.
Over time pumping becomes natural and you will learn how to take one pump and utilize the speed you get for the whole wave. A great example of getting speed on small waves is Taj Burrows’ section in Untitled.
Frontside Air Reverse
Once you have learned to consistently complete basic maneuvers in surfing you can expand your horizons by learning new maneuvers, such as the frontside air reverse. Air reverses are my favourite move in surfing, and are also one of the hardest to learn. They involve a 270-degree rotation in the air to a backwards landing where your fins will catch and spin you into a full 360.
When dropping into the wave, you need to stay between the middle and the top of the wave to gain as much speed as possible. Speed and timing are the most important things for this trick. Look ahead for a steep section that is just about to break. It is easiest to do this trick on a closeout, but you can do them on steep open-faced waves too.
When you find the section approach it the same way you would a frontside straight air. From the middle of the wave bottom turn up the face gradually, projecting your board at a 30 to 45 degree angle off of the curling lip. Make sure to conserve your speed through the bottom turn. Keep your eyes focused on the part of the lip you are about to launch off. Stay low through your bottom turn, and aim for the steepest part of the lip.
Just before you leave the lip your shoulders and upper body should be twisting into the spin. This will initiate your spin, and put you in a good position while in the air. Follow your back foot, through the air as you push the tail of your board towards the beach. While pushing on your tail be sure that your body is centred over your board, and your centre of gravity is low.
As you're spinning look down over your toe side rail to spot your landing. Focus on where you are going to land for the rest of the spin. Bend your knees and keep your tail a bit higher than your nose so you don’t tail dive. Stomp the landing. Try to land with your tail pointing straight into shore, and your weight centred over your front foot.
Your feet will most likely be a little farther forward than usual so look over your shoulder (the one farthest from the beach) to finish the trick and get your nose pointed back towards the beach. If you land over your fins your board will want to keep spinning so just let it spin while keeping low and centered. Once the spin is complete look for the next section and try to hit the lip.
Frontside air reverses are a great trick that can lead you away from basic maneuvers into the future of surfing. Get a video of Taj Burrow and put it in slow motion if you want to learn this trick properly. He’s got these wired.
Frontside Air Reverse
Once you have learned to consistently complete basic maneuvers in surfing you can expand your horizons by learning new maneuvers, such as the frontside air reverse. Air reverses are my favourite move in surfing, and are also one of the hardest to learn. They involve a 270-degree rotation in the air to a backwards landing where your fins will catch and spin you into a full 360.
When dropping into the wave, you need to stay between the middle and the top of the wave to gain as much speed as possible. Speed and timing are the most important things for this trick. Look ahead for a steep section that is just about to break. It is easiest to do this trick on a closeout, but you can do them on steep open-faced waves too.
When you find the section approach it the same way you would a frontside straight air. From the middle of the wave bottom turn up the face gradually, projecting your board at a 30 to 45 degree angle off of the curling lip. Make sure to conserve your speed through the bottom turn. Keep your eyes focused on the part of the lip you are about to launch off. Stay low through your bottom turn, and aim for the steepest part of the lip.
Just before you leave the lip your shoulders and upper body should be twisting into the spin. This will initiate your spin, and put you in a good position while in the air. Follow your back foot, through the air as you push the tail of your board towards the beach. While pushing on your tail be sure that your body is centred over your board, and your centre of gravity is low.
As you're spinning look down over your toe side rail to spot your landing. Focus on where you are going to land for the rest of the spin. Bend your knees and keep your tail a bit higher than your nose so you don’t tail dive. Stomp the landing. Try to land with your tail pointing straight into shore, and your weight centred over your front foot.
Your feet will most likely be a little farther forward than usual so look over your shoulder (the one farthest from the beach) to finish the trick and get your nose pointed back towards the beach. If you land over your fins your board will want to keep spinning so just let it spin while keeping low and centered. Once the spin is complete look for the next section and try to hit the lip.
Frontside air reverses are a great trick that can lead you away from basic maneuvers into the future of surfing. Get a video of Taj Burrow and put it in slow motion if you want to learn this trick properly. He’s got these wired.
