It seems as if here are commonality between at least half of these surfers: 1) back foot lands first, sometimes well before the front. and that foot is used to help push the front foot thru (even on Slater, if you look closely, his back foot still lands 1st). 2) hips twist to raise inside/rear hip 3) front hand (same side as the front foot) is usually well ahead of the "back" hand, and both hands seem canted in the same direction toward the inside of the board giving more room to swing the front foot through (eg, hands facing more left for goofie riders). 4) head/eyes facing down the line in direction they want to go 5) back arches and chest raises before the push on the hands 6) hands on board until both feet are placed, 7) stay low and crouched until that hands leave the board. i've thought a lot about this vid, and these takeaways have helped my pop-up immensely! it is not so much of a pop-up, but a quick powerful step up , and realizing that allowed me to keep in contact with my board, staying low and to be in the surf position once i remove my hands from the board. at least this is how it works for me. thanks Brent!
Wow, these are excellent insights, thank you! After almost 40 years of surfing (I'm 47) my pop up has now decided to start giving me problems. I struggle to place my front foot far forward enough, which means you're bulldozing water right from the start. Point 1 and 2 seem to work together - push off your back foot and twist your leading hip forward, and your front foot should land on the "x" every time. Gonna try this today, thank you!
#6 and 7, how else? haha The rest is basic ergonomics. Some things should just come easy without over thinking. Like a child without instruction would naturally do it.
Looking at the commonalities of the pros rather than the minor differences (which are often due to differences in wave shape or even section shape due to different positioning on the takeoff) is definitely the way to go John. Good to see someone notice that the back foot lands 1st, that 1,2 step timing is important and lots of people who try to land with both feet together end up doing it too explosive and landing in an awkward stance with the rear knee sticking out, it's not as smooth. The Pop Up is a complex movement and if people are having troubles it can be for quite a few different reasons (that they often aren't aware of) but one other commonality I'd add that average surfers often miss is that after the arch at your step 5 and as you push the hands down in to the board, you must also lift your hips upwards and back toward the tail of the board which forms a shape where you have your knees on the board, hips at around 90 degree angle, a flat back and shoulders forward of hands pushing board down the face (see parko at 2:55). From there the feet flow quite easily under the body in like you stay a step up, partly due to the right muscles being activated and the downward slope of the board. Without that hip lift, everything gets jammed up or people start to twist one hip higher than the other which also impacts stance negatively. Good footage thanks Brent, I know lots of surfers worldwide have been studying this one!
I think this video is one of the most helpful videos about proper popping up on youtube if you take time to really examine. My 2 takeaways from this amazing video... 1) back foot has to land first not only to create that 'jumping forward momentum' (if your front foot lands first, your weight distribution inevitably moves from front to back when your back foot lands..)but also to be compressed when you get on the board. This way you can start pumping and start generating speed from the very first second of your ride. 2) your hands don't leave the deck until your front foot lands so you always have that forward pressure until you are on the board. If you lose that forward pressure even for a slight second before you are on the board, you are gonna create drag and slow yourself down. Hence, you never jump up on your board, but rather slide up on your board. Maybe these are obvious facts to good surfers, but I feel like nobody directly tells you these tips and why they have to be done in such fashion when teaching how to pop-up on a shortboard.
Biggest thing I picked up from this that immensely helped my pop up: virtually all the pros pop up with their hands offset (frontside back is farther back). I've surfed for a long time and always popped with my hands next to each other, which makes it harder to get the front foot through on center. Thanks so much Brent!
I think you think the hand helps ( which it does but that's shoulder positioning early).. But you I think putting a hand back depending makes you rotate your hip, making it easier to get the front foot through smoother...Vid on youtube also "How to use your hips for a perfect pop up", slight rotation of the hip as you pop up, smoother transition to get the front foot through rather than pop the lower back up higher..Jordy smith does it 1:10, Gabriel does it more so, few do a bit more slightly..Slight rotation, smother, and with the hands offset depending on a Right or Left break you get a smooth pop up and your shoulders are in the right position from the take off..Watch Mick Fanning, he rotates the hip..
Started surfing as a shy 13 yo girl- no coaches, nobody to give tips for improvement but still had fun and never knew the difference. Many years of trial and error to find what worked for me, but 48 yrs later it's harder to undo some of the bad surfing habits that are ingrained. Take-offs are a key area needing improvement for this 61 y.o. girl still riding shortboards. Great slo-mo in this video shows how far down the wave these guys paddle in before planting their feet- definitely something to work on. Appreciate the video-thanks.
I know what you mean! I learnt (or should I say 'started learning..') over 50 years ago and learned bad habits! At 72, info like this keeps me keen to try a better way of popping up! This video is a great insight for anybody keen to get better and better at enjoying the waves we get to ride!
Everyone should. That tail block is what it’s about. You see a lot of beginners place their back foot right above fins which leaves 7-9 inches in a turn of usable pivot. Less backfoot fatigue loss.
one interesting thing to note is how low their heads come down when paddling in. Only Gabriel medina keeps his back arched the whole time. For most people, on their last stroke, they drop their heads and chest almost straight down to the board. This helps to keep the nose of the board down in most cases. How much you do this will depend on your position on the wave and speed of paddling. Pop up is also angled to the right to get them going in the right direction - with hands also keeping extra pressure on the inside rail on the push up. Eyes are always focused on the next section of the wave. Once standing, the pros are compressed and immediately un-compress for a first speed-generating pump.
I totally agree. It's all about balance (forward/back) and being at the right place. At first you back is a bit arched and when needed you can transfer your weight more forward lowering your jaw
Carissa's chin actually rests on the board for a second. I surfed with a pro in Indo once and all his boards had pressure dings on the deck near the nose where his chin would hit for those last couple strokes before popping up.
i feel insane but have seen actual popup improvement since watching your video. the turning your arms into your stance technique i saw from matt wilkinson really seemed to click for me.
I first learned to surf around 12 , had a friend of a friend teach me, (she had surfed around the world, a good ten years older) first thing she did was have me practice my pop up just on Mg board in the sand. Haven’t met anyone else that was taught like that. From then on it was just getting a feel for timing and carving but could catch the smaller waves at my beach no problem.
This is amazing footage and, in my opinion, the approach you take on this video is very valuable and not something I had seen focused before... I used to be involved in professional tennis prior to learning to surf and and I had always been flooded by millions of HD slow motion videos of things such as Federer's serve or Nadal's forehand (+100k results for each of these, for example), so it came to me as a shocking surprise that, when I looked for similar studies done with professional surfing in order to take a look at how the pros did it and try to realize what I was doing wrong and how I could do it better, I basically found no footage, especially concerning the pop up moment. I may be speaking for myself and others may look at this as something trivial, but I believe that these six minutes you brought before us are very rich in showing the fine details of how each surfer tackles this critical moment in waveriding and how they compare between each other, especially when the wave is the same for everyone. At the end of the day, this won't make me surf like Slater, but for someone like me, who never had surfing classes but instead got hold of an old beaten softboard missing one fin, pointed that thing at the shore, paddled like a maniac, tried to stand up, fell and proceeded to scrutinize what had gone wrong, wave after wave, session after session, trying to correct myself and improve out of casual feedback from friends and self evaluation, this is nothing short of pure gold and a tool that ultimately may help me improving my surf and result in me having more fun in the water! Thanks you very much for releasing this, man! :)
The major thing that I’ve noticed is that they all have slightly different leg movements and foot planting, but they all grab the inside rail and place their outside hand on the top of the board. Can’t wait to try this. I would think this allows the surfer to micro adjust the angle of the board to prepare for going down the line. Also allows them to put more weight on the inside rail that is about to be engaged when the pop up. This could be a game changer for me! Thanks for the vid.
Holy shit! Thank you so much. I learned so much from this video! I've done a lot of professional movement analysis as a snowboard coach, but found high level resources for surfers significantly lacking. I really noticed how every single one of these takeoffs demonstrated planting the back foot pretty intentionally first. I've always kinda focused on trying to get my front foot forward as quickly as possible, thinking that if it lands properly then my back foot should be able to fall into place, but it makes so much sense to slow down and simply do it in the obvious order that things are moving in. Also, it's like they're not doing anything more complicated than a basic "Aussie Walk" longboard pop-up. I've been over complicating this for YEARS! Thank you so much! :D
I'm in the same boat, always so focused on the front foot. This video shows how important it is to plant that back foot first then let the front follow. Totally changes how I've approached it.
this is such a gem of a video ... thank you for the footage ... I refer back to this video so often. something I've personally been working on in my own surfing - and it's so beautiful to see it here in slow-mo - is the actual setup to their takeoff. before they even bring their feet under them, the projection (many use a subtle shift with their head), then setting their line ... this makes such a huge difference. the other thing I notice is that there's so much variance which goes to show that there are actually a lot of functional ways to get to your feet ... also that adjustments are important. great video - thanks again!
