3 Tips for CARVING in surfing

Frontside Carving Technique

To begin, we must take into account the angle of the maneuver. In this case, we are not looking for verticality, but rather to enter at a 45-degree angle to a somewhat flatter section.

To execute a carve correctly, we can differentiate between three fundamental aspects: front leg straight, front arm anchored, and finish by bringing the hip forward with all your weight.

– We must begin the maneuver by creating space between our chest and knee, keeping the leg as straight as possible to generate better rotation and a healthier posture (chest up and back straight).

– Anchor your front arm inward, seeking to generate rotation on it, as if it were the tip of a compass, always looking in the same direction and keeping your back arm relaxed to facilitate the rotation maneuver. It is very important to hold this position until the end of the maneuver, as it is very common among surfers to leave carving halfway when in most cases it could have been longer.

– Finish by pushing your hips forward as far as possible, placing all your weight in front, thus performing a more solid maneuver and with a perfect exit for the next bottom turn.

As with all maneuvers, the intention is to do it as high up on the wave face as possible. However, in the case of carving, as you don’t need a vertical section to do it, it is very common to not reach the top of the wave, thus missing the opportunity to make the maneuver look much more radical, beautiful, and with a better exit into the next maneuver.