How to Perform a Fin First Takeoff! Tips from a Pro

Pic 2a

This is another manoeuvre that has been labelled as simply a "trick" and "not a functional manoeuvre" in the competition arena.  However, Joel Tudor frequently pulled them off in competitions in good sized surf with no leash - just because he could!  They are a fun manoeuvre to try and probably one of the first "tricks" you will attempt on your longboard.  Photo above courtesy of www.jamiebottphotography.com There are a number of ways to perform this manoeuvre, but they all involve the same … [Read more...]

SurfScience.com: Check out ratings on boards

surfscience

SurfScience.com is a website devoted to helping you understand more about surfboards.  The site was founded by a couple of OC surfers.  Along with articles on board designs, one of the coolest things on the site is the board rack where you can see ratings on thousands of surfboard models from top shapers.  Its kind of like CNET for surfboards.  Now you can read what people think about a board before you go buy it and if you're not sure what type of board to get, the Surfboard Match can … [Read more...]

A Surf Pro on Fins, and Their Importance

Fins2

Fins are probably the most important part of a surfboard.  How Do Fins Work? As you push your back foot down over the fin(s) in your chosen direction, the surface area of the fins push against the water and forces you in the opposite direction.  The more pressure you put over the fins, the more push back and drive or direction you will get out of your turns.   Tip: If you put too much pressure over your fins, they will release or slide out (especially if the fins have a small surface … [Read more...]

Attention Longboarders!! A Shortcut to Longboarding: e-Book Review

shortcut to longboarding

Ever see some dude on a log doing a handstand, or riding fins first and say shiz, I want to do that?   One of our bros, Lee Ryan, who also writes (when he feels like it) for Dailystoke.com under the screen name Pro Logger, just published his new book A Shortcut to Longboarding Volume 2.  For those of you that may not know Lee, he can rip on any board, including a log, is a 9 time British Longboarding Champ, and has been on the world tour for over 10years.  Lee will be giving us some stoke over … [Read more...]

GO SURF: Surfing Book Review

go-surf-book

Did you know Captain Kook, I mean Cook (with a C), discovered surfing for the Europeans in the 1700s?  The things we learn from instructional surf books....  I Just finished reading GO SURF and watching the 30-minute virtual coaching DVD that comes with the book.  This is a pretty good instructional surf book for beginners and more experienced surfers looking for a review of the fundamentals: it covers everything from basic stuff (standing up, punching thru waves, takeoff, speed and control) to … [Read more...]

Foam for thought: The forgotten link

2433833026_8594ba04f6

While I was surfing one bright, summer morning, I decided, "It's only going to be knee-high, so I'll bring my longboard so I'll be able to catch the waves."  That morning the water resembled a mirror, and every so often a sizable stomach-chest high bomb set would roll through.  They were definitely shortboardable, but I had my longboard.  But when I would take a few hard strokes, stand up, and glide down the face, as though caressing the wave, and stay with the beauty of nature almost all the … [Read more...]

NOHO surf trainer – a surfing product review

Instead of busting your head open with an Indo Board, a great new product to try (or buy for a logger near you) is the NOHO Surf Trainer, with damn cool video shown here. Invented by Mark Carlson, the California-designed product consists of four pod-like-things strapped to the bottom of your board. The pods are made of rubber, as are the straps, and there's no danger of dinging your board. So what's the point? Said Carlson: "The biggest barrier to improving my surfing technique was the difficulty … [Read more...]

Tandem Surfers: Loved by Themselves, Loathed by Others

What could be better than holding up a female counterpart in a gymnast-like pose while surfing on a wave? Not much. Except maybe getting the barrel of your life, or launching a 360 air - well, that's what the regular surfers say. They want to do what the tandem surfers do, but they don't want to commit to riding a longboard and learning how to hold someone up instead of actually surfing. To be honest, there's nothing really spectacular about tandem surfing. You could do it in any situation: Riding … [Read more...]

Leash or No Leash…My Vote

1370361583_821700c53c

There are two schools of thought - or two different debates - when it comes to surfing.  One: Longboarding or shortboarding? Longboarding is better. That one's easy.  Moving on to the second: Leash or No Leash? I thought I'd cast my vote in this debate (er, school of thought), since the first one is an open-and-closed case...right? Here's what I say:  if you are a longboarder who does helicopters or spins on your board nonstop, then I could see where a leash would get in the way.  And props … [Read more...]

Why you don’t lend your boards to Beginners

For anyone planning to start surfing, it’s a good idea to buy a used or epoxy board that can take a beating. And, before you paddle out don’t be afraid to ask a local where to get in and out of the water. This dude’s next lesson will be in ding repair. [Editor's Note: Yeah - trying to look cool is the number one reason, in my mind, why people tend to look like kooks, especially when starting out. Everybody who has been in the water started as a kook. The key is to recognize when you're kookin' … [Read more...]