|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
How to Stand on a Surfboard
Standing up on a surfboard would be such an easy activity if the board were at rest on a solid surface. But place that board on a lurching surge of swirling water where you must simultaneously leap from a prone position while weighting and unweighting left, right, front, and back just to keep from plunging into the watery abyss, and now you''''ve got yourself a challenge.
If you made it this far, then you must be able to adequately paddle and catch a wave. However, the place to start is the beach. Lie on the sand (it's effective to lie on your board on the sand but only if you can remove your fins to avoid damage) and do a basic push-up quickly. Once your arms are at full extension, pull both knees toward your stomach and hop to your feet. Do this repeatedly to program your subconscious to be ready for what you will do in the water. Whether you stand with your right foot or left foot forward will establish your membership into a long standing rivalry between regular foot and goofy foot surfers.
Here's a quick reference guide:
Step 1---Paddle for a wave and just as you feel the momentum of the surfboard flow faster than your paddling speed, you are ready to hop up.
Step 2---With your hands firmly grasping each rail, push up quickly.
Step 3---Simultaneously, extend your arms completely and pull your knees quickly up to your chest. Be sure to keep your weight centered with just a little slant forward (leaning back is a natural tendency, but this takes away from your forward momentum).
Step 4---Place your feet firmly on your board, one foot near the tail and one foot just above the midpoint of the board.
Step 5---Don''''t stand up completely erect. Keep a low center of gravity by crouching down and focusing your weight on the midpoint of the board.
Balancing on a surfboard is no different than balancing on a skateboard or even a bicycle. Just keep your arms out and your eyes looking forward (remember: your board will always follow your eyes and head, so focus on forward motion. POLITICAL ARTICLES
|
|
