Innehållsförteckning för #347 Technique från Surfing Life

As I flew over the Andes Mountains en route to Brazil recently, I caught a glimpse of the snow-capped peaks outside, framed by the small Boeing windows. My mind immediately drifted outside and into the fresh winter air, where I found myself snowboarding (with perfect technique of course) down the snow-laden gaps in the sharp, rugged terrain. While I’m not a snow boarder per se – I have ridden a snowboard at Lake Tahoe in California for three days – the learning curve to go from beginner to competent is both steep and not without its perils. Ice is hard and way less forgiving than water, but at least you can stand-fall-repeat on a continuous cycle until you get it. The battering and bruising is a small price to pay…

It was one of those moments where everything went in slow motion… and lighting speed at the same time! Like witnessing a car crash, the ones you just can’t look away from. Fortunately no surfers were harmed in the making of this image. However, it came bloody close! It was in Coffs Harbour… Day One at Bersih Puntorama, an aerial event brought to you by Surfing Life, and the boys were just getting warmed up (read more about this event on page 60). The mid-air collision stopped everyone in their tracks, both on the beach and on the internet. Later that evening the clip went viral in a matter of minutes. Fortunately both surfers still kept their heads and lived to tell the tale. The two that tangled were Reef…

A self-help guide to the mastering of three challenging moves that will add to your mastery of this crazy little game called surfing. The Layback Snap Want to mix up how you approach the end section? Add a bit of variety to your repertoire by getting this turn dialled in… perfect the layback snap and impress like John John Florence at Bells. You never really know how a layback snap will turn out. You might blow your tail out the back of the wave and fall immediately, or you could do one of those one-footed hanging-on recovery things that are so cool to watch and even more cool to pull off. You just have to roll with it and trust your instincts. THE SIZING UP You need to appraise the…

In a surfing world where boards are getting shorter, wider, and weirder — we go the other way and probe the idea of riding a slightly longer board (aka a step-up) and what that might do to improve our technique. When I was a young competing grom I’d often jump on my longest board a couple days out from competition. The premise was that the bigger and generally heavier board was harder to turn, required a fuller extension of the rail for complete turns and when switching back, the shorter board would feel faster, looser and more manoeuvrable by comparison. The exercise seemed to work in principle back then, but we wondered if it still held true in this modern surfing age we find ourselves in. Of course these days…

What the hell is The Bersih Puntorama, and why would we be writing about it in a magazine that has long removed itself from the reporting of competitions? We are still heavily involved with the Who’s Who of the world tour… they are of course the best surfers in the world, but when it comes to reporting on events, we normally leave that for the ever-hungry online platforms that need to put out something every day. But this competition is different. We may be a little biased in our review of this event, mainly because we were involved with the creation of it. We were approached by the crew at Bersih who had been running an online version for the last two years. They asked us to come onboard and…

Surfing is a monomaniacal obsession. Ask a surfer what they want to do with their life and a large part of that answer will be – SURF. Surfers want to surf more, surf better and surf well into old age. What happens though, if the sport you love drives you into pain, causes you injury and impacts on how you participate over time? Being side dominant (natural or goofy) and repetitive in nature, the very act of surfing itself can drive you into pain and injury, and impacts how well you surf and your longevity as a surfer. No surfer wants to hear this. So how do you bulletproof your body for surfing while at the same time, improve your surfing performance? “I have no special talent. I am only…

Mark Richards is an icon of our sport. From winning his first world title in 1979, to his fourth in 1982, to crafting some of the most beautiful surfboards you’ll lay your eyes on, MR is respected all around the world. When reflecting on their time competing against each other, Shaun Tomson recently referred to Mark as being ‘fierce in the water but humble on the land.’ Anyone who has met MR in person will attest to this, his unassuming nature is almost disarming… until you see him tearing a timeless line out on the open face with his unmistakable style. And the fact that he started shaping boards at the age of thirteen, and went on to be so successful in both careers is a testament to the legacy…

If two’s company and three’s a crowd, then we’re not sure what you’d call the frenzy of Brazilian surf fans that lined the shore for this year’s edition of the Oi Rio Pro. The men’s and women’s WSL Championship Tour event took place an hour’s drive east of Rio de Janeiro last month, in the seaside town of Saquarema. The town, dubbed the capital of Brazilian surfing, may have witnessed the biggest crowd ever at a professional surf contest. If it wasn’t the biggest, then it certainly was the most passionate and frenzied. But I’m calling it the biggest, most passionate, and frenzied. For context and to set the scene, every event on last year’s men’s championship tour had Brazilian victors, bar two. The fly in the ointment was Julian…

