Aloha Tribe,
DD (Darrick Doerner) as my surfing and Watergirl mentor, teacher, and friend, told me, that, to truly master surfing, I'd need to become adept at riding very very small waves, also known as Ankle Slappers.
These are waves that are somewhere below your knee in height, in other words, the type of waves that most of us would never even look at, let alone take the time and energy to master with countless rides again and again and again, experimenting with every variable conceiveable.
To begin this type of training, if it's new to you, start with waves about 3 foot or so, typically called Waist Slappers. Most longboarders can ride them, in fact, most beginner surfers typically spend quite a bit of time learning in them, and, if one truly learns how, you can ride them with a shortboard too.
The key to surfing Waist Slappers, then, Knee Slappers which are knee high by the way, and finally Ankle Slappers, involves two things, first, having fun, and, secondly, subtle surfing.
The bodacious thing about these smaller waves is that few if any Advanced Surfers would even notice them, let alone ever ride one, so, you'll have them to yourself for experimenting as you will. As most of you probably know, Kelly Slater, the 10 Times World Champion, grew up surfing in Florida, where, the waves are typically small, and, not perfect. And, he used that to his advantage . Where most of us would look at that type of surfing and roll our eyes, he was genius enough to turn what we'd think of as a weakness into his strength. So, along that type of thinking, for those of us who grew up surfing the Great Lakes such as Lake Michgan or the frigid waters of Lake Superior, for those of us on the East Coast with the smaller waves, and, for those of us in the Pacific Northwest with the huge, wild, untamed waves that few dare to or even can ride, use your home surf as your training grounds.
DD told me that if I could learn to do anything that I'd ever want to do on a normal sized wave or larger but, to do it on a very very small wave about one foot high, I'd be able to accomplish anything in surfing. In other words, the sublteties and attention to detail that you have to acquire to ride very small waves can then be applied in any surf.
So, the next time you look out at your swell, don't simply turn your back when the sea is small. Grab your board, wax her up, and, give it a go. Again, and again, and again, laughing and having fun the whole time.
Soon, you'll find yourself loving surfing the small stuff, the Ankle Slappers and that's when you'll really see your surfing in any wave explode.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
DD (Darrick Doerner) as my surfing and Watergirl mentor, teacher, and friend, told me, that, to truly master surfing, I'd need to become adept at riding very very small waves, also known as Ankle Slappers.
These are waves that are somewhere below your knee in height, in other words, the type of waves that most of us would never even look at, let alone take the time and energy to master with countless rides again and again and again, experimenting with every variable conceiveable.
To begin this type of training, if it's new to you, start with waves about 3 foot or so, typically called Waist Slappers. Most longboarders can ride them, in fact, most beginner surfers typically spend quite a bit of time learning in them, and, if one truly learns how, you can ride them with a shortboard too.
The key to surfing Waist Slappers, then, Knee Slappers which are knee high by the way, and finally Ankle Slappers, involves two things, first, having fun, and, secondly, subtle surfing.
The bodacious thing about these smaller waves is that few if any Advanced Surfers would even notice them, let alone ever ride one, so, you'll have them to yourself for experimenting as you will. As most of you probably know, Kelly Slater, the 10 Times World Champion, grew up surfing in Florida, where, the waves are typically small, and, not perfect. And, he used that to his advantage . Where most of us would look at that type of surfing and roll our eyes, he was genius enough to turn what we'd think of as a weakness into his strength. So, along that type of thinking, for those of us who grew up surfing the Great Lakes such as Lake Michgan or the frigid waters of Lake Superior, for those of us on the East Coast with the smaller waves, and, for those of us in the Pacific Northwest with the huge, wild, untamed waves that few dare to or even can ride, use your home surf as your training grounds.
DD told me that if I could learn to do anything that I'd ever want to do on a normal sized wave or larger but, to do it on a very very small wave about one foot high, I'd be able to accomplish anything in surfing. In other words, the sublteties and attention to detail that you have to acquire to ride very small waves can then be applied in any surf.
So, the next time you look out at your swell, don't simply turn your back when the sea is small. Grab your board, wax her up, and, give it a go. Again, and again, and again, laughing and having fun the whole time.
Soon, you'll find yourself loving surfing the small stuff, the Ankle Slappers and that's when you'll really see your surfing in any wave explode.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
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