Author Topic: Are You Compressing Enough?  (Read 32851 times)

linter

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #30 on: June 11, 2009, 03:58:42 AM »
this is a great topic, one of the most important ones i've read.  sadly, i'm a stiff-legged bastard.  greatly, since reading this thread, i've started to work with what i've got left, consciously, and it's helped a whole bunch.  thanks again, bryon!

Byronmaui

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #31 on: June 11, 2009, 11:36:56 AM »
this is a great topic, one of the most important ones i've read.  sadly, i'm a stiff-legged bastard.  greatly, since reading this thread, i've started to work with what i've got left, consciously, and it's helped a whole bunch.  thanks again, bryon!

Winter the only credit I take is posting this message from Blane. It is nice to have an outside observation from a respected waterman like Blane. We probably would have addressed the compression thing but with Blane's help he sped up the learning process.. ;D ;D ;D.....Also winter a great handy tool is the gopro to check footage of yourself... :o :o :o :o

Aloha

Byron Byron Byron Byron Byron

linter

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #32 on: June 12, 2009, 03:07:05 AM »
what is it with me?  i do it here, i do it on my blog.  yesterday, after posting, a voice in my head so, go check.  another voice said, naaaah, you couldn't have done it again.

i could. i did.

sheesh.

winter

stoneaxe

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #33 on: June 12, 2009, 08:37:51 PM »
Absolutely...single best piece of advice I've had.

LOL...I need to get down and see you winter. Actually...you'll probably need to come up here. I'm not going to be on the water for at least 4-6 weeks after Wednesday. Then back to training hard. You should plan on coming up for the after party in P'town August 15th. Maybe Bryon could fly out for it too.

Boneaxe... ;)
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Byronmaui

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #34 on: June 12, 2009, 11:25:12 PM »
stoneaxe I wish but I have 5 kids and am up to my ears in alligators and swamp rats.
Your a good man and I pray for your surgery and the belief this is just a bump in your journey.
Keep practicing and look forward to your stories.

Aloha

Byron

H2Oman

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #35 on: December 07, 2010, 11:53:43 AM »
This was a good thread, so I thought it worthy of a bump for some of the new Zoner's that might have missed it.

Some of the clips in this Colin McPhillips video shows good examples of compressing and trim.
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linter

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #36 on: December 07, 2010, 01:25:11 PM »
as much as i hate dislike on-board gopro videos, that one's pretty sweet.  i have a hard time with compression so it's good to be reminded about it every now and then.  thanks!

SoCalSupper

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #37 on: December 07, 2010, 01:30:09 PM »
great topic-for those of us with lower lumbar issues this is good stuff- compressing instead of bending strengthens your core-abs-glutes and hams-relieving stress from your back muscles-extends your session and makes you stronger. I forget from time to time and i am guilty of bending especially on bigger waves cuz i love that feeling of a real strong bottom turn-but it ends up making me a tad late winding up for a lip slash/smack so now i really try to compress more-good stuff!
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outcast

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #38 on: January 22, 2015, 02:00:09 PM »
Bringing back an oldie but goodie thread....

Why?  Just got off of 4 solid says of snowboarding...Kept asking myself the same compression question  1/2 way down each run

Countless bottom turns and backsiders   Tried a few lip smacks too  :)

Missed some waves but good to mix it up
Too many for the rack
Some in the shack
Some under decks
Some have straps

SUPcheat

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #39 on: January 22, 2015, 02:36:07 PM »
Hmm, timely resurrection of this topic for me, too.  With my torn left knee, I haven't been able to swivel and bend much for a couple of months.  The knee is getting a lot better, albeit slowly, so I hope I can start making progress again both in balance and dynamic control.

 I don't have to take a big slug of ibuprofen any more before going out, and I was able last week to finally bend and rotate both knees and push on the board without an ouchy.

I am aware of the importance of bending at the knees because I have to do this to catch some waves and get the bottom turn.  Knee bending and rotating, along with stepping, is what turns you into more of an action figure vs. an Egyptian hieroglyphic surfer
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SlatchJim

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #40 on: January 22, 2015, 03:11:28 PM »
Don't remember seeing this thread first time around but it would be hard to nail a more complete explanation of why my surfing hasn't progressed past the duffer stage.  I'll be thinking about this during my next session and making a conscious effort to compress correctly.  Great reboot!

jumpfrom13k

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #41 on: January 23, 2015, 06:52:03 AM »
One time I was thinking; does compressing your body make you surf better? or does just makes you look cooler thus making you look like you surf better?

I think it is little bit of both.

Staying low and keeping your body athletic and more aerodynamic (Your body creates big drag when moving 10-15 mphs) look will make you look like as if you are surfing better to those standing at the shore.

added benefit (or is it the main benefit?) of staying low is lower center of gravity so you can stay on top of your board little better.

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #42 on: January 23, 2015, 06:59:33 AM »
Compression is the key, however you need to be at 90 degrees to the board when you push, otherwise you're just moving your body up and down.
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supthecreek

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #43 on: January 29, 2015, 08:20:06 AM »
Most excellent topic to revisit.
it is NOT for style points, it's not about "look"..... it's about function.
Compressing "coiling" is a way to create energy to be used to "power up" a turn
As s-tw says, the power isn't from compression alone... if you do not commit out over the rail, it's just "deep knee bends"

last week one of my buddies (Zoner) was saying he was ready to up his game a bit.
I said "are you asking? Cuz I know the next step you need to master"
He said "Go ahead... give it to me!"  :D

I explained "throwing"  a turn from a compressed position, to an upright position while committing out past the rail.
It was time to graduate from "Steering" a turn by bending stiffly at the waist and leaning on the back foot.

In the early 70's Reno Abellira was the famous for "throwing" a turn as opposed to "leaning" a turn:
 "his low crouching style enabled him to complete tight turns as he stayed close to the breaking lip with radical skateboard-like pumps that propelled him to speeds that no other surfer of the time could match"
That became my mantra and and I still endeavor to surf this way every day!

An easy way to feel this move:
the example below simulates turning frontside for a "regular foot" surfer
(reverse if "Goofy foot")

Sit in a chair with your feet at shoulder width apart and bend (not fold) your upper body, bringing your shoulders towards your knees
hands in front of you, in position as if holding your paddle with handle in left hand

stand up quickly while leaning forward and uncoiling to the right, extending your arms up and to the right... as if throwing an uppercut with your left hand
repeat till you understand the feeling of transferring the coiled body energy to your feet (Board)

Here is a long sequence taken the other day. it was windy and the waves were really fast. I was riding my 10'6, so I really needed to project down the line to make waves.
At 66 my "compression" is admittedly weaker... but hopefully you get the idea ;)

Captions describe how coiling/uncoiling works...

linter

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Re: Are You Compressing Enough?
« Reply #44 on: January 29, 2015, 09:22:24 AM »
this is an awesome post, creek.  a classic, one for the ages, and a brilliant expansion of the original thread.  man, do i wish you were out here in san diego so you could tell me what *I* need to do to get to a diff level.

(remember in the early days of the zone how many of these great how-to threads there were?  the lessons taught were big ones.  i for one wish we had more of em these days....)

 


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