Advanced Moves
This page is for those bodyboarders who can already perform basic and
intermediate moves and are ready to take on the newest moves in
bodyboarding. All these moves involve speed and a 'ramp' section, or a section
which bowls and has a flat shoulder to land on. They also involve commitment so
read on if you think you're good enough to take on the challenge.
The Backflip
This, to me would have to be my favourite move because of the way your body
flips out of the bowl. There's a few different ways to do backflips, the
straight over flip, which follows through from an invert, then there's the half
roll to flip, which is the easiest way to pull this move, and the safest and
there's the air reverse/backflip which is really hard and hurts your back and
gut on the landing.
The straight over flip
With all these moves you'll need speed, but most of all with this version of
the backflip you'll need stacks of commitment.
Make a strong bottom turn towards the pitching lip and hit it as for what you
would if you were doing an invert. As you're upside down pull the nose of the
board back towards your head, arch your back and try to get your legs tucked up
and crossed, this will help through the flip. This is the hardest part of the
move because you'll be looking at the wave below and falling head first. Now for
the landing... Make sure you don't over-rotate because your tail will bog and
you'll blow it. Try landing more on the nose of your board, but not too much
because you'll lose all your speed and the wave will pass. Once you've landed,
the rotation through the flip should take you into a forward spin and out of it.
Now you've mastered one of the best moves in bodyboarding today.
The Half-Roll to Flip
Some people get this style of backflip confused with ars's because they are
fairly similar in the way they are performed.
This move is similar to the straight over flip, but you hit the lip as if you're
going for a roll. It is best performed on a bowling section with a flat shoulder.
I'd reccomend this style for your first few attempts at backflips as it is
less risky and doesn't hurt your back as much. It also is easier than any other
way as sometimes you can actually perform a full rotation backflip because of
the way you flip. Instead of flipping straight back out of the bowl, you actually
flip across the wave and have more of a chance of landing it.
Hit the lip as you would for a big air rollo, and start to go into the roll.
Around one quarter of the way through the roll, pull the nose of your board back
towards your head, arch your back and tuck your legs up, this will get you
through the flip really fast. As you're flipping keep your eyes open and take
in the view (we are the only surfcraft who can perform this move). Keep your
legs tucked in and crossed the whole way through. When you land the rotation of
the flip will take you into a forward spin and out of it. For a full rotation
flip, you have to have a really bowly section and get stacks of air. All you
have to do is keep your eyes open and your legs tucked up, and you'll complete
it easily, but in some cases you'll have to move your board around underneath
you, so you're board finishes the move first, then your body will follow.
The Air-Reverse/Backflip
This would have to be the most difficult variation of the flip (as of yet I
still haven't completed one) because of the way you get thrown out into the
flats.
Hit it like a normal air reverse. As you're flying through the air and a quarter
through the rotation of the reverse, arch your back and throw your head and
shoulders down towards the wave, keep your board close to your body through the
move. This is really just a tweaked air reverse, but it actually kind of looks
like a flip. Keep your legs crossed in the air, this helps a bit with the
rotation and get ready for a really heavy landing. On the landing, have your
board slightly away from you and your elbows close to your body, you have to use
them as shock absorbers.
If you've mastered this move, I'll claim you as one of my heroes because of the
difficulty. If not then keep working on it. I'm sure you'll get it soon.
The Air-Roll-Spin (A.R.S)
This move, along with backflips is one of the easiest of advanced manouvres
performed today. It involves getting air, doing a roll and a spin, all in a
combination of one move. Don't get it confused with a contest move which is the
floppo spin, which earns a competitor an extra 2 points in their heat. A propper
A.R.S involves getting height and completing the move in full rotation, so you
land the spin and keep going. You'll need a bowling section with a flat shoulder
(for your first few).
You need to set this move up with a strong bottom turn, otherwise you won't get
the height in the air that you'll require. Hit it as you would for a roll, but
slightly more vertically because this will help you with your spin. Think about
getting air, not about doing an A.R.S, but a big air roll. When you've almost
completed your roll, twist your board into a forward spin and cross your legs
close to your arse, this helps in the rotation. As your rotating through the
forward spin, look through the move to where you're going, this also helps in
completing the move. For the landing, if you havent rotated enough through the
spin, let your board do it for you, like spin your board around underneath you
slightly, and when you land your body will follow through. If you land full
rotation, you wont need to do anything, just keep going on the wave, and maybe
try another one further down the line!