The frontside snap is not a cutback. It’s a quick directional change that can be useful to surfers of all skill levels. It’s a great move when you’re first learning to turn because you don’t have to set your rail perfectly; but it’s also a perfect set-up move for an experienced surfer who’s flowing into a big combo or hitting an air section.
Catch a frontside wave of any size or shape. Cruise down the line and look for a fairly steep section with a bit of wall off the pocket. There has to be a bit of wall so you can keep your speed and not dig in your rail. If it’s flat you probably want to do a cutback instead of a snap. You want to bottom turn at a 30 to 50 degree angle up the face. This will help you continue your momentum down the line after the snap is complete. If you try to go too vertical you’ll get caught in the lip and loose all your speed unless your timing is perfect. Keep your eyes focused on the section you’re about to slash while bending your knees and driving through the bottom turn. You want to initiate the snap right when you get to the top half of the wave. To do this, turn your shoulders into the snap. Your front leg should be almost completely straight, (make sure your knee is not locked because that can lead to injury), and driving through the turn like you’re going to do a cutback. This will only be for the start of the turn because as soon as you start cutting back you want to push hard on your back leg. This will cause your back leg to straighten out, your front leg to bend and buckets of spray to fly out the back. Push hard through the snap until your back leg is fully extended. Your weight should be over your front foot, but your back leg needs to be powerful and solid. Stay low and solid over top of your board. Your eyes should be focused on the shape of the wave, and the nose and toe-side rail of your board. You want to be sure to keep your nose up if the wave is steep so you don’t stick it in on your next bottom turn.
If you are flowing into a combo you still need to be conscience of digging your nose, but you need to know what’s going on down the line so you either have to see your section before you start your bottom turn or right after you complete the snap. Once you’ve pushed the snap as far as it’s going to go, and your fins have caught back into the wave (during some snaps your fins can release for a brief second so feel for drive out of your tail again) your board will start moving down the wave again. Keep your momentum going by flying straight into another snap or by pumping down the line towards the on-coming air section.
The frontside snap is a perfect set-up move that can be used on any wave in all types of conditions. Points, reefs, beaches, anywhere, It’s one of the best moves to have in your bag of tricks. Check out any video section of Taj Burrow. He does these all the time.
KEYS:
- Start with speed and a section with some wall.
- Bottom turn at 30-50 degrees and turn your shoulders into the turn to get it going.
- Push your back leg out. Snap it hard and powerful to throw buckets out the back.
- Watch the nose and rails coming back down.
- Catch the fins and speed down the line into your next move.
Frontside Carving 360
Frontside carving 360's are an extention of a fluid powerful bottom turn.
They require excellent timing and preperation to be executed effectively; and feel pure and almost effortless when you nail one.
You want to try these on a nice steep peak with not much wall down the line, or when you come around a section that has a steep pocket to carve into.
Don't try them on a mushy wave because you'll just fall out the back. Drop into the wave from just behind the peak. Drive straight to the bottom of the wave while being aware of where the lip you are going to use is coming down. Get low and start your bottom turn as soon as you reach the flats to conserve as much speed as possible. Lean into it hard and drive up the wave on your rail. Keep your eyes focused on the pocket of the wave. Where the foam meets the wave face is where you should be aiming. Keep your body weight over your inside rail, and keep that rail turning. Unlike a normal bottom turn to off the top, you are not going to be shifting your weight to your other rail at all. So all you have to do is lean into it and connect with the lip at the right time and place. When you get to the top of the wave you want your board to be past vertical and still turning on rail.
This will give you the momentum to keep spinning when you hit the lip in the pocket. At this point you can also give your board a little bit of a spin off your tail. I would reccommend this when you are first trying these if you are getting left out the back while hitting the lip. To do this you want to put a bit more pressure on your back foot and spin your board a bit farther around before hitting the lip. To make these feel and look really good you don't want to spin off your tail at all. It's all rail. Lean in to it, and focus on the lip with most of the weight on your front foot.