I've been looking for a video dedicated to just this. I noticed none of these pros grab the rail while popping up. I've got some adjustments to make. Thanks for the vid🤙🏽
The one thing they all do the same is how they have there hands. None of them grip the rail! Many people, including me, have the habit of holding the rail as they try to stand. Thank you for this opportunity to see what the pro do.
This is very valuable footage. When I was learning/working on my popup I would spend a lot of time watching pro heats trying to analyze exactly how they paddled into a wave and popped up
Much thanks!! I've been surfing for 40+ years and recently suffered a back injury that is forcing me to re-learn the basics. Frustrating as hell, but I simply refuse to quit-- or go SUP. Since I can no longer get away with anything other than excellent technique, videos like this are incredibly helpful.
Great video. All I’d say is that every one of these surfers still put the back foot on first (they just did it faster than others) and this is the best way to teach it to someone instead of just saying “pop up” If they slow it down and learn it in steps like your wonderful video, there’s no chance of picking up bad habits
This is literally pure gold. Thank you so much for making this! Why have I never seen something like this before!! I've been surfing for a decade and this is SO helpful because there's always that nagging thought that I _could_ be doing the pop-up better if I just got some technique when I mess up a few in a row. Especially how many variations you give: I can see what a good average is!
This is great. I always feel cheated by the lack of pop-up action in most surf vids. I'm really interested in this because I'm nearly 60 and popping is becoming harder by the week. Anything I can use to slow my gradual descent back to being a kook is much appreciated . Thanks
I've got a decade on you Geoff. The pop up , striving to maintain that extra gear to paddle fast, and shoulder recovery are my 3 issues. Not ready just yet to surrender, it's like a full time job to keep surfing entering your 8th decade. I ride a 7'4'' mostly in fast beach break waves .
I gotta say this is great! Such an overlooked thing in surfing. The pop up and then your footwork sets up everything. And the different styles of hand placement. Grabbing both rails, grabbing one rail with one hand on the deck, or two hands on the deck. Great stuff!
Keep an eye on where there hands are relative to their chest. The ones that pop up the fastest, put their hands below their chest onto their boards making it way easier for bringing your feet onto you board. If you put your hands under your shoulders you're going to have a hard time.
Been watching this over and over and it’s so helpful (video and commentary). I’m 46 and always open to listen and learn and being very new I’m grateful for having this explained. I’m going to watch this prior to paddling out as it helps with the mind and visual muscle memory. Remember to stay low, head down and hands and bit further up on the board - like the consciousness keeping the back foot hitting first (makes sense). Very appreciate you put this out - feels like I owe you something.
This video was amazing! Thank you! 🙏🤙 It’s important to not forget that those in the spotlight are very much pros/naturalists. They adjust accordingly based on conditions (wave speed, height, board length, etc) . I’m 33 and have been surfing for 25 years and have been an instructor/coach for almost 6 years - depending on situational factors, I know that I adjust my pop up on the fly either back foot landing first or both feet simultaneously. The board length has a significant role in the process. I am 5’9 177lbs. If I’m riding anything under 6ft I’ve noticed my back foot plants first, anything bigger than 6ft it’s almost guaranteed I get both feet landing at the same time. With the shorter boards it makes sense that the rear foot would land first - pressure on the tail/fins = stability allowing for that front foot(gas pedal ) to position proper and go. Again excellent video but, I do believe when dealing with some of the worlds most versatile athletes it’s important to know that they adjust their bodies accordingly and I do not believe they always pop up the exact same way. 🤙🤙🤙
OK, I "learned to surf" in California in... the late 50's... on inflatable rafts. Fiberglass surfboards came later for me, in high school in about 1963. We lived inland, in SoCal, so only got to surf on about every other weekend. THIS video is showing me things I should have learned all those years ago, and with your beautiful eye for detail including video composition and all that. A brilliant presentation -- thank you!
The slow mo of the pros popping up is really great stuff...Thanks! You are right in that they never show the pop up on TV. I hired a lower-level pro as a coach for a day, and one of the tips he gave me was to place my hands with the inside hand back and the outside hand more forward (I had never heard anyone say that until I saw it on your video again). In this case, on rights the right hand is further back. On a left, the left hand would be back slightly from the right. His comment on this was that it helps set the rail in the direction of travel, and that equal pressure makes the board go more straight. I do think it also helps rotate the hips as you mentioned, and provides more space as well. All I know is that it help to improve my pop up.
This is sooo helpful. Most videos on popping up show all kinds of weird and different things that, after seeing this, aren't what the pros do at all and just make it more confusing. So good to see how they do it to have something actually useful and good to emulate and try to work toward.
I love slow mo’s of the best pros surfing. I think it’s such a subtle art that they have uniquely perfected. I personally love watching entire waves surfed by them in slow-mo to see and study technique. JJF is one of the best at late take offs and watching him pop-up and see where on the wave he is and where his eyes are looking is incredible to watch/study in slow-mo.
I've surfed with a number of top pros over the years including several featured in this video. (Surfed with the fathers of two of the surfers in the video as well....dang I'm getting old) Out of all of them Gabriel Medina has the technique that stands out the most to me. He has an uncanny ability to get into the wave and get to his feet earlier than anyone. In a gutless wave he can get to his feet and get his first pump in further out than most advanced surfers and even pros can pop up. He can get into a wave before it is peaking. Easily a full body length or more further out than his peers. This is an incredible advantage. Even in this video you can see that his technique is unique compared to the rest. Because he is in so early he can generate that much more speed. No doubt growing up this technique also boosted his wave count in crowded lineups which also helped him progress to the pro level rapidly. It all starts with the pop up and believe it or not the smaller and weaker the waves are the more critical it becomes. Split seconds matter.
Great point - he is also known to ride board with significantly more volume than anyone else on tour. I think that's probably part of the reason why he's up and pumping earlier than anyone else, although I'm sure technique also is part of it.
I don't believe his left hip is any higher, though, but more likely due to the fact he's applying more pressure on the right rail. Just a thought, based on observation.
For the beginners watching this ... a common error is grabbing the rails, rather than putting the hands flat on the deck. If you correct this mistake, you'll see a HUGE improvement in your pop ups.
I'll take a little bit of issue with this. I pop up off my rails out of habit and not knowing any better when I was learning. Years later I still do it. I've been very slowly trying to work "hands flat on the deck", but honestly from a performance perspective I really don't notice any significant difference. Having said that, I do agree that someone starting out should go hands on the deck.
One thing I noticed from your great footage is the speed and power with which they all paddle into the wave. The faster one can propel himself before the wave takes over the better. It will keep you on top of the surface and stabilize the board making it easier to push off and balance.
Awesome footage and comments! It really helped me see that they do not take off with their back foot already at the end of the traction pad, but instead they move it as they progress through the wave.. thanks mate!!
Just Wow. wow. Thank you. Awesome footage! The main thing I notice is how they all put their chin down to get the board gliding. It's all about getting the board planing it seems.
The hand position are a result of how much angle the board is started on and how down the line they want there take off to be. Backhand will always have more angle in the take off on smaller waves to give drive down the line and time to get ahead of the wave, forehand is a little easier to drive with the first pump from take off. Interesting to see Kelly virtually go both knees up at the same time with everyone else really moving back foot forward first
Just want to mention, watch as almost every surfer here drops their head at the same time they start to plane on the wave, and they keep their upper bodies over the nose as they get to their feet. For years I would bring my upper body back while dropping in, pulling myself out of the wave. These two techniques put you into the face. Pearling is what teaches you the aforementioned bad technique.
This is a phenomenal video! Thank you Brent Rose. Think about it...if you’re pop up is decent that paves a stronger path to developing your other surfing skills. If you can’t pop up well then your surfing is drastically hindered.
As I age, I've noticed my pop up suffer the most. I used to surf almost every day and then family and a real job took more priority. As we age, we need to be more diligent about training so when we DO get a chance to go we're not floundering. I blow waves these days because I've lost that youthful snap. It's heart wrenching, really. Once I'm up, I'm golden but the pop needs work... Nice video but one thing I don't think you're taking into consideration is the different builds everyone has which may have something to do with they're preferred pop up.
