Mastering Verticality and Airtime Techniques

Title: Mastering the Art of Advanced Surf Techniques: Taking Your Riding to New Heights

Introduction:

As surfers, we're constantly seeking ways to improve our skills, push ourselves beyond our limits, and ride the waves like never before. One advanced technique that's gained popularity in recent years is the art of verticality and airtime. By mastering this combination of techniques, you'll be able to take your surfing to new heights – literally! In this blog post, we'll explore the intersection of soft footings, hard drops, and landing techniques, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to perfect these advanced surf maneuvers.

The Perfect Wave:

Let's consider an example scenario: you're out at the beach, waiting for the perfect wave. The sun is shining, the waves are rolling in, and you've spotted a monster 3-to-2 at your favorite break. You know that this wave will be challenging to ride, but with the right technique, you'll be able to take it down like a pro.

Soft Footings: The Foundation of Verticality

Before we dive into advanced techniques, let's start with soft footings. Soft footings are essential for creating height and allowing us to catch air on the wave face. To achieve this:

1. Positioning: Stand on the beach with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Weight Distribution: Shift your weight onto your back foot, keeping it relatively straight.
3. Knee Bend: Crouch down slightly, keeping your knees bent and your weight centered over your board.
4. Arm Positioning: Hold your arms in a neutral position, with your hands positioned close to your body.

As the wave begins to lift you up, engage your core muscles and extend your front foot slightly. This will help you maintain balance and generate momentum for the airtime.

Airtime: The Secret to Verticality

Now that we've established soft footings, let's talk about airtime. Airtime is the sweet spot where you're able to harness the energy of the wave to ride it all the way down to the bottom. To achieve this:

1. Timing: Time your entry into the air perfectly, allowing yourself to pop up and catch the peak.
2. Popping Up: Keep your body straight and focused on popping up to the top of the wave face.
3. Weight Transfer: As you're in the air, transfer your weight onto your back foot, keeping it relatively still.

Landing Techniques: The Final Step

Finally, let's cover landing techniques. Landing is just as important as getting back on your board, as it can make or break your overall ride. To master landing techniques:

1. Soft Footing: Always use soft footings when you're landing from a stand-up position.
2. Weight Transfer: As soon as you hit the water, transfer your weight onto your front foot to absorb the impact.
3. Arm Positioning: Keep your arms in a relaxed position, with your hands positioned close to your body.

Advanced Techniques: Verticality and Airtime

Now that we've covered soft footings, airtime, and landing techniques, let's talk about some advanced techniques that'll take your surfing to new heights:

1. Double-Reef: This is an advanced technique where you ride the wave all the way down to the bottom while simultaneously popping up to another spot on the wave face.
2. Belly-to-Belly Airs: This involves popping up and maintaining control throughout the entire air, while also keeping your weight centered over your board.

Conclusion:

Mastering advanced surf techniques like verticality, airtime, and landing techniques takes time, patience, and practice. By following these step-by-step guides and applying them to your riding, you'll be able to take your surfing to new heights – literally! Remember to always focus on soft footings, timing, and weight transfer when entering the air, and use landing techniques to absorb any impact. With dedication and persistence, you'll be well on your way to becoming a master of advanced surf techniques. Mastering Advanced Surf Techniques: A Step-by-Step Guide

Technique	Soft Footings	Airtime	Landing Techniques
Soft Footings	1. Positioning (shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward)	1. Timing (enter the air perfectly at peak)	1. Weight Transfer (transfer weight onto back foot as soon as hitting water)
Airtime	1. Popping Up (keep body straight and focused on popping up to top of wave face)	1. Timing (pop up to peak)	2. Arm Positioning (keep arms relaxed, with hands close to body)
Landing Techniques	1. Soft Footing (always use soft footings when landing from stand-up position)	1. Weight Transfer (transfer weight onto front foot as soon as hitting water)

Advanced Techniques

Technique	Description
Double-Reef	Rides the wave all the way down to bottom while popping up to another spot on wave face
Belly-to-Belly Airs	Pops up and maintains control throughout entire air, while keeping weight centered over board

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Soft Footings: Position your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Airtime: Timing is crucial when entering the air - pop up to peak timing.
3. Weight Transfer: As soon as hitting water, transfer weight onto back foot to absorb impact.
4. Arm Positioning: Keep arms relaxed and close to body.

Tips and Reminders

• Always use soft footings when landing from stand-up position.
• Timing is key - pop up to peak timing for optimal airtime.
• Transfer weight onto front foot as soon as hitting water to absorb impact.
• Keep arms relaxed and close to body throughout the entire air.