Connect with the wave just under the lip where it is steep and powerful.
The nose of your board will come above the lip a little bit but the part of your board under your front foot will be hitting the section. The force of the wave will push your board back towards the bottom of the wave and help your spin to continue as long as you are over vertical when you hit it. You still need to be leaning on the rail hard and your eyes should be focused on the direction you are heading(back into the wave). This part will happen very quickly so you have to be prepared to be thrown around a bit. Stay low and centered over your front foot while continuing the spin. The nose of your board should be coming around now, and you're almost there. Start looking towards the open face and standing up a bit to get ready for your next bottom turn. When your nose is pointed back towards the beach you should already be going down the face getting ready for the next section.
You did it. And if you did it with all rail you are feeling pretty good right now. I love frontside carving 360's when you nail a good one because you spin around so fast it's hard to tell what's happening. Kelly Slater is the master at these. I also enjoy watching Parko and Bruce too.
Keys:
1. Timing and wave selection are crucial.
2. Keep it on rail.
3. Watch the lip, and time it.
4. Hit the lip when you are past vertical.
5. Keep the momentum going by using your rail and front foot.
Frontside Air
The frontside Air is considered a basic maneuver in today's new school era of surfing, and although, in my opinion, it is the easiest air to complete, it is still very challenging. Before attempting this maneuver you should have your cutbacks, floaters, and re-entry's down, and your surfing should be stylish and solid.
Once you have these manuevers wired catch a wave that is between two and five feet with some power and wall. You are going to need a lot of speed so pump down the line, staying between the middle and the top of the wave, generating all the speed you can. Look for a section that is about to close out, and bottom turn from the middle of the wave toward the section that is just about to break.
Carry as much speed as you can toward the curling lip by bending your knees and powering through the bottom turn. At this point your eyes should be focused on the part of the lip where you are planning to launch off, and your board should be aimed off the lip into the air above. Now, you just have to carry your momentum off the lip into the air. Make sure your board is flat on the lip when you take off, and don't try to go too high at first because you will end up flailing. To enter into the air you need to drive your momentum off the top of the wave by pushing off the tail of your board.
When entering the air turn the nose of your board towards the beach by straightening out your back leg slightly. Pull your knees up to your chest to stay in control and to stay stylish in the air. Make sure you are over top of your board, and not leaning back too far. You can add different variations to the air at this point by doing double grabs, mute grabs, frontside grabs etc.
Look down in front of you to spot your landing, let go of your grab (if you chose to do one), and extend your legs slightly so your knees can absorb the impact. It is best to land in the foam because it is the softest spot. Try to land with your board flat on the wave. As soon as your board hits the water bend your knees, and stay centered over your front foot. This part can be a little bumpy so stay low and centered. Ride out of the foam and be stoked because you just landed a tricky maneuver.
Frontside airs can be preformed in many different ways, but in my opinion look the best when you use the wave as a ramp to guide you in to the air, not when you ollie off the wave. Get a video of Taj Burrow, and study it, because nobody does frontside airs better than him.
KEYS:
1. Carry speed by driving through your bottom turn, and launching off the lip cleanly.
2. Push out your back leg, and pull your knees to your chest to stay in control.
3. Stay over top of your board.
4. Stomp it, and ride away clean.
The frontside snap is not a cutback. It’s a quick directional change that can be useful to surfers of all skill levels. It’s a great move when you’re first learning to turn because you don’t have to set your rail perfectly; but it’s also a perfect set-up move for an experienced surfer who’s flowing into a big combo or hitting an air section.
