Quads twins etc, wy are they weird backhand?

From what i've seen the pro's ride quads when the waves are hollow - ie chopes, pipe etc. Rest of the time they seem to ride thrusters - except Kelly who seems to ride his quad everywhere. Was just reading the Owen Wright P-pass article and he said something along the lines of quads go at least 10% better in the barrel. More hold, maneuverability etc.

I've had a quad for 5 years now and absolutely love it both forehand and backhand.You riding a 5-fin as a quad or a board shaped as a quad?

Good question...I think the reason is because backside bottom turns involve turning off the heels which is a 'clumsier' way to initiate a turn than frontside - you can't break the line and begin the turn quite as easily as you can when turning off your toes (same goes in snowboarding).

Put this together with quads or twins which can't find the centreline as readily as a thruster and you've got that 'weird awkwardness' you mention. Having a fin on the stringer, as thrusters do, acts to centre and correct, much as a rudder on a boat, and provides a solid platform underfoot to begin each turn.

Never had any problem with quads backhand?

I actually read an interview with Kelly a while back, and he said how much he loved the feeling of a back side bottom turn on a quad..wish i could remember where i read it?...i remember it well as i thought it was a weird thing to say, think it was quite an old interview?

Gidday, I probably should resist posting this, but, its a subject I am passionate about. Firstly, every athlete should understand hinging. Its what makes us human, what is special about being human. Our most basic, functional movement. When you understand hinging, you realise what your core is. Its nothing like the average person thinks, that is, abs. The most powerfull muscles/structure in the human body are glutes, lower back, hamstring, quads, which are literally one unit, then the abdominal region braces.

Deadlifting and squatting allow maximum work/power through hinging, so maximum shock on your whole system, your metabolism, which, depending on your aim, in turn elicits maximum hormone response, the thing that really counts as far as fitness adaptation is concerned. You can generate much more power through your heels than toes when squatting and deadlifting. People who are poor at hinging (weak core/power base) have poor flexibility, and are unable to drive through their heels, which is easily demonstrated when they try to squat and deadlift. So they can't exert much power at all, which means they can't give their body much reason to adapt. Becoming an expert at balancing shouldn't be misconstrued with working the core hard. Its just that, that is learning a particular skill, like learning anything. Learning to hit a golf ball really efficiently won't lead to your body being convinced to truly adapt, and neither will learning to balance, where it is impossible to truly overload your core. That highest power created by genuinely maximum work through heels can then be transferred into skills when working through your toes. Like for instance, jumping.

I have squatted and deadlifted for years, so I love backhand surfing, especially in waves with infinite draw and curve, like blacks. The harder you can stomp that back foot, jam your heel, the better. Way more power can be generated backhand than forehand, because you can stomp your heel and stay balanced, lean way back, on your backhand. The legendary straight up and down Col Smith/Morning star backhand. Ben Aipa. Johny Boy Gomes in his prime, stomp, you can turn and accelerate on a dime, especially at waves like blacks. I don't really like watching many surfers, even Slater, because of the lack of back foot power. When you see that back foot way over forward on an angle, there is no power, its more steering through the heavily weighted front foot.

You only have to load up the bar, hinge, and pick it up off the floor to see it. The strongest surfer I have seen, a bit of a legend for his build and strength, was feeble at hinging. But, he got it and got better at it. Most spit it and go into denial, when they see the reality of their power, the base of their 'power surfing'. Most are really good at power dumping, shedding power and steering, which is why moves like that Carrol/Pipe snap are so rare, and getting rarer. Lots of AFL players are really weak/inflexible at hinging too, so they blow out hamstrings with monotonous regularity, and come up with ludicrous reasons why. The bar doesn't lie, you can't fool it.

This post caught me eye so decided to join up to contribute. G'day all..

... I've discovered the joy of quads in the past 12 months and so far am a big fan. The down the line speed is something I've not experienced on a Thruster. I only have one issue with quads (and this may be just me) ......if its a critical take off or situation with alot of pace and you really want to drive off the bottom (forehand) I find the quads I've ridden to slide out a little at times. They feel as though you need to baby that bottom turn a little at times.....anyone else experience this ???

a good quad with correct fins will not need to be nursed thru any turns....getting the fins exactly spot on is more difficult than with a tri-fin...I have shaped and ridden quads since 2007 and am stoked on them, the rewards from a really good quad are huge for me...I feel like I have gone from a V8 to a 4 cylinder when I hop onto a thruster....as for the difference with them on ya backhand, the technique used is difference and therefore the ideal fins are different, but ya can aim for a good happy medium if not willing to fine tune and change ya fins when needed....there is 2 types of quad surfers, the ones whol like quite a lot of variartion between front and back fins, and the ones who prefer them to be very similar in size...just need to know what type of surfer they are and obviously the shape of board comes into play....
www.MOREsurfboards.com

Thats funny stunet. Everyone is different, thank evolution.