After decades of lobbying by International Surfing Association (ISA) President, Fernando Aguerre, on the 3rd of August 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that surfing would be included in the 2020 Summer Games. The sport’s biggest drawcard for organisers of the games was that it brought a more youthful and vibrant sport to the Olympic program. And yes, the event will take place in the ocean in Chiba, Japan. Surfing Australia was the first national surfing organisation to take major strides towards participation in Tokyo. Early moves indicating the seriousness of their quest included the appointment of former championship tour surfer, Bede Durbidge to the role of Surfing Australia’s Elite Program Manager. The appointment came while Bede was still competing full-time in August 2017, but the announcement became a…

THIS may come as no surprise to you, but when I started out surfing for the very first time, I was an absolute mess. My paddling was all over the place, I was always way too far back on the board, and if I ever managed to rise to my feet, performing a simple turn may as well have been nailing a backside 540. In other words: bloody impossible. However, slowly but surely, things started to improve. The task of paddling out didn’t seem as distant and daunting as it once was. Getting to my feet was becoming a fluid symphony between muscle and memory. And my turns… well, they still suck, but certainly not an impossible a notion as before. But along the journey of learning the nuances of…

At the tender age of 12 years old, Kevin Bourez first made his way into the Teahupo’o lineup under the tutelage of local big wave legend, Raimana Van Bastolaer. As the younger brother of world tour powerhouse, Michel, Kevin has travelled the world competing but knows the biggest test in surfing is on his doorstep and prefers to do his best surfing there. Along with the likes of Matahi Drollet, Matehau Tetopata, Tikanui Smith and several others, Kevin is part of the first generation of Tahitian surfers to take control and truly dominate Teahupo’o on its biggest, best days. Few escape a career spent surfing giant Chopes without misadventure, however, and Kevin is no exception, suffering one of the worst non-fatal injuries on record during the Billabong Pro trials in…

The session took place on an epic wave on the NSW South Coast. A few guys from Cronulla and I had been watching the predicted swell like hawks from a week out. We often find ourselves getting excited early for incoming swells, only to be disappointed a few days out when it changes, or even on the day when it just doesn’t show up. So I was cautious of this one, given it required a big drive south, an overnight stay, and an early rise to get to the boat ramp. I had so many factors working against me that I’d actually made the call not to go. The biggest issue was finding assistance to launch the ski because the ramp is non-existent on low tide, requiring a beach launch.…

The Sunshine Coast is calling your name to holiday and you cannot go past the Ramada by Wyndham Marcoola Beach for accommodation – the perfect base to explore, relax and enjoy – not to mention a surf beach literally on the resort’s doorstep. Centrally located with easy access to surf breaks from Noosa to Caloundra you can be in the thick of the action, but staying in an idyllic location to truly relax and avoid the crowds. The golden beaches and sunshine days make holidays a breeze for the family to escape the daily grind and enjoy a holiday where there is truly something for everyone. Boasting hotel rooms and apartment style accommodation families and couples can stay in comfort, no matter your needs or holiday type. With in-room cooking…

We’ve written a lot of stories about how to perform better in comps, how to perfect technical moves and even how to prepare your body and mind, in order to get more out of your surfing life. But what about the humble freesurfer? No, not us average surfers who have a dig down at their local, love a bit of travel, and enjoy sitting on the throne with a good old magazine (that probably went a little too far, smiley face). But the surfer that has a swag of talent, a growing social media following and thinks: hey, maybe I can make a career out of this? You know, drop the rashie and get paid to travel around the world and surf. Is there still a case for the humble…

At a glance, the headline of recovery won’t light up the eyes of every surfer. However, before turning to the next page, think about this idea for a second. How keen would you be to pack a creased surfboard on your next surf trip? Not many would choose a creased surfboard over a new one. This is a wise choice. You can’t trust a creased surfboard. Will it make the drop? Will it fold in half during a critical turn? No one knows. But the doubt stops you from surfing at your best. Now think about your body like the two surfboards. You have both options — the creased body or the new version. The recovery strategies below will help you to pack the most important piece of equipment involved…