Catch a frontside wave of any size or shape. Cruise down the line and look for a fairly steep section with a bit of wall off the pocket. There has to be a bit of wall so you can keep your speed and not dig in your rail. If it’s flat you probably want to do a cutback instead of a snap. You want to bottom turn at a 30 to 50 degree angle up the face. This will help you continue your momentum down the line after the snap is complete. If you try to go too vertical you’ll get caught in the lip and loose all your speed unless your timing is perfect. Keep your eyes focused on the section you’re about to slash while bending your knees and driving through the bottom turn. You want to initiate the snap right when you get to the top half of the wave. To do this, turn your shoulders into the snap. Your front leg should be almost completely straight, (make sure your knee is not locked because that can lead to injury), and driving through the turn like you’re going to do a cutback. This will only be for the start of the turn because as soon as you start cutting back you want to push hard on your back leg. This will cause your back leg to straighten out, your front leg to bend and buckets of spray to fly out the back. Push hard through the snap until your back leg is fully extended. Your weight should be over your front foot, but your back leg needs to be powerful and solid. Stay low and solid over top of your board. Your eyes should be focused on the shape of the wave, and the nose and toe-side rail of your board. You want to be sure to keep your nose up if the wave is steep so you don’t stick it in on your next bottom turn.
If you are flowing into a combo you still need to be conscience of digging your nose, but you need to know what’s going on down the line so you either have to see your section before you start your bottom turn or right after you complete the snap. Once you’ve pushed the snap as far as it’s going to go, and your fins have caught back into the wave (during some snaps your fins can release for a brief second so feel for drive out of your tail again) your board will start moving down the wave again. Keep your momentum going by flying straight into another snap or by pumping down the line towards the on-coming air section.
The frontside snap is a perfect set-up move that can be used on any wave in all types of conditions. Points, reefs, beaches, anywhere, It’s one of the best moves to have in your bag of tricks. Check out any video section of Taj Burrow. He does these all the time.
KEYS:
- Start with speed and a section with some wall.
- Bottom turn at 30-50 degrees and turn your shoulders into the turn to get it going.
- Push your back leg out. Snap it hard and powerful to throw buckets out the back.
- Watch the nose and rails coming back down.
- Catch the fins and speed down the line into your next move.
The Frontside Snap
The frontside snap is not a cutback. It’s a quick directional change that can be useful to surfers of all skill levels. It’s a great move when you’re first learning to turn because you don’t have to set your rail perfectly; but it’s also a perfect set-up move for an experienced surfer who’s flowing into a big combo or hitting an air section.
Catch a frontside wave of any size or shape. Cruise down the line and look for a fairly steep section with a bit of wall off the pocket. There has to be a bit of wall so you can keep your speed and not dig in your rail. If it’s flat you probably want to do a cutback instead of a snap. You want to bottom turn at a 30 to 50 degree angle up the face. This will help you continue your momentum down the line after the snap is complete. If you try to go too vertical you’ll get caught in the lip and loose all your speed unless your timing is perfect. Keep your eyes focused on the section you’re about to slash while bending your knees and driving through the bottom turn. You want to initiate the snap right when you get to the top half of the wave. To do this, turn your shoulders into the snap. Your front leg should be almost completely straight, (make sure your knee is not locked because that can lead to injury), and driving through the turn like you’re going to do a cutback. This will only be for the start of the turn because as soon as you start cutting back you want to push hard on your back leg. This will cause your back leg to straighten out, your front leg to bend and buckets of spray to fly out the back. Push hard through the snap until your back leg is fully extended. Your weight should be over your front foot, but your back leg needs to be powerful and solid. Stay low and solid over top of your board. Your eyes should be focused on the shape of the wave, and the nose and toe-side rail of your board. You want to be sure to keep your nose up if the wave is steep so you don’t stick it in on your next bottom turn.
If you are flowing into a combo you still need to be conscience of digging your nose, but you need to know what’s going on down the line so you either have to see your section before you start your bottom turn or right after you complete the snap. Once you’ve pushed the snap as far as it’s going to go, and your fins have caught back into the wave (during some snaps your fins can release for a brief second so feel for drive out of your tail again) your board will start moving down the wave again. Keep your momentum going by flying straight into another snap or by pumping down the line towards the on-coming air section.
The frontside snap is a perfect set-up move that can be used on any wave in all types of conditions. Points, reefs, beaches, anywhere, It’s one of the best moves to have in your bag of tricks. Check out any video section of Taj Burrow. He does these all the time.