Couldn't agree more. What used to be second nature (popping up) and I honestly can't say I thought about once in my whole surfing life as a fit athletic young man. It always just happened, no problem. Now in my 40s and returning to surfing after 10 years out injured, I blow a lot more waves than I'd care to admit, by blowing my popup with cumbersome slow old man movements and knees/joints not cooperating with me as they're supposed to or used to! Which results in some rather embarrassing/comical moments I must say! :) It's funny, until recently I never even thought about how you stand up on a surfboard. I just did it as a kid and never thought about it again. When people would ask me about it I would say I dunno you just stand up! It's not something I ever struggled with once as a kid/young man. Now I'm lucky if I can get to my feet smooth enough to not blow the first section! Having two working knees and maximum flexibility is clearly key to popping up and surfing well..
This is a good video and shows that the three things that matter are: speed, balance at push up, and precise foot placement. They all seem to do it differently at the details.
That's why I like watching surf contest over movies : you see which wave the pros choose or let go and you see their approach and pop up. Nice video, thanks.
Great video, thank you! I have always regretted that they don't show the take-off in surf movies or events, because I find it the most critical part of surfing, especially in the beginner to intermediate range. I lived in Manhattan Beach (LA county) for three years in the early 2000s and used to surf the beach break over there pretty much every weekend. Later I moved to Southern Bavaria and got into mountaineering, which is great, but I have to say even a ski ride in the best champagne powder doesn't come close to surfing a good uncrowded wave. One aspect in the take-off I have never figured out is the difference in difficulty between a frontside and a backside take-off. Manhattan beach is a fast breaking beach break, so I had to angle a lot and get out of there as quickly as possible. I always found it so much easier to take off on the frontside than on the backside and even though surfing is obviously an asymetric sport I never understood why that is. I thought the movement pattern should be exactly the same, no matter if you take off on your frontside or backside. Watching this video I think I found the answer: It seems to be due to weight distribution. When I as a goofy foot turn left on a wave, which is my frontside, I kind of lean to the left already in the take-off process. That creates a lot of room under my torso for my front foot, which is my right foot, to land on the board. On the other hand, when I turn right on a wave, which is my backside, I lean to the right and my back foot, which is still my right foot, has very little room under my torso to land on the board. I think even with the pros in this video you can see that the backside take-off is harder for them than the front side. Don't get me wrong, it still looks very smooth, but you can tell that it requires more mobility of your legs when your torso is bent forward. So now that I seem to understand the reason for my poor backside take-offs, I still have no remedy I could use for my trip to Portugal that I have planned. Perhaps all I can do is practice take-offs in my living room and try to work on the mobility of my right leg...
Great footage bro! It's really good to see some pros in slow motion. We get to see every detail. Something that is not available on live transmissions.
Forget their popup, what I've never figured out is how after watching literally hundreds of contests, I've never seen one pro stand up with their leash wrapped around their front foot!!!
You wouldn’t want to wrap it in front because the chord could interfere with your back foot. Plus your cable has a lot less slack if you put it on your front foot.
Id like to add that they keep their center of gravity low upon finishing the pop up. They do seem to straighten up quickly, but theyre pros who can immediately start pumping, and dont straighten up until they pump.
So cool! I have been looking for a video like that for a while! The only pop up videos I found were of people demonstrating a pop up on the ground in regular speed. This is 1000 better! Thank you!
Great video. As a somewhat older surfer on the Carolina Coast with hit or miss surf it is easy to get sloppy on my pop ups. Now I can get off the couch and practice with the pros so I can be ready for the next swell.
Probably one of the best surf tutorial clips on TH-cam without being a tutorial clip. It would be great if you can do some basic maneuvers comparative slo-mo clips for frontside/backside re-entry, bottom turning feet positions, backside pigdog takeoff and hands position...?? I read something that pros have one hand on the deck and the one grabbing the outside rail for drops at waves like Pipeline or Teahupoo.
Great video! This is the first video I've seen where we can compare styles because the wave is the same! Well done! Can you make another one where you extend each clip a little longer so we can study their back foot movement as well as their pop up?
Great Video! Thanks! The pop-up is probably the most important part of surfing in my opinion, since it sets everything else up. I was surprised to see how often the front knee hits, or almost hits, the chest. I would like to know more about the action of the knees. For example, it seems that in at least some of the segments, the pop-up begins with the knees, which help push the hips off the board. This is hard to see and I'm wondering what others think.
I think you're right. Especially the front foot knee. Watch John John, he drags his back leg and most the pop comes from his left (front foot) knee, and the elevated backleg is already ready to step under
I think a really valuable insight for a racing takeoff, is that your takeoff is like a pump initiated by pushing your arms down rather than your front foot. So basically you are doing a pump with your arms and then your front and back leg. This doesn't really show through in these waves because they are kind of roll ins. The difference between a racing popup, and a stalling pop, the kind you use to get under a front side barrel and a neutral pop up or roll in (shown here) are commonly overlooked skills. People will say 'I'm going to work on my pop up,' and then they do this same movement regardless of the wave. I think almost everyone could improve their racing popup by pulling into some closeouts. (Provided you are on a shortboard)
Awesome video, I'm always watching the pop up in the clips, assuming they show it in the shot. They all seem to be a couple inches further towards the nose than most people are comfortable with but there's also probably more rocker in these boards than the normal board in the lineup. Either way, great to watch in slo-mo. Bottom line here appears to be weight forward, head down, angle yourself down the line and dont grab the rails, hand plants on the deck. Thanks again, great video!
This video is great. You can see that pretty much all of them place the back foot first and then the front, even if the timing is pretty close together.
U should do a video of takeoffs of pros on very heavy surf cus on heavy surf pop ups are a lot harder and need to be quicker and also have a high chance of nosediving, or going over the falls.
Brent, thanks for the comments, but I don't see anything which could be called "correct" because as a lifelong surfer, we all adjust to the wave we are in, for that wave's position and our balance at the time. It seems to be each surfer applying the pressure for balance where they are and in the wave they are in. Over analysis of this seems needless. But thanks for your sincere effort to portray the positioning. Never thought much more about it.
2:02 probably because it is such a steep wave so it isn't as much side to side pumping as it is up and down. Therefore he doesn't need his foot right over the fins
Great video. I've been surfing my whole life and never used to think of the pop up move. Now I'm middle aged with chronic injuries (from too surfing ironically), and it's all I think about. It's the hardest thing to nail consistently. Once I'm up n riding, it's like riding a bike (you never forget), and I'm racing down the line... Thanks.
Great video, thanks for posting. There is a common assumption in surfing that the "proper" pop up is one where both feet land precisely at the same time. It makes intuitive sense as it minimizes wobble, and prevents any loss in speed. But naturally I've gravitated towards back foot landing on the traction pad earlier than front foot, especially when surfing backside. Great to see it's a legitimate way to do it, as it works fine for some of the best in the world.
Hey Brent, I liked your video at the Surf Ranch, slo-mo of Pros getting to there feet on waves very interesting, I am 68 still Surfing although not snapping to my feet as fast. Personally, I would love to see a video of Surfers my age getting to there feet if you can find some, it might help us old guys learn better ways to jump up some of the old ways don't work so well anymore. I have been at it since I was 13 and hope to Surf as long as I possibly can, great video.
Also, watch Jordy ever so slightly adjust his foot position from "cruising" to "ripping" @ the 0:34 second mark. Subtle, but very mechanically important.
Awesome, it helps a ton. I see the lift of the upper body as a key stage in the process. This makes it easier for the hips pull the legs up and gives the core muscles less weight. When a beginner or a goofball like me forgets this first step, my longerish legs get caught up. For the tall folks, this is key. Great to see the slow mo. I also agree that most surf shows only show carves and not hop ups, great job!
I think the most helpful thing I took away from this video is how they subtly move their back foot between popping up and the first big turn. You can see it best at 5:00 where you can see he pops up with his back foot in front of the pad, and then on the first couple pumps, he's slowly inching it backwards until he connects with the back of the tail pad, perfectly placed to do a big pivot/snap. This is something I've been working on a lot and this video is a great lesson!
Someone needs to make a video on how to master standing up after having both hips replaced (pop-up). Exercises to help it along with the bad groin pain. Its no longer 2nd nature and like starting all over again. Well, for the body, not the mind. Both hips replaced in 2018 and its been a challenge getting back to my old self. 5-8 shortboards and hollow fast reef breaks. Anyone have their hips replaced and have any ideas or advice that worked for them? PT people don't get surfing :-)
I can't answer your question but I have really bad hips (age 56 and surf daily - unless the pain gets too bad) and have been contemplating replacements for a couple of years. Your experience has been very interesting for me to read. I guess replacement is not necessarily the cure.
