Bottom Turn |
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Too often overshadowed by flashier maneuvers, the bottom turn forms the cornerstone of strong surfing. It comes in several variations and lays the groundwork for the rest of the ride, making it an essential facet of a powerful style. As any experienced surfer will attest, a hard-driving bottom turn is as pleasing as any move.
After dropping into a wave, any surfer worth his weight focuses on one thing: a bottom turn. Following in the direction of the breaking wave, the surfer carves off the bottom and sets the tone for the ride. On a gentle wave, such as Doheny or Cocoa Beach, it is important to stay close to the power source, so a shallow bottom turn is more efficient. But given a steep, powerful wave, too quick of a redirection will cause a spinout and inevitable trip over the falls. Skilled waveriders will travel into the flats before initiating the bottom turn. If the wave offers a peak, a deep or even fading turn helps maintain speed and allows the wave time to reach its zenith. However, on a fast, down-the-line type wave, there is little time for dillydallying. In these instances, an angled takeoff and projecting turn off the bottom provide the best mode of attack. Bottom turns were the first directional changes surfers performed, and they arose out of necessity. In leaving behind the boring mushburgers of Waikiki, surfers of the '30s explored the rest of Oahu in search of bigger waves. The straight-off style was useless at rediscovered big-wave venues such as Makaha and Sunset Beach. In order to make a wave, turning off the bottom was -- and is -- the way to set up down-the-line momentum and to avoid destruction. We can thank pioneers John Kelly, Wally Froiseth and Fran Heath for narrowing the tails of their wooden planks and making evolution possible. Without their Hot Curl design, sliding ass prevented angling on anything more than a ripple. The fin, invented by Tom Blake around the same time -- but not utilized as a widespread surfboard appendage until the '50s -- gave bottom turns added bite, transforming black diamonds into bunny slopes. Through the years, no surfer came to be known for his bottom turn more than Hawaiian Barry Kanaiaupuni during the '70s. At Sunset Beach, BK's deep, bow-legged arcs redirected his 17-inch-wide spears into the most critical positions imaginable. Another variation was the soul arc, popularized by Terry Fitzgerald at Jeffreys Bay and the flamboyant Peter Townend. None of the elite surfers of the '80s -- Tom Carroll, Mark Occhilupo, Gary Elkerton, Martin Potter or Tom Curren -- could ever be called a slouch off the bottom. Curren developed a particularly wicked double-pump version that he used at right pointbreaks to take him beyond vertical. But as aerials and tailslides staked their claim on the sport, agility and flash replaced power as the benchmarks of greatness. As a result, the bottom turn was somewhat lost in the fray, but to purists, it will never go out of style. -- Jason Borte, March 2001
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