KEYS:
1. Start with speed and a section with some wall.
2. Bottom turn at 30-50 degrees and turn your shoulders into the turn to get it going.
3. Push your back leg out. Snap it hard and powerful to throw buckets out the back.
4. Watch the nose and rails coming back down.
5. Catch the fins and speed down the line into your next move.
Frontside Carving 360
Frontside carving 360's are an extention of a fluid powerful bottom turn.
They require excellent timing and preperation to be executed effectively; and feel pure and almost effortless when you nail one.
You want to try these on a nice steep peak with not much wall down the line, or when you come around a section that has a steep pocket to carve into.
Don't try them on a mushy wave because you'll just fall out the back. Drop into the wave from just behind the peak. Drive straight to the bottom of the wave while being aware of where the lip you are going to use is coming down. Get low and start your bottom turn as soon as you reach the flats to conserve as much speed as possible. Lean into it hard and drive up the wave on your rail. Keep your eyes focused on the pocket of the wave. Where the foam meets the wave face is where you should be aiming. Keep your body weight over your inside rail, and keep that rail turning. Unlike a normal bottom turn to off the top, you are not going to be shifting your weight to your other rail at all. So all you have to do is lean into it and connect with the lip at the right time and place. When you get to the top of the wave you want your board to be past vertical and still turning on rail.
This will give you the momentum to keep spinning when you hit the lip in the pocket. At this point you can also give your board a little bit of a spin off your tail. I would reccommend this when you are first trying these if you are getting left out the back while hitting the lip. To do this you want to put a bit more pressure on your back foot and spin your board a bit farther around before hitting the lip. To make these feel and look really good you don't want to spin off your tail at all. It's all rail. Lean in to it, and focus on the lip with most of the weight on your front foot.
Connect with the wave just under the lip where it is steep and powerful.
The nose of your board will come above the lip a little bit but the part of your board under your front foot will be hitting the section. The force of the wave will push your board back towards the bottom of the wave and help your spin to continue as long as you are over vertical when you hit it. You still need to be leaning on the rail hard and your eyes should be focused on the direction you are heading(back into the wave). This part will happen very quickly so you have to be prepared to be thrown around a bit. Stay low and centered over your front foot while continuing the spin. The nose of your board should be coming around now, and you're almost there. Start looking towards the open face and standing up a bit to get ready for your next bottom turn. When your nose is pointed back towards the beach you should already be going down the face getting ready for the next section.
You did it. And if you did it with all rail you are feeling pretty good right now. I love frontside carving 360's when you nail a good one because you spin around so fast it's hard to tell what's happening. Kelly Slater is the master at these. I also enjoy watching Parko and Bruce too.
Keys:
1. Timing and wave selection are crucial.
2. Keep it on rail.
3. Watch the lip, and time it.
4. Hit the lip when you are past vertical.
5. Keep the momentum going by using your rail and front foot.
| THE PLAYING FIELD - PART TWO CURRENTS 1. Longshore currents. Longshore currents move up or down the beach, parallel to shore. They are generally stronger in the surf zone, so remember this when you're paddling out. Although they're more of a nuisance than a serious threat, longshore currents can be dangerous if you're near a pier, rock or jetty. If you're in a longshore current and are having trouble getting past the surf zone and see yourself approaching a large structure, exit the water immediately and walk back up the beach. The last thing you want to do is get caught between a hard place and the impact zone. | ||||
| 2. Rip currents. Rip currents are the most dangerous current for any beachgoer. They can be an asset or a major threat to your safety, depending on how you understand them. As broken waves wash toward shore, they carry a lot of water with them. The water pools up next to the beach and forms a longshore current on the inside. | |||