@@goog646 Hey John, Its been a year since my comment. I just kept at my daily surfing and bike riding as much as possible. Take a day off of everything every now and then. Everything with the hips has progressed well. I've adapted my new take off at the fast hollow peaks. I got to the point where I had to get my hips replaced. I could barely get in and out of my Jeep and my hips would lock up several times a day. I stopped doing many of the PT stuff and started doing what felt right for me. My backs been a mess for 30 years so now its the issue :-) Don't let your hips get to the point that you can't function.
Probably worth noting the relative height, weight and board volume of the surfers. As a lean taller surfer (6'3), I find I really arch my back initially and then push my chest downward just before take-off. I find it gives that little bit of initial momentum down the wave. I also have a very strong kick during the final strokes but then again, this largely depends of positioning and wave type. Great content and discussion point all round
Learning to surf in the mid-90s, it was always frustrating that all the videos I seemed to watch pretty much only ever showed the surfer riding the wave. I remember finally getting my hands on one video (perhaps Litmus or Morning of the Earth) that showed some pop-ups which I was able to slo-mo and really understand the mechanics of it. All of this is a long way of saying great vid and wish this had been around when I was trying to figure the pop-up out (can still learn something now of course).
Thanks for posting, cool observations! Since the mid 90s when I was just learning, I've always wanted to see more pop up footie just cause it's something we can all actually apply...as much as we try and pretend to take mental notes on how to do air reverses and sit-up recoveries in the whitewater. How about some positioning, angles, and paddling stuff, esp in steeper waves. Not 10 foot pipe, but like little salt creek tubes or something? I'm still haunted by botched takeoffs from like 8 years ago on account of like a few degrees of angle or one stroke too few.
2’points - I like to think of it as stand up more than pop up because If you actually jump explosively you’re going to land badly! Also notice how they all touch the board lightly as they “stand up” - that’s helped me so much with consistency and foot placement
Great observations, was interesting to see not all surfers jump or pop both feet up at the same time. Also the fact about the hand placement one hand in front of another for some, I am a coach these are extra tips I can use.
Really like the breakdown in slo-mo, super dope footage!! Keep in mind that some of the difference in hand placement comes from going left or right on the wave. Typically you’re never paddling completely straight into the wave, it’s at a slight angle if not more(which can be seen in the clips) followed by establishing vision down the wave in the direction you want to go, helping you to rotate your hips around and plant your feet!! So may have the placement difference more pronounced than others, but I think the focus of left vs right hand forward depends on the surfers intended direction, positioning, and take off!! Loved the footage, nice job🤙🏼
Love this content, nice work. Contests are an amazing source of learning as we see the pro's in more relate-able conditions.... even better in slow mo! I've done the offset hands thing for a long while now. I find it "automates" my hip rotation better.
What is also interesting to note, that the first thing they do is push up their chest (arching their backs) until a certain point, and only then they begin to swing their feet forward. Their head actually stays in the same position from the beginning of the swinging to the end of the movement, which I find quite surprising
I paused at 1:52. Just notice how his body is so square and almost like he’s crawling as he brings his legs up. I think that’s interesting cause I saw the guy before him do the exact same thing. I’ll have to video myself on the ground to see but I guess I thought you bring one leg first but it’s almost like they pull both legs/knees and once the back leg reaches the spot the knee/leg stops and the front leg continues. So up until the back leg reaches the right spot both knees are next to each other. You look at the surfer after him and she also pulls both knees like she’s doing an ab workout and then separates them. They actually all have that in common. So I’m gonna try thinking about pulling both knees toward my chest and stopping that back leg earlier while my front drives forward. I think focusing on the knees is better than focusing on feet cause you focus more on opening up the space between your chest and the board. Cause the by pulling the knee the leg naturally bends but by focusing on feet yoh aren’t able to bend the leg as much as you’d want and thereby not getting feet planted closer to your hands. If that makes sense lol. Maybe I’m insane. Side note: Matt Wilkinson does it the way I thought it was done. Pushing the back foot and sliding the front forward. He doesn’t really reach that square crawl position where both knees are aligned. But he’s also goofy and he could be doing it but angled another way.
Great video. I would like to see the same sort of film but in real time. You point out that all surf clips start way to late, (I love to see the wave roll in) but also slo-mo can also be unhelpful because waves certainly don't come at you slowly when you're in the water! Im a beginner and really appriciate your work, thanks.
heck yeah man!!!! I love this! and totally agree! this is the most interesting and important part! positioning and taking off and generating speed as you do it. sooo key. with out this move you can not do much else. I love this video.
Yea , here you. In younger days ..didnt even think about technique. Just happened . Now I need to go back and find out why I surf so shit. lol . (apart from age). Lots of Bad habits slipped in ,sadly. Still , least we still doing it!
@@cnghiem67 .. bull shit .... hard work , hard play , nasty wipeouts , heavy sport fkn plant based diet ain't gonna cure that shit dude .. 65 years of fun , I suffer the aches and adjust , surf smaller surf now and enjoy without trying to be a shoreline hero.
great video, found it very interesting, im 53 , my pop after 45 years of surfing is ok but hey can be tweaked still Im sure, was cool seeing the different styles even though only subtle differences.
I like your breakdown but i’d say to anyone who is learning to pop up to not focus on the precise positioning of hands/feet. Pop ups can be different depending on the wave. Sometimes the wave helps propel your feet onto the board. Sometimes you need to use more upper/lower body strength to swing your feet onto the board. It comes to you instinctively the more you surf and practice. It’s like a baseball player who throws the ball at a different arm angle depending on where he’s at on the field. I guarantee all these surfers can make popping up look just as good with different fundamentals. The point is to have one smooth motion - going from a prone position to your feet seamlessly with balance while reading what the wave is going to do down the line.
It seems as if here are commonality between at least half of these surfers:
1) back foot lands first, sometimes well before the front. and that foot is used to help push the front foot thru (even on Slater, if you look closely, his back foot still lands 1st).
2) hips twist to raise inside/rear hip
3) front hand (same side as the front foot) is usually well ahead of the "back" hand, and both hands seem canted in the same direction toward the inside of the board giving more room to swing the front foot through (eg, hands facing more left for goofie riders).
4) head/eyes facing down the line in direction they want to go
5) back arches and chest raises before the push on the hands
6) hands on board until both feet are placed,
7) stay low and crouched until that hands leave the board.
i've thought a lot about this vid, and these takeaways have helped my pop-up immensely! it is not so much of a pop-up, but a quick powerful step up , and realizing that allowed me to keep in contact with my board, staying low and to be in the surf position once i remove my hands from the board. at least this is how it works for me.
thanks Brent!
Wow, these are excellent insights, thank you! After almost 40 years of surfing (I'm 47) my pop up has now decided to start giving me problems. I struggle to place my front foot far forward enough, which means you're bulldozing water right from the start. Point 1 and 2 seem to work together - push off your back foot and twist your leading hip forward, and your front foot should land on the "x" every time. Gonna try this today, thank you!
#6 and 7, how else? haha
The rest is basic ergonomics.
Some things should just come easy without over thinking. Like a child without instruction would naturally do it.
What’s the inside of the board? Excellent analysis btw.
I'm 63 ... stretch those hamstrings for a few decades and you'll stay on the shortboards ... it's the joints that need to stay flexible.
Looking at the commonalities of the pros rather than the minor differences (which are often due to differences in wave shape or even section shape due to different positioning on the takeoff) is definitely the way to go John. Good to see someone notice that the back foot lands 1st, that 1,2 step timing is important and lots of people who try to land with both feet together end up doing it too explosive and landing in an awkward stance with the rear knee sticking out, it's not as smooth.
The Pop Up is a complex movement and if people are having troubles it can be for quite a few different reasons (that they often aren't aware of) but one other commonality I'd add that average surfers often miss is that after the arch at your step 5 and as you push the hands down in to the board, you must also lift your hips upwards and back toward the tail of the board which forms a shape where you have your knees on the board, hips at around 90 degree angle, a flat back and shoulders forward of hands pushing board down the face (see parko at 2:55). From there the feet flow quite easily under the body in like you stay a step up, partly due to the right muscles being activated and the downward slope of the board. Without that hip lift, everything gets jammed up or people start to twist one hip higher than the other which also impacts stance negatively.
Good footage thanks Brent, I know lots of surfers worldwide have been studying this one!
I think this video is one of the most helpful videos about proper popping up on youtube if you take time to really examine.
My 2 takeaways from this amazing video...
1) back foot has to land first not only to create that 'jumping forward momentum' (if your front foot lands first, your weight distribution inevitably moves from front to back when your back foot lands..)but also to be compressed when you get on the board. This way you can start pumping and start generating speed from the very first second of your ride.
