surfing trick tips from one of Canada's top competitive surfers
Frontside Floaters
Basic manauvers, such as front side floaters, are often overlooked in modern
surfing, but they can be very useful for a variety of situations. Floaters
can be used to make sections, or to finish off a wave, and they are always a
good way of generating speed for your next manauver.
There are three
important things to notice when learning to successfully complete a floater:
getting on to the lip, riding the lip, and re-entering back into the wave.
The first thing you need is speed so stay high in the wave, and generate as
much speed as you can.
Next, look for a section that is just about to
break, and start your bottom turn from the middle of the wave face. Bottom
turn at 20 or 30 degrees, and carry your speed up and along the wave. You
don’t want to go straight up (90 degrees) because then you won’t go anywhere
when you get on to the lip. At this point you want to watch the lip
carefully. Place your board on the curling lip while staying low with your
centre of gravity over your back foot. Once on the lip shift your weight
from your toe edge to your heel edge. This allows you to stay on top of the
lip without getting left behind the moving wave. Shift your weight to your
front foot in order to get as much distance out of the floater as you can.
Your eyes should be focused on the lip line ahead of you as you move along
the top of the wave.
When you feel yourself slowing down, or the wave is
about to close out, turn your head over your shoulder to spot the landing.
When you are coming off of the lip you can either ride off with the falling
lip, or you can ollie off to the bottom of the wave. An ollie should be
used when the lip is heavy, or when the wave is sizeable. Coming off the
lip will cause your body to extend so try to keep your style together as
much as possible, and brace yourself for the landing. Place your board flat
on the wave face, bend your knees to absorb the shock of landing, and use
the speed you have gained for your next bottom turn.
When you first learn
this manouver start on small crumbly waves, preferably a beach break. Once
you get it down move up to bigger heavier waves, adding your own style and
tweaks. Have fun!
KEYS:
Get on to the lip with as much speed as possible.
Ride the lip cleanly with your momentum pushing forward.
When the wave begins to slow down, come off the lip with style, and drive through your next bottom turn.
I'll be back in a while with another of PD's Trick Tips, and until then I'll be surfing and traveling.
