I started surfing as a goofy foot but I'm wondering if my surfing would have progressed more as a regular footed surfer because of the rights in NJ. I'm also starting to think that regular foot may have been better and more natural. Has anyone ever switched from one stance to the other after surfing one way for a while? Are there any people who can ride either stance?
You've never seen anyone ride switchfoot? I can only do it on a Longboard, but I saw someone pull it off on a shortboard a couple of weeks ago for the first time in my life. Swtiching to Goofy really throws me off though, I can usually only pull it off for a turn or two before I either fall over or switch back. There are some Bing riders who I see surfing every so often. Besides all looking like they were statutes glued with 10 to the nose as soon as they pop-up, the one dude with the buzz cut has got to be one of the best switch foot riders I've ever seen. Makes the transition seem effortless.Originally Posted by motivated2surf
P.S. - I've never tried popping up Goofy though, I just realized that's probably more what you're talking about, huh?
Last edited by zaGaffer; Dec 6, 2012 at 03:58 PM.
I'm goofy, and Delaware is all about rights. I've spent my entire life driving 45 mins. to maryland to surf lefts.
Dropping in on a steep wave backside and pumping off the bottom for speed / projection out onto the shoulder is harder. Your heels are a lot less useful of a tool than toes. It is pretty easy to gouge a satisfying, bucket throwing turn backside.
Gaffer...if your arent standing up switch, then you arent getting the full-on humbling experience. I like trying it once in a while on a fun-shape sized board in small clean waves just to realize how completely disconnected your circuitry actually is for something you only attempt 10 times a year.
http://www.surfline.com/video/locals/austin-in-sc_77806 intro will blow your mind
I can hop to switch foot and take off and stand up switch foot but once I'm up I'm about at the level I was 1 year into surfing. I'm sure you could do it but it would take a lot of practice. I'm a regular foot but just the other day I took off on a right goofy foot just for fun. The strange thing was I could surf back side on a right almost as we'll as I can surf back side on a left, which is not very good. I thought that was interesting since if I had taken off goofy foot on a left I would have been barely able to turn but on the right with the same footing I jammed a nice bottom turn into a pretty solid top turn.
Thought never even crossed my mind! I'll try popping up Goofy next time I get wet, if I make it out of here early enough, this afternoon. Switchfoot has always just been a basic longboarding trick to me. Something you should be able to do if you longboard, like hanging ten or knee turns. I've always kind of thought the coffin was kind of cheesy.
Last edited by zaGaffer; Dec 6, 2012 at 05:14 PM. Reason: Too cheesey
I learned to surf backside (I'm a regular foot) in Cape May and other South Jersey spots, and it wasn't until I moved up here to Monmouth County that I got to surf rights with any consistency. Today I'm glad I cut my teeth on lefts, because I'm a lot more comfortable going backside than most of the guys I know who grew up surfing frontside rights almost exclusively.
I say don't try to re-train yourself. You never know where you'll end up living or traveling to, and you'll want to make the most of it. Besides, doing old school laybacks or dragging a$$ in the tube is fun!
Last edited by LBCrew; Dec 6, 2012 at 05:18 PM.
This is where it's at.
In VB it depends on the swell direction. I am goofy and pretty much am better at making bigger turns backside than frontside because i learned how to surf on rights mostly. but it really comes down to swell direction. for N- ENE swells, lefts are usually better so I go to a spot that the left works better and for ESE-S swells viceversa.
But to the original question. I love trying to go regular. it's like learning how to surf again! i can take off regular on my funboard decently (i actually made my first decent turn regular the other day). It just takes a lot of practice.
JOB is literally the best person i have seen at switch stance. he's doing that **** at pipe and waves of consequence!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RzuDTUWzyg
You can't really re-train yourself. You can learn to ride switch, but you'll never turn from goofy to reg or vice versa...
I do think there will be a lot more switch stance surfing in the future. Just like snowboarding and skating. You have to have the full bag of tricks natural and switch to compete... I bet in 15 years there will be guys on tour pulling everything switch.
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