As the water moves up or down the beach, it will often funnel back out to sea in the deeper spots. This swift current goes straight out through the surf zone and dissipates once it's beyond the break. Rip currents are easy to spot. Because they're in deeper water, there are usually no waves breaking in rips. Also, you'll notice foam and rapid water moving out to sea; strong rip currents look like rivers in the middle of the surf zone. Near a reef, the rip might be in water that's a deeper blue. If you find yourself in a rip, don't try to swim against it -- it's almost impossible to swim faster than the speed of a strong rip, and the effort will only tire you out. The best way to get out of a rip is to swim up or down the beach, parallel to shore. If this still doesn't free you up, and you feel like you won't be able to get back to shore on your own, remember that the universal distress signal is the waving of one arm. TIDES SIGNS AND RESOURCES If you're surfing in an area with a lifeguard, there are two signs that you should be aware of: | ||||
| 1. Blackball. Like death and taxes, it's a sad but necessary part of life. A blackball flag, characterized by the black circle surrounded by a yellow background, means that hard surfboards are not allowed in the break. These tend to be prevalent at most populated beaches during summer. 2. Red Flag. Red flags mean that the beach is closed due to hazardous conditions. If you see a red flag at your local break, consult the lifeguard before paddling out. Red flags may also mark a rip current. | |||
EQUIPMENT | ||||
| Surf wax is used to prevent from slipping while you're up and riding. When you wax the deck or top of your board, move the bar in semi-circles so that small beads form. Try to keep the deck of the board cooler than the wax and it will apply much better. To maintain the rough texture, take a few passes with a wax comb before each go-out. Another option is surf traction. Traction minimizes the amount of wax you have to buy, plus it can help slow the inevitable process of delamination, or the separation of the board's fiberglass and foam. | |||
Just about every surfer uses a leash these days. Your leash should be a foot longer than your surfboard. Although they're helpful, leashes should never be treated as your only lifeline. Also, your leash can become a serious liability if it gets wrapped around a rock or reef when you're in the surf zone. A good option is the quick-release model. The easy-access tab will free you from danger in one quick pull. Other amenities: it's a good idea to invest in a noseguard for your board. The few extra bucks just may save an eye. Another good safety option is the urethane-lined fins. Everyone lands on his or her fins sooner or later, and the urethane may turn what would have been a trip to the hospital into a bruise or less. | ||||
Frontside Air
The frontside Air is considered a basic maneuver in today's new school era of surfing, and although, in my opinion, it is the easiest air to complete, it is still very challenging. Before attempting this maneuver you should have your cutbacks, floaters, and re-entry's down, and your surfing should be stylish and solid.
Once you have these manuevers wired catch a wave that is between two and five feet with some power and wall. You are going to need a lot of speed so pump down the line, staying between the middle and the top of the wave, generating all the speed you can. Look for a section that is about to close out, and bottom turn from the middle of the wave toward the section that is just about to break.
Carry as much speed as you can toward the curling lip by bending your knees and powering through the bottom turn. At this point your eyes should be focused on the part of the lip where you are planning to launch off, and your board should be aimed off the lip into the air above. Now, you just have to carry your momentum off the lip into the air. Make sure your board is flat on the lip when you take off, and don't try to go too high at first because you will end up flailing. To enter into the air you need to drive your momentum off the top of the wave by pushing off the tail of your board.
When entering the air turn the nose of your board towards the beach by straightening out your back leg slightly. Pull your knees up to your chest to stay in control and to stay stylish in the air. Make sure you are over top of your board, and not leaning back too far. You can add different variations to the air at this point by doing double grabs, mute grabs, frontside grabs etc.
Look down in front of you to spot your landing, let go of your grab (if you chose to do one), and extend your legs slightly so your knees can absorb the impact. It is best to land in the foam because it is the softest spot. Try to land with your board flat on the wave. As soon as your board hits the water bend your knees, and stay centered over your front foot. This part can be a little bumpy so stay low and centered. Ride out of the foam and be stoked because you just landed a tricky maneuver.
Frontside airs can be preformed in many different ways, but in my opinion look the best when you use the wave as a ramp to guide you in to the air, not when you ollie off the wave. Get a video of Taj Burrow, and study it, because nobody does frontside airs better than him.
KEYS:
1. Carry speed by driving through your bottom turn, and launching off the lip cleanly.
2. Push out your back leg, and pull your knees to your chest to stay in control.
3. Stay over top of your board.
4. Stomp it, and ride away clean.
java skate punk