2) your hands don't leave the deck until your front foot lands so you always have that forward pressure until you are on the board. If you lose that forward pressure even for a slight second before you are on the board, you are gonna create drag and slow yourself down. Hence, you never jump up on your board, but rather slide up on your board.
Maybe these are obvious facts to good surfers, but I feel like nobody directly tells you these tips and why they have to be done in such fashion when teaching how to pop-up on a shortboard.
Thank you so much, as a beginner surfer these tips really help out and even us beginners a want to have the fun so thx.
Biggest thing I picked up from this that immensely helped my pop up: virtually all the pros pop up with their hands offset (frontside back is farther back). I've surfed for a long time and always popped with my hands next to each other, which makes it harder to get the front foot through on center. Thanks so much Brent!
I think you think the hand helps ( which it does but that's shoulder positioning early).. But you I think putting a hand back depending makes you rotate your hip, making it easier to get the front foot through smoother...Vid on youtube also "How to use your hips for a perfect pop up", slight rotation of the hip as you pop up, smoother transition to get the front foot through rather than pop the lower back up higher..Jordy smith does it 1:10, Gabriel does it more so, few do a bit more slightly..Slight rotation, smother, and with the hands offset depending on a Right or Left break you get a smooth pop up and your shoulders are in the right position from the take off..Watch Mick Fanning, he rotates the hip..
@@Namdor2012yup, spot on. The hip rotation helped by offset hands is key
Started surfing as a shy 13 yo girl- no coaches, nobody to give tips for improvement but still had fun and never knew the difference. Many years of trial and error to find what worked for me, but 48 yrs later it's harder to undo some of the bad surfing habits that are ingrained. Take-offs are a key area needing improvement for this 61 y.o. girl still riding shortboards. Great slo-mo in this video shows how far down the wave these guys paddle in before planting their feet- definitely something to work on. Appreciate the video-thanks.
oladulce love this! Thanks for the response!
I know what you mean! I learnt (or should I say 'started learning..') over 50 years ago and learned bad habits! At 72, info like this keeps me keen to try a better way of popping up! This video is a great insight for anybody keen to get better and better at enjoying the waves we get to ride!
At a land locked 60 yrs. of life , I envy your 13 to 61 life. Loved sports growing up and I’m sure this would have been my life if only!
Ya I'm a young 61.Surfn since 12.Had injury.The pop up was the hardest to relearn not the surfn.Core strength.
It's easier to paddle in and pop up earlier. Give you more time to look down the lines.
what I love about this clip is you can see how top shortboarders adjust their back foot before opening up their turns.
And the front foot. Sometimes boards have a ding in front that your foot lays perfectly. It happens to me on every fiberglass board.
Spot on. Really helped me understand - I thought my feet had to be static once I stood.
Everyone should. That tail block is what it’s about. You see a lot of beginners place their back foot right above fins which leaves 7-9 inches in a turn of usable pivot. Less backfoot fatigue loss.
Q00
one interesting thing to note is how low their heads come down when paddling in. Only Gabriel medina keeps his back arched the whole time. For most people, on their last stroke, they drop their heads and chest almost straight down to the board. This helps to keep the nose of the board down in most cases. How much you do this will depend on your position on the wave and speed of paddling. Pop up is also angled to the right to get them going in the right direction - with hands also keeping extra pressure on the inside rail on the push up. Eyes are always focused on the next section of the wave.
Once standing, the pros are compressed and immediately un-compress for a first speed-generating pump.
Angus Chen great observations, thanks!
Angus Chen I started missing less waves when I started keeping my head lower when paddling, before I had a bad habit of having my back too arched .
Putting the head and chest down on the last couple of strokes is crucial. It's a complete game changer for catching more waves.
I totally agree. It's all about balance (forward/back) and being at the right place. At first you back is a bit arched and when needed you can transfer your weight more forward lowering your jaw
Carissa's chin actually rests on the board for a second. I surfed with a pro in Indo once and all his boards had pressure dings on the deck near the nose where his chin would hit for those last couple strokes before popping up.
dude. i have died waiting for a vid about this topic. my popup sucks and this is exactly what i needed
Nicholas Andersh awesome to hear. Honestly, I'm in the same boat, that's why I made the video. :)
i feel insane but have seen actual popup improvement since watching your video. the turning your arms into your stance technique i saw from matt wilkinson really seemed to click for me.
Me to!
I first learned to surf around 12 , had a friend of a friend teach me, (she had surfed around the world, a good ten years older) first thing she did was have me practice my pop up just on Mg board in the sand. Haven’t met anyone else that was taught like that. From then on it was just getting a feel for timing and carving but could catch the smaller waves at my beach no problem.
same here! thanks!!!
This is amazing footage and, in my opinion, the approach you take on this video is very valuable and not something I had seen focused before...
I used to be involved in professional tennis prior to learning to surf and and I had always been flooded by millions of HD slow motion videos of things such as Federer's serve or Nadal's forehand (+100k results for each of these, for example), so it came to me as a shocking surprise that, when I looked for similar studies done with professional surfing in order to take a look at how the pros did it and try to realize what I was doing wrong and how I could do it better, I basically found no footage, especially concerning the pop up moment.
I may be speaking for myself and others may look at this as something trivial, but I believe that these six minutes you brought before us are very rich in showing the fine details of how each surfer tackles this critical moment in waveriding and how they compare between each other, especially when the wave is the same for everyone.
At the end of the day, this won't make me surf like Slater, but for someone like me, who never had surfing classes but instead got hold of an old beaten softboard missing one fin, pointed that thing at the shore, paddled like a maniac, tried to stand up, fell and proceeded to scrutinize what had gone wrong, wave after wave, session after session, trying to correct myself and improve out of casual feedback from friends and self evaluation, this is nothing short of pure gold and a tool that ultimately may help me improving my surf and result in me having more fun in the water! Thanks you very much for releasing this, man! :)
Bharkatron very well said
if you fix up the missing fin it should help ; )
@@hazwaz6385 This part was to add some drama. It was a 9.5
Yes, it's very hard to pop up a surfboard that missing a fin. Especially, a twin-fin style surfboard.
Just to make it clear, I wasn't surfing with an assymetric fin setup, it was just to illustrate the board's condition ahahah
The major thing that I’ve noticed is that they all have slightly different leg movements and foot planting, but they all grab the inside rail and place their outside hand on the top of the board. Can’t wait to try this. I would think this allows the surfer to micro adjust the angle of the board to prepare for going down the line. Also allows them to put more weight on the inside rail that is about to be engaged when the pop up. This could be a game changer for me! Thanks for the vid.
Holy shit! Thank you so much. I learned so much from this video!
I've done a lot of professional movement analysis as a snowboard coach, but found high level resources for surfers significantly lacking. I really noticed how every single one of these takeoffs demonstrated planting the back foot pretty intentionally first. I've always kinda focused on trying to get my front foot forward as quickly as possible, thinking that if it lands properly then my back foot should be able to fall into place, but it makes so much sense to slow down and simply do it in the obvious order that things are moving in.
Also, it's like they're not doing anything more complicated than a basic "Aussie Walk" longboard pop-up.
I've been over complicating this for YEARS! Thank you so much! :D
I'm in the same boat, always so focused on the front foot. This video shows how important it is to plant that back foot first then let the front follow. Totally changes how I've approached it.
this is such a gem of a video ... thank you for the footage ... I refer back to this video so often.
something I've personally been working on in my own surfing - and it's so beautiful to see it here in slow-mo - is the actual setup to their takeoff.
before they even bring their feet under them, the projection (many use a subtle shift with their head), then setting their line ... this makes such a huge difference.
the other thing I notice is that there's so much variance which goes to show that there are actually a lot of functional ways to get to your feet ... also that adjustments are important.
great video - thanks again!
I've been looking for a video dedicated to just this. I noticed none of these pros grab the rail while popping up. I've got some adjustments to make. Thanks for the vid🤙🏽
The one thing they all do the same is how they have there hands. None of them grip the rail! Many people, including me, have the habit of holding the rail as they try to stand. Thank you for this opportunity to see what the pro do.
One of the best surfing videos on the internet. RESPECT! THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!
This is very valuable footage. When I was learning/working on my popup I would spend a lot of time watching pro heats trying to analyze exactly how they paddled into a wave and popped up
Much thanks!! I've been surfing for 40+ years and recently suffered a back injury that is forcing me to re-learn the basics. Frustrating as hell, but I simply refuse to quit-- or go SUP. Since I can no longer get away with anything other than excellent technique, videos like this are incredibly helpful.
