Hello Gang!
Do many of you dream of creating a perfect hit or a spectacular song?
In this article, we will explore the basic maneuvers of surfing, emphasizing their importance and the sensations they provide.
The Take Off
In surfing, taking off means standing up on the board; it's the basic maneuver, the one that allows you to stand up on your board and discover the sensations of gliding. You can do it in the whitewater or on a smooth wave.
The bottom turn
The bottom turn is the turn at the bottom of the wave that gets us out of the whitewater and into the direction of the smooth wave. It is often considered the foundation of performance surfing.
No bottom turn = No correctly executed figure.
This is one of the most important maneuvers in surfing because it sets up all the maneuvers performed on the shoulder of the wave. Without this turn at the bottom of the wave, you're guaranteed to make bad maneuvers once you come back up to the top.
The acceleration
Speed is the surfer's ability to generate a speed greater than that of the wave through a rhythmic succession of pressure and release on the water's surface. Greater speed will give you more freedom on the wave.
At the beginner level, it's already possible to see that putting weight on the front foot increases acceleration. Intermediate and advanced surfers don't just apply weight to each foot; they surf specific parts of the wave to create their own acceleration.
Rollerblading
It's a basic maneuver. It refers to a turn at the top of a wave. There are many different top-of-the-wave maneuvers with names that are as important as they are confusing, depending on the surfer's background, culture, and generation… But they all refer to the action of executing a turn at the top of a wave.
Every surfer wants their picture taken on rollerblades. By focusing on this maneuver, they forget the rest of the wave. And the act of surfing is about gliding.
As part of my work with intermediate surfers, I often heard "Tof, did you see my roller?" And I often replied "Yes... But I mostly saw the wave continuing..."«
Roller skating is part of a whole. In singles skating, no well-executed bottom turn = no roller skating afterwards…
The cut back
This maneuver allows you to return to the point where the wave broke, the trough, where its energy is concentrated. This maneuver has several phases:
- the preparation (I'm moving away from the curl)
- a turn at the bottom of the wave by putting the rail in the water (a bottom turn)
- back to school in the foam
It's a complex maneuver and more difficult than it seems.
The tube
This is the ultimate and iconic surfing maneuver. It's not a maneuver in the technical sense, but more of a moment. That moment when the surfer is completely enveloped by the wave. You have to constantly adapt your speed and trajectory to the breaking wave.
Some describe this experience as mythical and mystical, and it remains etched in our memories for a long time! Personally, I experienced it in Biscarrosse, and contrary to what one might think, it was there that I had the opportunity to get barreled twice on the same wave. Yes, there are barrels in Biscarrosse.
The floater
When a surfer rides to the top of the broken part of a wave, he is surfing above the lip (or whitewater). It's a sensation of floating above the wave, as if on a white cloud.
Originally, to get past a closing section of a wave, you'd go around the front by extending a bottom turn. In modern surfing, you can also go over the top, but be careful of the fall, which is often violent upon landing, especially in big waves. In fact, in really big surf, this maneuver disappears.
The key to executing this maneuver is speed!
The air
It's an unusual and technically complex surfing maneuver. It involves launching yourself above the wave, using it as a ramp. This maneuver emerged about thirty years ago. It draws its inspiration from the skater-surfers of the 90s, who sought to replicate the same tricks they performed in skateparks, but this time above the waves. The pioneers of this practice were Englishman Martin Potter, and Americans Richie Collins, Mat Archbold, and Christian Fletcher. It was later popularized by a generation of surfers such as Slater, Machado, and Irons. Today, no top-level surfer can do without mastering aerials. Once again, speed is the key to taking flight.
Basic surfing maneuvers are the foundation of the sport. From the takeoff to the bottom turn, including speed, the roller, the cutback, the tube, the floater, and the air, each of these maneuvers brings its own dose of excitement and fun on the waves. They require practice, balance, coordination, and an understanding of the ocean's movements. It's time to rent your board, Find the best surf spots in Biscarrosse, and set off to conquer the waves!
