| HOW
DO I STAND UP? |
| ANSWER:
There
are two methods of standing up: "The Monkey Method" and
"The Knee Method." |
| THE
MONKEY METHOD |
| 1)
LIE FLAT ON THE BOARD, RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE BOARD, WITH YOUR
FEET JUST TOUCHING THE TAIL END (OVER THE FIN) OF THE BOARD. |
| TRY
IT ON THE BEACH FIRST:
Lie down on the board, right down the center, with the toes of your
feet just touching the tail-end (called the tail block). Think of
the sand as the water, and see how your surfboard lies perfectly flat
on the sand with the front (called the "nose") of the
board just a few inches above the sand. It has to lie this way out
in the water, too. That is flat on the water, with the nose just a
few inches above the surface of the water. So if the nose is sticking
too high in the air when you're lying on it in the water, then slip
forward a little to get the board flat on the water. Likewise, if
it seems like the nose is down touching the water or close to it,
slide a little back on the board until it's flat. |
| Also
be sure to lie right down the center (from nose to tail) of the
board, and the board is not tilting either to the right or left while
you're lying on it. |
| 2)
WHILE LYING ON THE BOARD ON THE BEACH, DO A PUSH UP ON THE SURFBOARD,
WITH YOUR HANDS ON THE SIDES ("RAILS") OF THE BOARD. |
THE
STAND UP |
| 3)
IN THE UP POSITION OF YOUR PUSH UP, DRAG ONE OF YOUR FEET UP
UNDER YOU, AND PLANT IT RIGHT UNDER YOU IN THE CENTER OF THE
BOARD. |
| 4)
PUSH UP ON YOUR FRONT FOOT INTO A STANDING POSITION. |
|
 |
 |
 |
You
are using your arms like legs as you drag your foot up under
you, using your arms like legs just like a chimpanzee or gorilla
does, which is why we like to call this method of standing up
"The Monkey Method". |
| |
| You
know how a gorilla walks, and that's what you have to do. Put
all your weight on your arms, all your weight off your legs,
as you drag one of your feet up under you and plant it in the
center of the board. |
|
| 5)
YOUR STANCE ON THE BOARD SHOULD BE JUST LIKE STANDING AT BAT AT SOFTBALL,
WITH YOUR FEET LIKE IN THE DIAGRAM BELOW: |
 |
YOUR
FEET SHOULD BE SIDEWAYS ON THE BOARD, MAYBE POINTED A LITTLE
FORWARD IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT, AND YOUR FEET HAVE TO
BE RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE BOARD. |
|
 |
 |
 |
Stay
flexible in your "softball" stance with your knees
slightly bent, and your feet far apart, but only as far apart
as is comfortable for you, given your height and the length
of your legs. |
| TWO
GIRLS FROM ENGLAND PRACTICE THEIR STANCE ON THE BEACH |
ONE
OF THE GIRLS FROM ENGLAND STANDS UP AND RIDES ON HER FIRST WAVE!
YAY! |
|
 |
And
Remember, THE
SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN KEEPING YOUR BALANCE ON THE BOARD,
IS THAT YOUR FEET HAVE TO BE RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER OF THE
BOARD.
So however you end up getting to your feet on the board, just
remember that you need to get your feet across the center of
the length of the board in order to ride. |
|
|
THE
KNEE METHOD |
| GET
TO YOUR KNEES ON THE BOARD ANY WAY YOU CAN, THEN PULL ONE FOOT OUT
AND PLANT IT IN FRONT OF YOU IN THE CENTER OF THE WIDTH OF THE SURFBOARD.
THEN PUSH UP ON YOUR FOOT INTO A STANDING POSITION. |
| It
is also important that in both the monkey method and the knee method,
that you START
OUT WITH YOUR BOARD FLAT IN THE WATER, AND RIDE THE BOARD FLAT IN
THE WHITEWATER.
If the nose of the board seems high while you're riding, lean forward
or try to scoot your feet forward until the nose of the board is down
and the board again flat in the water. |