Great video. All I’d say is that every one of these surfers still put the back foot on first (they just did it faster than others) and this is the best way to teach it to someone instead of just saying “pop up”
If they slow it down and learn it in steps like your wonderful video, there’s no chance of picking up bad habits
This is literally pure gold. Thank you so much for making this! Why have I never seen something like this before!! I've been surfing for a decade and this is SO helpful because there's always that nagging thought that I _could_ be doing the pop-up better if I just got some technique when I mess up a few in a row. Especially how many variations you give: I can see what a good average is!
This is great. I always feel cheated by the lack of pop-up action in most surf vids. I'm really interested in this because I'm nearly 60 and popping is becoming harder by the week. Anything I can use to slow my gradual descent back to being a kook is much appreciated . Thanks
I've got a decade on you Geoff. The pop up , striving to maintain that extra gear to paddle fast, and shoulder recovery are my 3 issues. Not ready just yet to surrender, it's like a full time job to keep surfing entering your 8th decade. I ride a 7'4'' mostly in fast beach break waves .
It's probably one of the main skills you need when surfing, without getting up you are a bodyboarder! Great vid.
I gotta say this is great! Such an overlooked thing in surfing. The pop up and then your footwork sets up everything. And the different styles of hand placement. Grabbing both rails, grabbing one rail with one hand on the deck, or two hands on the deck. Great stuff!
Keep an eye on where there hands are relative to their chest. The ones that pop up the fastest, put their hands below their chest onto their boards making it way easier for bringing your feet onto you board. If you put your hands under your shoulders you're going to have a hard time.
Great Tip - Thank You !
ditto! hand placement is critical... further back and angled works better than level with the shoulders!
Been watching this over and over and it’s so helpful (video and commentary). I’m 46 and always open to listen and learn and being very new I’m grateful for having this explained. I’m going to watch this prior to paddling out as it helps with the mind and visual muscle memory. Remember to stay low, head down and hands and bit further up on the board - like the consciousness keeping the back foot hitting first (makes sense). Very appreciate you put this out - feels like I owe you something.
I surfed a lot in high school.. that was 24 years ago! This video helped TONS!
This video was amazing! Thank you! 🙏🤙 It’s important to not forget that those in the spotlight are very much pros/naturalists. They adjust accordingly based on conditions (wave speed, height, board length, etc) . I’m 33 and have been surfing for 25 years and have been an instructor/coach for almost 6 years - depending on situational factors, I know that I adjust my pop up on the fly either back foot landing first or both feet simultaneously. The board length has a significant role in the process. I am 5’9 177lbs. If I’m riding anything under 6ft I’ve noticed my back foot plants first, anything bigger than 6ft it’s almost guaranteed I get both feet landing at the same time. With the shorter boards it makes sense that the rear foot would land first - pressure on the tail/fins = stability allowing for that front foot(gas pedal ) to position proper and go.
Again excellent video but, I do believe when dealing with some of the worlds most versatile athletes it’s important to know that they adjust their bodies accordingly and I do not believe they always pop up the exact same way. 🤙🤙🤙
OK, I "learned to surf" in California in... the late 50's... on inflatable rafts. Fiberglass surfboards came later for me, in high school in about 1963. We lived inland, in SoCal, so only got to surf on about every other weekend. THIS video is showing me things I should have learned all those years ago, and with your beautiful eye for detail including video composition and all that. A brilliant presentation -- thank you!
The slow mo of the pros popping up is really great stuff...Thanks! You are right in that they never show the pop up on TV.
I hired a lower-level pro as a coach for a day, and one of the tips he gave me was to place my hands with the inside hand back and the outside hand more forward (I had never heard anyone say that until I saw it on your video again). In this case, on rights the right hand is further back. On a left, the left hand would be back slightly from the right. His comment on this was that it helps set the rail in the direction of travel, and that equal pressure makes the board go more straight. I do think it also helps rotate the hips as you mentioned, and provides more space as well. All I know is that it help to improve my pop up.
This is sooo helpful.
Most videos on popping up show all kinds of weird and different things that, after seeing this, aren't what the pros do at all and just make it more confusing.
So good to see how they do it to have something actually useful and good to emulate and try to work toward.
Am 37, surfed for 30 years and have been out for the last year due to back issues, herniated disc/sciatica. Having to relearn the pop-up. Great info!
I love slow mo’s of the best pros surfing. I think it’s such a subtle art that they have uniquely perfected. I personally love watching entire waves surfed by them in slow-mo to see and study technique. JJF is one of the best at late take offs and watching him pop-up and see where on the wave he is and where his eyes are looking is incredible to watch/study in slow-mo.
I've surfed with a number of top pros over the years including several featured in this video. (Surfed with the fathers of two of the surfers in the video as well....dang I'm getting old) Out of all of them Gabriel Medina has the technique that stands out the most to me. He has an uncanny ability to get into the wave and get to his feet earlier than anyone. In a gutless wave he can get to his feet and get his first pump in further out than most advanced surfers and even pros can pop up. He can get into a wave before it is peaking. Easily a full body length or more further out than his peers. This is an incredible advantage. Even in this video you can see that his technique is unique compared to the rest. Because he is in so early he can generate that much more speed. No doubt growing up this technique also boosted his wave count in crowded lineups which also helped him progress to the pro level rapidly. It all starts with the pop up and believe it or not the smaller and weaker the waves are the more critical it becomes. Split seconds matter.
Can you elaborate more on the technique??
1982mako224 great feedback, thank you.
Medina is the only one paddling the way coaches teach you to paddle. lol
Great point - he is also known to ride board with significantly more volume than anyone else on tour. I think that's probably part of the reason why he's up and pumping earlier than anyone else, although I'm sure technique also is part of it.
I don't believe his left hip is any higher, though, but more likely due to the fact he's applying more pressure on the right rail. Just a thought, based on observation.
For the beginners watching this ... a common error is grabbing the rails, rather than putting the hands flat on the deck. If you correct this mistake, you'll see a HUGE improvement in your pop ups.
xyzct what changes and r u spouse to push the board as hard as u can to make room for your knees to swing it
In *
@@Matts_ahclimbing keep ur arms flat on the deck of the board parallel to your shoulders, identical to doing push ups and the leg slots through
I'll take a little bit of issue with this. I pop up off my rails out of habit and not knowing any better when I was learning. Years later I still do it. I've been very slowly trying to work "hands flat on the deck", but honestly from a performance perspective I really don't notice any significant difference.
Having said that, I do agree that someone starting out should go hands on the deck.
When your flat hands slip you do look like a fool tho...
One thing I noticed from your great footage is the speed and power with which they all paddle into the wave. The faster one can propel himself before the wave takes over the better. It will keep you on top of the surface and stabilize the board making it easier to push off and balance.
Awesome footage and comments! It really helped me see that they do not take off with their back foot already at the end of the traction pad, but instead they move it as they progress through the wave.. thanks mate!!
Just Wow. wow. Thank you. Awesome footage! The main thing I notice is how they all put their chin down to get the board gliding. It's all about getting the board planing it seems.
i love this video. i've watched it so many times and will continue to do so. thank you for putting this together.
Appreciate that!
The hand position are a result of how much angle the board is started on and how down the line they want there take off to be. Backhand will always have more angle in the take off on smaller waves to give drive down the line and time to get ahead of the wave, forehand is a little easier to drive with the first pump from take off.
Interesting to see Kelly virtually go both knees up at the same time with everyone else really moving back foot forward first
For sure, one of the most useful videos I've ever watched on TH-cam. Thanks bro!
Just want to mention, watch as almost every surfer here drops their head at the same time they start to plane on the wave, and they keep their upper bodies over the nose as they get to their feet. For years I would bring my upper body back while dropping in, pulling myself out of the wave. These two techniques put you into the face. Pearling is what teaches you the aforementioned bad technique.
Keep finding myself coming back to this video - always learn something new. Thanks so much for posting.
Finally a video about the one thing that matters most! Great video!
This is a phenomenal video! Thank you Brent Rose. Think about it...if you’re pop up is decent that paves a stronger path to developing your other surfing skills. If you can’t pop up well then your surfing is drastically hindered.
As I age, I've noticed my pop up suffer the most. I used to surf almost every day and then family and a real job took more priority. As we age, we need to be more diligent about training so when we DO get a chance to go we're not floundering. I blow waves these days because I've lost that youthful snap. It's heart wrenching, really. Once I'm up, I'm golden but the pop needs work...
Nice video but one thing I don't think you're taking into consideration is the different builds everyone has which may have something to do with they're preferred pop up.
