Week 10: BACKSIDE TURNS

BACKSIDE BOTTOM TURNS - WEEK 10

Let’s get it.

First things first, surfing backside for a lot of us is the thing we might want to do the least - Especially if you grew up in CA and you are regular foot.

However, even when you’re surfing frontside as a regular foot, and you do a “frontside carve,” you essentially are doing a “backside bottom turn.” 🧐

The more complete we think about our surfing, the more intentional we become and the better off we are.

I sucked surfing backside when I was first learning to turn  and still it’s not my strength. Without going down the rabbit hole, my biggest weakness surfing backside is: offshore fast, hollow lefts (I'm a regular foot).

Ie: Newport, Zuma Beach, lots of WQS events in my 20’s, etc.

BELOW: This is my buddy Ryan G. We were in Nicaragua last month. I gave him these tips below in the water. It took 1x session to apply and all of a sudden the consistency of his turns went up a massive percentage.

Seems pretty simple. But slightly opening up my shoulder when I stand up, opens up my vision of the WHOLE wave.

Bend my back knee in.

Feel the fins.

Feel the water moving under my board. Feel the water through the concaves and all.

Instead of all the way at the bottom of the wave, I try and start a bottom turn midway to get some momentum going off to start.

If you can get low enough, I  try to grab my fins/your rail with my back arm.

 

As I’m engaged in bottom-turn, I’m opening up my shoulder and looking right at the lip I’m going to hit.

 

Again, where my head goes, my body will follow.

In order to stay low on the down turn, I will put my leading arm on the deck of my board, closing the turn and re-entering the next turn.