I find with snowboarding that heel side turns are so much more powerful and feel stronger to hold an edge just like your sitting in a chair, like wise when I surf.

I think because your body weight is transferred straight down thru your heels, rather than thru ya ankles (cankels), which can fold and wobble.

Maybe we should do some gouging heel side turns in the pow together one day, or on the hard pack??

Keep on slaying those turns.

Wellymon, you been to Japan to snowboard?

Some of the driest, fluffiest, diamond dust you'll ever encounter.

Forget Kuta on Ice too (Niseiko) too many Yobbo's and Russians. Tohoku is the place to be, empty on weekdays and quite often you'll be the only foreigner within cooee. Lift tickets about $40, cheaper if you know how to scout them out in advance and lunch will set you back $10.

Winter never comes fast enough for me here.

I agree with you Welly, my backside (heelside) turns are more powerful, I can put more weight straight down my legs, through my heels and onto the heelside rail. But that's once the board is already on rail. What I meant is the initiation of the heelside turn - that very moment when you go to break from a straight line - is 'clumsier'. That's the case for me at least - guess I should take ownership of this thought, thank evolution we're all different!

I'm riding a 6'4 John Gillis design quad at the moment.
This board has exceptional down the line speed, I have never gone faster forehand.
I find there is a very small sweet spot, and if your front foot is an inch either way off the sweet spot, the board wont work.
When your feet are in the right place it's almost impossible to fall off the thing, so much fun.
I have relatively small rear fins compared to my front fins which makes it feel like twinny driving through turns off the bottom, so I will try experimenting with similar size fins front and back.
I also find at times, my toes are almost wrapped over the rail trying to turn it off the bottom which is daunting at times, unlike riding a thruster where your back foot is obviously right over the center fin.
Lefts for me, which I love on my backhand at places like Wurtulla when its punchy and hollow, the quad is so suited to the barrel, the tail seems to 'stick' alot more than a thruster.
I might catch three or four waves on my quad and say to my-self 'that's it, i'm over it, I want my thruster then I catch another wave and surf it on another level and go geez this board is gold...
Next one will be a touch longer and I will pull the tail in an inch at least as my 6'4" is way wide, still awesome and fun though!
Regards,
DamoB

Zenagain,

Yeah couple of christmas's ago, Grand Hirafu Nesiko, tried getting to Rizsitu?? As often tho people are all talk the night before on the piss eh.
Did 2 weeks , had some filth pow, chest deep one day and fluffy shit. I got pretty bored with the terrain tho, not steep enough. I don't think I could spend a season there! Did 3 full seasons at Red Mtn B.C few years back, yeah so I love the technical extreme lines in the steeps and trees.

Next time if I go back to Japland will check Tohoku.

You gotta love those back hand bottom heel side turns too.

Peace Bro

True Stu

Initiation was a bummer when learning, how many heel side edges I caught, slamming the nogging hard, thank evolution for helmets.

Opps

Back to the quads and twins,

Haven't even ridden a quad.!!!!

The ones with 4 wheels tho

Sorry about that.

CU

Maybe just a matter of feet placement. I had the opposite problem of not feeling comfortable going forehand on a quad. Got a quad semi-fish about 8 months ago. Felt great straight off the bat for my backhand but could not get comfortable on my forehand. Just felt so stiff. I'm very set in my ways and tried to persist with my standard feet placement as per my thruster for months after I got the board, but this didn't work for the quad. When surfing forehand now, I have moved my front foot back about half a foot from my normal landing position (back foot firmly anchored in the same place) and the difference was amazing. Felt looser and quicker into transitions and loving the quad even more. I still have feet placement as per thruster when backhand surfing though. I have always felt stronger and more comfortable on my backhand and feel this is why I can get away with it.

Also agree with damo-b, very small sweet spot on my quad too which could also be a contributing factor.