Couldn't agree more. What used to be second nature (popping up) and I honestly can't say I thought about once in my whole surfing life as a fit athletic young man. It always just happened, no problem. Now in my 40s and returning to surfing after 10 years out injured, I blow a lot more waves than I'd care to admit, by blowing my popup with cumbersome slow old man movements and knees/joints not cooperating with me as they're supposed to or used to! Which results in some rather embarrassing/comical moments I must say! :) It's funny, until recently I never even thought about how you stand up on a surfboard. I just did it as a kid and never thought about it again. When people would ask me about it I would say I dunno you just stand up! It's not something I ever struggled with once as a kid/young man. Now I'm lucky if I can get to my feet smooth enough to not blow the first section! Having two working knees and maximum flexibility is clearly key to popping up and surfing well..
This is a good video and shows that the three things that matter are: speed, balance at push up, and precise foot placement. They all seem to do it differently at the details.
That's why I like watching surf contest over movies : you see which wave the pros choose or let go and you see their approach and pop up.
Nice video, thanks.
I’ve watched this at least 5 times as I improve this year and each time I notice more specifics like a great movie, rewind;)
Great video, thank you! I have always regretted that they don't show the take-off in surf movies or events, because I find it the most critical part of surfing, especially in the beginner to intermediate range. I lived in Manhattan Beach (LA county) for three years in the early 2000s and used to surf the beach break over there pretty much every weekend. Later I moved to Southern Bavaria and got into mountaineering, which is great, but I have to say even a ski ride in the best champagne powder doesn't come close to surfing a good uncrowded wave.
One aspect in the take-off I have never figured out is the difference in difficulty between a frontside and a backside take-off. Manhattan beach is a fast breaking beach break, so I had to angle a lot and get out of there as quickly as possible. I always found it so much easier to take off on the frontside than on the backside and even though surfing is obviously an asymetric sport I never understood why that is. I thought the movement pattern should be exactly the same, no matter if you take off on your frontside or backside. Watching this video I think I found the answer: It seems to be due to weight distribution. When I as a goofy foot turn left on a wave, which is my frontside, I kind of lean to the left already in the take-off process. That creates a lot of room under my torso for my front foot, which is my right foot, to land on the board. On the other hand, when I turn right on a wave, which is my backside, I lean to the right and my back foot, which is still my right foot, has very little room under my torso to land on the board.
I think even with the pros in this video you can see that the backside take-off is harder for them than the front side. Don't get me wrong, it still looks very smooth, but you can tell that it requires more mobility of your legs when your torso is bent forward. So now that I seem to understand the reason for my poor backside take-offs, I still have no remedy I could use for my trip to Portugal that I have planned. Perhaps all I can do is practice take-offs in my living room and try to work on the mobility of my right leg...
Great footage bro! It's really good to see some pros in slow motion. We get to see every detail. Something that is not available on live transmissions.
Forget their popup, what I've never figured out is how after watching literally hundreds of contests, I've never seen one pro stand up with their leash wrapped around their front foot!!!
Yeah it takes practice and positioning. You havent lived life untill you wipe out from an 8ft wave with the leashed wrapped around your neck. 👊
You wouldn’t want to wrap it in front because the chord could interfere with your back foot. Plus your cable has a lot less slack if you put it on your front foot.
@@calebmatthews4006 nailed it
Caleb Matthews I just strap the Velcro facing inward instead of outward or else wraps around my leg. For a goofy
Caleb Matthews are you dumb or joking
Id like to add that they keep their center of gravity low upon finishing the pop up. They do seem to straighten up quickly, but theyre pros who can immediately start pumping, and dont straighten up until they pump.
Low and slow on the upper body. Once i figured that out it made things way easier.
Thank you !! I also have always wanted to see top pro surfers popping up in slow-mo too.
This goes straight to my favorites playlist.
So cool! I have been looking for a video like that for a while! The only pop up videos I found were of people demonstrating a pop up on the ground in regular speed. This is 1000 better! Thank you!
Great video. As a somewhat older surfer on the Carolina Coast with hit or miss surf it is easy to get sloppy on my pop ups. Now I can get off the couch and practice with the pros so I can be ready for the next swell.
Best pop up tutorial on TH-cam🤙
Probably one of the best surf tutorial clips on TH-cam without being a tutorial clip. It would be great if you can do some basic maneuvers comparative slo-mo clips for frontside/backside re-entry, bottom turning feet positions, backside pigdog takeoff and hands position...?? I read something that pros have one hand on the deck and the one grabbing the outside rail for drops at waves like Pipeline or Teahupoo.
Great video! This is the first video I've seen where we can compare styles because the wave is the same! Well done!
Can you make another one where you extend each clip a little longer so we can study their back foot movement as well as their pop up?
About time somebody showed this!! It is one of the hardest and definitely most overlooked aspects of surfing
Great Video! Thanks! The pop-up is probably the most important part of surfing in my opinion, since it sets everything else up. I was surprised to see how often the front knee hits, or almost hits, the chest. I would like to know more about the action of the knees. For example, it seems that in at least some of the segments, the pop-up begins with the knees, which help push the hips off the board. This is hard to see and I'm wondering what others think.
I think you're right. Especially the front foot knee. Watch John John, he drags his back leg and most the pop comes from his left (front foot) knee, and the elevated backleg is already ready to step under
I think a really valuable insight for a racing takeoff, is that your takeoff is like a pump initiated by pushing your arms down rather than your front foot. So basically you are doing a pump with your arms and then your front and back leg. This doesn't really show through in these waves because they are kind of roll ins.
The difference between a racing popup, and a stalling pop, the kind you use to get under a front side barrel and a neutral pop up or roll in (shown here) are commonly overlooked skills. People will say 'I'm going to work on my pop up,' and then they do this same movement regardless of the wave. I think almost everyone could improve their racing popup by pulling into some closeouts. (Provided you are on a shortboard)
Awesome video, I'm always watching the pop up in the clips, assuming they show it in the shot. They all seem to be a couple inches further towards the nose than most people are comfortable with but there's also probably more rocker in these boards than the normal board in the lineup. Either way, great to watch in slo-mo. Bottom line here appears to be weight forward, head down, angle yourself down the line and dont grab the rails, hand plants on the deck. Thanks again, great video!
Thank you for showing this! I've always been clumsy on take off. Something I need to practice more. So glad you posted this analysis. Thanks again!!😀
This video is great. You can see that pretty much all of them place the back foot first and then the front, even if the timing is pretty close together.
U should do a video of takeoffs of pros on very heavy surf cus on heavy surf pop ups are a lot harder and need to be quicker and also have a high chance of nosediving, or going over the falls.
this is exactly how I feel about it. Do one at pipe!
Thnks for this footage, absolutely fantastic. The pop up is my biggest hurdle and your commentary and footage is a great help on technique.
Nice 👍🏽 I always wanted to see the pros popping up in slomo but they hardly ever show it in the comps. Thanks man😎🤙🏽
Brent, thanks for the comments, but I don't see anything which could be called "correct" because as a lifelong surfer, we all adjust to the wave we are in, for that wave's position and our balance at the time. It seems to be each surfer applying the pressure for balance where they are and in the wave they are in. Over analysis of this seems needless. But thanks for your sincere effort to portray the positioning. Never thought much more about it.
This is a fantastic video. Your analysis is incredible and footage is beyond valuable. Well done. Great content
2:02 probably because it is such a steep wave so it isn't as much side to side pumping as it is up and down. Therefore he doesn't need his foot right over the fins
Brilliant video! Well shot edited and explained. How about a future vid about pro’s adjusting rear foot position while riding?
Great video. I've been surfing my whole life and never used to think of the pop up move. Now I'm middle aged with chronic injuries (from too surfing ironically), and it's all I think about. It's the hardest thing to nail consistently. Once I'm up n riding, it's like riding a bike (you never forget), and I'm racing down the line... Thanks.
Great video, thanks for posting. There is a common assumption in surfing that the "proper" pop up is one where both feet land precisely at the same time. It makes intuitive sense as it minimizes wobble, and prevents any loss in speed. But naturally I've gravitated towards back foot landing on the traction pad earlier than front foot, especially when surfing backside. Great to see it's a legitimate way to do it, as it works fine for some of the best in the world.
Hey Brent,
I liked your video at the Surf Ranch, slo-mo of Pros getting to there feet on waves very interesting, I am 68 still Surfing although not snapping to my feet as fast. Personally, I would love to see a video of Surfers my age getting to there feet if you can find some, it might help us old guys learn better ways to jump up some of the old ways don't work so well anymore. I have been at it since I was 13 and hope to Surf as long as I possibly can, great video.
