Commitment, this is what it looks like. Photo: Paul Teruya |
As a professional surfing coach, I am sometimes asked what
does it take to be a good surfer. I
always reply “the basics”. Powerful
surfing that looks “good “relies on a few simple foundations. There is nothing fancy. Here are a few base points that a SUP or long
boarder can always rely on to improve their surfing.
Surf in the Pocket
One of the most basic mistakes that I see is when surfers
don’t “pocket surf”. The pocket is where
the most power of the wave is. It exists
on every breaking wave and the pocket is directly next to the breaking portion
of the wave. It is where the wave bowls
up the most. By surfing the pocket one
can utilize the natural power of the wave in the most efficient manner. Many surfers and SUP surfers miss the pocket
and get too far out on the shoulder of the wave. As the shoulder is not as steep as the
pocket, it lacks power to push your board and hence you lose speed. This leads to ugly surfing that is slow and
jerky. When you pocket surf, you look as
if you are integrated with the wave and flowing. When you miss the pocket, this flow is
interrupted and bad form is the result.
Sweep your Board
Many surfers new to the sport of SUP or longboarding fail to
Sweep the board. What does this
mean? When you don’t sweep the board you
“half turn”. A half turn is just that, a
short turn. A short turn which is held
for only a second creates an ugly surfing style. When you half turn the board only does short
arcs. Your surfing will lack flow. That is why sweeping your turns looks
good. When you sweep your turn, you engage
your maneuver a full 180 degrees in a long arc across the wave. You start off with your turn with your nose
pointed towards the shoulder and you cutback a long arc where you boards sweeps
and face the whitewash in a full ½ circle turn.
This may sound confusing but watch Kai Lenny cutback or Kelly Slater
cutback. They sweep their boards around
in beautiful arcs. Kai and Slater
certainly don’t half turn and the result is beautiful surfing that is as smooth
as silk.
Commitment is Key
Some people surf as if they are almost afraid of the
wave. This is called safety
surfing. It is boring to watch and gets
repetitive. It also destroys your style. Good surfing relies on commitment! One day I was surfing a contest and the head
judge jack Shiply came up to me and told me to get more committed to my maneuvers. What does this mean? If there is a lip in front of you attack it
with an aggressive off the lip. Don’t go
around it. Yes, you may fall off but at
least you committed to it. This
commitment will transform into “power surfing” with time; where you are engaging the wave in a confident
and controlled manner. You don’t want to
be known as the surfer with a weak style, where one is always avoiding the lip
and re-entry sections.
If you can apply these three points to your surfing
approach, your surfing will definitely improve. Don’t worry if you cannot get these
techniques overnight. It takes years of
practice. By following this simple
approach to surfing you will most surely look like a better surfer or Super. Commitment, Sweep and Pocket Surfing has
always been my mantra. Not only does it
look good but you can get more out of your surfing experience.
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