Monthly Archives: July 2013

Present moment awareness Preparing to surf big waves is as much about feeling physically strong as it is about feeling mentally ready. Understanding what challenges you, what excites you and ultimately what kind of risks you are prepared to take will allow you to clearly see the possibilities of riding big waves. Think of a time when you have felt a bit “toey” before paddling out into threatening waves. That uncomfortable, excited feeling of “not knowing”. The mind is racing, going through possible scenarios that haven’t even occurred yet. But, once you’re out there and have successfully hooked into your first wave…the pressure eases a little and you’ve never felt more sharply alive in your life. In general, the thinking mind interferes a lot when it comes to human potential. Over thinking can paralyse you, especially in sporting performance. We’ve all heard of athletes talk...

Incorporating Parkour Having enjoyed the recent patch of incredible waves lately, the overwhelming thing I noticed in my surfing was a sense of ease. It was so enjoyable to not have to generate speed, the wave did all the work. The other thing I observed when surfing waves over 4 foot, was the amount of time available. No rushing was needed, big open faces that allow rail to rail surfing and invite flow and patience. But, lets face it, the waves aren’t usually like that. Mostly they are small and you need to be fast and light to keep up. This is where Parkour comes in. Parkour is French for “journey, route or course”. Parkour is a way of moving within your environment and overcoming obstacles of any kind be they physical or mental. The aim is to move over, around, up, along, under and...

Spatial awareness, proprioception 10-15 years ago aerial surfing was seriously gaining momentum by surfings elite as a new and exciting way of riding waves. Nowadays aerials are a common occurrence at local beaches all over Australia. In the right conditions pro surfers can routinely pull previously risky airs in competition without much fuss. Most average to above average surfers have tried an air at some stage just to see what it’s like. There’s something about being air borne that’s really exciting. Generally, getting air is the easy part…all you need is speed and a steep enough lip to get some lift. Part 2 however is a completely different story. Having the poise, composure and even courage to land an air successfully is a huge challenge. If you’ve ever injured yourself whilst trying to land an air, the thought of having another crack at it can...

Incorporating flexibility, elasticity Most of us have all witnessed really good surfers doing their thing, weather it’s the local ripper, or the Pro on DVD. If you’re like me, you’re often thinking, how did they get their body in that position, how did they get their board that far above the lip, or even just how did they land that? Seriously, how did they get that good?! Well, there’s a number of different factors to consider. Firstly, it’s likely they have surfed since they were 3 or 4 years of age, and have experienced crucial developmental years of childhood riding waves and getting to understand the ocean. They also probably had a group of hungry mates pushing them to be better in every surf, day after day! Another factor, which is what I will look at today, is the surfers body, and it’s ability to...