You're an inspiration sir. I am only 22 and have only just started surfing about a month ago, but I hope to be still out there ripping at your age!!!
Also, watch Jordy ever so slightly adjust his foot position from "cruising" to "ripping" @ the 0:34 second mark. Subtle, but very mechanically important.
Awesome, it helps a ton. I see the lift of the upper body as a key stage in the process. This makes it easier for the hips pull the legs up and gives the core muscles less weight. When a beginner or a goofball like me forgets this first step, my longerish legs get caught up. For the tall folks, this is key. Great to see the slow mo. I also agree that most surf shows only show carves and not hop ups, great job!
I think the most helpful thing I took away from this video is how they subtly move their back foot between popping up and the first big turn. You can see it best at 5:00 where you can see he pops up with his back foot in front of the pad, and then on the first couple pumps, he's slowly inching it backwards until he connects with the back of the tail pad, perfectly placed to do a big pivot/snap. This is something I've been working on a lot and this video is a great lesson!
Someone needs to make a video on how to master standing up after having both hips replaced (pop-up). Exercises to help it along with the bad groin pain. Its no longer 2nd nature and like starting all over again. Well, for the body, not the mind. Both hips replaced in 2018 and its been a challenge getting back to my old self. 5-8 shortboards and hollow fast reef breaks. Anyone have their hips replaced and have any ideas or advice that worked for them? PT people don't get surfing :-)
I can't answer your question but I have really bad hips (age 56 and surf daily - unless the pain gets too bad) and have been contemplating replacements for a couple of years. Your experience has been very interesting for me to read. I guess replacement is not necessarily the cure.
@@goog646 Hey John, Its been a year since my comment. I just kept at my daily surfing and bike riding as much as possible. Take a day off of everything every now and then. Everything with the hips has progressed well. I've adapted my new take off at the fast hollow peaks.
I got to the point where I had to get my hips replaced. I could barely get in and out of my Jeep and my hips would lock up several times a day.
I stopped doing many of the PT stuff and started doing what felt right for me.
My backs been a mess for 30 years so now its the issue :-)
Don't let your hips get to the point that you can't function.
@@lavapix thanks mate. It's good to hear it has improved. Thanks for the information.
Hey u where in jobs video lol
@@lavapix give this a try if you can find them where-ever you are based. thelynomethod.com/
Soo cool to see this in slow mo and good quality. Challenging to see this in real action as things just toll up soo fast
Probably worth noting the relative height, weight and board volume of the surfers. As a lean taller surfer (6'3), I find I really arch my back initially and then push my chest downward just before take-off. I find it gives that little bit of initial momentum down the wave. I also have a very strong kick during the final strokes but then again, this largely depends of positioning and wave type. Great content and discussion point all round
Learning to surf in the mid-90s, it was always frustrating that all the videos I seemed to watch pretty much only ever showed the surfer riding the wave. I remember finally getting my hands on one video (perhaps Litmus or Morning of the Earth) that showed some pop-ups which I was able to slo-mo and really understand the mechanics of it. All of this is a long way of saying great vid and wish this had been around when I was trying to figure the pop-up out (can still learn something now of course).
Thanks for posting, cool observations! Since the mid 90s when I was just learning, I've always wanted to see more pop up footie just cause it's something we can all actually apply...as much as we try and pretend to take mental notes on how to do air reverses and sit-up recoveries in the whitewater. How about some positioning, angles, and paddling stuff, esp in steeper waves. Not 10 foot pipe, but like little salt creek tubes or something? I'm still haunted by botched takeoffs from like 8 years ago on account of like a few degrees of angle or one stroke too few.
2’points - I like to think of it as stand up more than pop up because If you actually jump explosively you’re going to land badly! Also notice how they all touch the board lightly as they “stand up” - that’s helped me so much with consistency and foot placement
Great observations, was interesting to see not all surfers jump or pop both feet up at the same time. Also the fact about the hand placement one hand in front of another for some, I am a coach these are extra tips I can use.
Love this! Would love to see other videos like this reviewing various parts of surfing!
I keep coming back to this video. Thanks
Really like the breakdown in slo-mo, super dope footage!! Keep in mind that some of the difference in hand placement comes from going left or right on the wave. Typically you’re never paddling completely straight into the wave, it’s at a slight angle if not more(which can be seen in the clips) followed by establishing vision down the wave in the direction you want to go, helping you to rotate your hips around and plant your feet!! So may have the placement difference more pronounced than others, but I think the focus of left vs right hand forward depends on the surfers intended direction, positioning, and take off!! Loved the footage, nice job🤙🏼
Love this content, nice work. Contests are an amazing source of learning as we see the pro's in more relate-able conditions.... even better in slow mo! I've done the offset hands thing for a long while now. I find it "automates" my hip rotation better.
What is also interesting to note, that the first thing they do is push up their chest (arching their backs) until a certain point, and only then they begin to swing their feet forward. Their head actually stays in the same position from the beginning of the swinging to the end of the movement, which I find quite surprising
I paused at 1:52. Just notice how his body is so square and almost like he’s crawling as he brings his legs up. I think that’s interesting cause I saw the guy before him do the exact same thing. I’ll have to video myself on the ground to see but I guess I thought you bring one leg first but it’s almost like they pull both legs/knees and once the back leg reaches the spot the knee/leg stops and the front leg continues. So up until the back leg reaches the right spot both knees are next to each other.
You look at the surfer after him and she also pulls both knees like she’s doing an ab workout and then separates them.
They actually all have that in common. So I’m gonna try thinking about pulling both knees toward my chest and stopping that back leg earlier while my front drives forward. I think focusing on the knees is better than focusing on feet cause you focus more on opening up the space between your chest and the board. Cause the by pulling the knee the leg naturally bends but by focusing on feet yoh aren’t able to bend the leg as much as you’d want and thereby not getting feet planted closer to your hands. If that makes sense lol. Maybe I’m insane.
Side note: Matt Wilkinson does it the way I thought it was done. Pushing the back foot and sliding the front forward. He doesn’t really reach that square crawl position where both knees are aligned. But he’s also goofy and he could be doing it but angled another way.
I adored this video! Thank you Brent! I am having pop-up timing problems, so this helps!
Great video. I would like to see the same sort of film but in real time. You point out that all surf clips start way to late, (I love to see the wave roll in) but also slo-mo can also be unhelpful because waves certainly don't come at you slowly when you're in the water! Im a beginner and really appriciate your work, thanks.
heck yeah man!!!! I love this! and totally agree! this is the most interesting and important part! positioning and taking off and generating speed as you do it. sooo key. with out this move you can not do much else. I love this video.
Possibly one of the most interesting videos I've ever watched on the internet! Enlightening, should be 100sK views higher
I had a plan to make a video like this. You did it much better than I would have imagine. The pop up is super important. Thank so much
I'm 65 years old and I use to have a great pop up. That all has changed with age. My brain is 30 years old but my knees and hips are fricking old :(
BangTaoBeach I hear you I’m 60 but let’s hang in there
@@paulroati1167 go completely plant based and it will help with arthritis et al
I'm in my 50s and starting to feel the aches and pains too. But keep at it: time in the ocean is never wasted.
Yea , here you. In younger days ..didnt even think about technique. Just happened . Now I need to go back and find out why I surf so shit. lol . (apart from age). Lots of Bad habits slipped in ,sadly. Still , least we still doing it!
@@cnghiem67 .. bull shit .... hard work , hard play , nasty wipeouts , heavy sport fkn plant based diet ain't gonna cure that shit dude .. 65 years of fun , I suffer the aches and adjust , surf smaller surf now and enjoy without trying to be a shoreline hero.
Such an awesome video! Will watch this countless times! Thanks
thank you for this, there aren't enough videos that show the pop up!
great video, found it very interesting, im 53 , my pop after 45 years of surfing is ok but hey can be tweaked still Im sure, was cool seeing the different styles even though only subtle differences.
I want to watch this everyday. I feel the pop-up is 90% of surfing
I like your breakdown but i’d say to anyone who is learning to pop up to not focus on the precise positioning of hands/feet. Pop ups can be different depending on the wave. Sometimes the wave helps propel your feet onto the board. Sometimes you need to use more upper/lower body strength to swing your feet onto the board. It comes to you instinctively the more you surf and practice. It’s like a baseball player who throws the ball at a different arm angle depending on where he’s at on the field. I guarantee all these surfers can make popping up look just as good with different fundamentals. The point is to have one smooth motion - going from a prone position to your feet seamlessly with balance while reading what the wave is going to do down the line.
Thanks for posting this! I’m a beginner, and this analysis really helps.