good backside balance

[nystea]

hi all, ll im surfing the last 6 years every year like 3months +-
i can ride almost every waveand gettin barreld frontside..
now the only issue im finding is that the moment i surf backside or cutback i cant get really low over the water.. is there any way out of the water, like a gym or longboard skate to train that balance or muscle for making that backside cut manouvre..
in 3months i go for a 6month surftrip to phillipines and indo and i ll love to be full ready for taking that one..
thx riderz !

[Big H]

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Why is backside tuberiding called pigdogging?


The expression "pigdogging" was born from the Australian hunting slang term for that rather frightening breed of dog known as a bull terrier or pit bull. Pit bulls are called "pigdogs" in Oz because they're used to flush out wild boar from dense brush. This activity calls on all of the pit bull's renowned death-defying ability to bite mercilessly, crouch and hang on until it or its victim has deceased.

This ability was also exactly what was being called upon by the first pigdog backside tuberiders. The stance is as follows: crouched, head forward and down; body balanced on hands and knees; death-grip on the rails, making up for any lack of subtle maneuvering with sheer mad tenacity. Finest practitioners of the style as it first emerged through the early to mid-'80s included Dane Kealoha, Johnny Boy Gomes, Gary Elkerton, Marvin Foster (at Sunset) and numerous others, mainly it seemed in Hawaiian conditions.

The pigdog altered through the late '80s until it developed into the subtler, rubbery form of backside tuberiding practiced by guys like Shane Beschen, Kelly Slater, etc.: the open front hand extended onto the face; the body turned and fully opened to the tube exit; the "bumdrag" stalling method. This form is remarkably similar to that used by hot kneeboarders through the '70s in Oz and San Diego. But it can't really be called a "pigdog."

Now, of course, that style has been superseded by the dramatic standing body twist, in which the surfer (Bruce and Andy Irons, Shane Dorian and quite a few other exceptional tuberiders) doesn't deign to touch the board with his hands, instead simply twisting the shoulders open for a better view and adjusting with slight shifts of body torque through knees and hips. If that xxxxx keeps up, the pigdog days are indeed numbered.

[oldmansurfer]

Do you get really low over the water on your frontside turns? I don't think there is much difference between my front and backside in terms of how close I get to the water except maybe my backside cutback. On those my face is often just a couple inches from the water. What have you done to try to remedy this situation so far? Leaning is just leaning. If you want to lean over further you just lean over further. It takes more power to lean over in a turn so be prepared to push hard through the turn. However I wouldn't worry about how it looks as long as what you are doing works. When I learned to do hard turns I just kept trying till I got them down.

[nystea]

yes in the frontside surf i can put much more power on my bottom turn in the backsidesurf i feel much les flexible.. i think maybe i put my feets abit to horizontal on the board.. do you guys have exact the same feet placement in front then backside surf? (include a frontside cutback) i renember a while ago i was surfin 12ft waves on a very thin 5.9 mexicanboard it was so thin that i almost diddnt feel the board,and everything seemed so much more easy then when i surf my simon anderson 6.2 on 6ft waves.. maybe its just i dont generate enough speed..?!

[oldmansurfer]

So what happens when you cutback? or do a backside bottom turn?

[nystea]

if i lean to much i fall of my board.. so im turning with almost straight on my board wich make my turn radius very hug and to much time e exept of a nice hack like im doing frontside..

[oldmansurfer]

I have had problems making backside turns due to being too far forward on the board so you might try to put your rear foot back a little more. Another thing to try is to put your front foot on the inside rail during the turn. Also crouch into the turn and push on your rear foot really hard during the turn

[nystea]

that seems 2 good things to work on! thx for helping out.. i ll give that a try!

[waikikikichan]

1) Take a picture of the wave as if you had a camera on your chest
2) Front toes should be more a 1 o'clock

Getting "low" doesn't matter if you don't have the momentum to hold your body up. Do you see Motorcycle GP racers drag their knees at 5 mph ? More like at 50+ mph.

[oldmansurfer]

You can create a little momentum by crouching into the turn and pushing really hard on the tail but speed helps big time however 6 foot waves should be good enough if they have some steep walls so I figure it's likely to be something with technique. When I had problems being too far in front on the board my board would rotate long it's long axis popping the rail out of the water and the board then lay flat. I was popping up forward because of the way the waves were breaking trying to get down the face of the wave sooner but then forgetting to move back before I did a cutback. I tried to pay attention to that and the problem went away, however when I am riding backside I often place my front foot closer to the inside rail either on takeoff or as I drop on a vertical face (extremely steep). I figure that similar placement of the front foot to the inside rail will help on a cutback when I am standing too far forward but haven't really tried it yet due to not standing too far forward so note getting a chance to try it.

[jaffa1949]

JLo has amazing backside balance