“You gotta go BIG” – this is what young surfers are being encouraged to do as they develop their surfing. It’s not surprising as performing risky and progressive manoeuvres is what surfers must achieve for any chance to be successful on the global stage, but the issue for me is – when should they start to “go big”?

It seems that in some circles, surfers are being advised to “go big” as early as possible – irrespective of whether a surfer is physically or psychologically ready to head down that road. Absolute performance is all that is needed, bugger the possible damage done along the way.

Gymnastics [a sport also known for absolute performance] has previously had a reputation of pushing young athletes “early and hard”. The approach became known as “throwing eggs against a wall”. Those athletes that didn’t break due to the high demands of the sport became the champions – but many others became damaged, never ultimately reaching their true potential.

I see this same “eggs against the wall” trend in surfing, where young talent is being encouraged to go hard, but often with inferior technique, poor strength levels, and lacking the confidence to successfully land their moves. As a result, over-emphasising risky moves too early often creates inferior performances rather than advances a performance – simply because many surfers just aren’t ready to perform these advanced moves of surfing.

When I say ready, I mean:

• Surfers have to be technically sound first, as the movement components of the power moves of surfing are exactly the same ones used in the advanced moves.
• Surfers need to be strong and co-ordinated to handle the greater landing forces encountered when landing advanced moves.
• Surfers need to be confident to attack the lip, layback, or launch into the air, as any hesitation in these situations tend to lead to inevitable wipe-outs and possible injuries.

So what I am saying is … if a child is technically sound, physically strong, and displays confidence in heavy sections on waves – then they should be encouraged to “go hard” –  as they are ready. But if they lack any of these traits, time should be spent improving these deficiencies first, before they can be pushed into areas of surfing that could destroy their careers. This approach takes longer, but in the end you create surfers who are confident and ready to take on the world.

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If surfers regularly surf small weak waves or fast down-the-line waves, they tend to develop a horizontal performance style characterised by the need to create horizontal speed, perform flatter manoeuvres, and finish with floaters and lipline manoeuvres. Whereas, surfers who surf beaches with pockety waves, tend to learn to perform more top-to-bottom surfing, with stronger bottom turns and more vertical top turns.

As a result of this home beach “conditioning effect”,  surfers become strong in some areas of their performances and not others. This also has implications for a surfer’s manoeuvre choice, with surfers choosing manoeuvres that may or may not “fit” the section being surfed, depending on manoeuvres they have learnt and can perform.

Surfers who can’t perform certain manoeuvres [because of this conditioning effect], need to target them in a proactive manner, or look for local beaches that allow the performance of those manoeuvres.

An alternative strategy could also be to purposely try to surf different beaches outside a surfer’s local region on a regular basis. “Seek and ye shall find” was a catch cry from the 70’s when surf travel really took off, encapsulating the mindset of the travelling surfer. Another one for surfers who want to develop their surfing could be “Seek and you will develop”, as surfing different beaches on a regular basis forces surfers to adapt to the different types of waves faced and the different manoeuvres that need to be performed.

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“The Importance of Strengthening your Hips”

 Your hips are your driver! Strong glutes control your pelvis and protect you from compensating in your lower back and knees.

 A lot of surfers have the limitation of not being able to bend or crouch with ease. This is particularly true for taller surfers. This can be caused by lack of use or past injury to the ankles, knees, hips or lower spine. Lack of use or previous injury leads to mobility and strength deficits.

We sit a lot and generally do not move our hips a lot. This leads to stiff hips and compensation through the knees and lower spine. Commonly, strengthening hip extension (glutes, hamstrings) can help improve hip mobility and function, as well as offset lower back strain. Hip rotation is key to improving overall hip mobility.

Below is a short video outlining key hip mobility exercises supplied by Exercise Physiologist, Strength & Conditioning Coach – Michelle Drielsma of Sydneystrengthconditioning.com. A 15 minute hip mobility routine is also now available for subscribers in the membership section of martin dunn.com.au.

Glute Training Tips And Techniques

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Search Function - Martindunn.com.au

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Both the right and left show similar characteristics, in regards to pace, manoeuvrability, and tube riding, but in different combinations.

From my observations, and after two days of practise at the surf ranch done by the surfer, I came up with a formula [or pattern] for both waves that would create solid scores if the surfer adhered to these patterns. The left for example could be broken into 4 distinct sections:

The start, a “racing “section, the “pockety” section, and the tube section at the end.

Each section needed to be attacked differently in terms of the type and intensity of manoeuvres performed, so that a surfer’s pace down the line was not compromised. This pattern could then be repeated and honed to create consistency and self-belief, so that the surfer could maximise their performance on competition day.

Interesting work which I really enjoyed.

A full breakdown of this process is available in the membership area of martindunn.com.au

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Peru has two men and two women qualify, which was a tremendous effort for all involved. These surfers – Miguel Tedula, Lucca Messinas, Sofia Mulanovich and Daniella Rosas all did Peru proud and were prepared and coached at the qualifying events by Peruvian coach Gabriel Aramburu Aguirre and other support staff. Well done to him.

My involvement with Peru started in 2014 when I left Surfing Australia and was invited to train the Peruvian national team. I spent 6 weeks in that year training their team, which went on to win team gold at the ISA World Surfing Games that year. I went back in 2017 and coached them at the Pan American Games, which they again won gold. Then again in 2019 to coach the team for two weeks before the Pan American Games – games where Daniella Rosas and Lucca Messinas qualified for the Olympics.

Inca Style

I was invited to coach Japan’s Hiroto O’hara in 2017 to help him qualify for the elite WCT tour. I spend 2017 & 2018 working and travelling globally with him and his mum Yuki attending the majority of WQS events around the globe. He hasn’t qualified as yet, but I consider him the best surfer in the world who hasn’t. Confident, smart, and an outstandingly talented surfer, Hiroto is a champion in everyone’s eyes, and he will be hard to beat at the olympic event, which will be held at him home beach in Chiba, Japan.

Hiroto

 

Pauline

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Any surfer with video footage of themselves could get it reviewed and receive training recommendations individualised to their needs, through Martin’s video review service. Long term, getting a review would be better for a surfer’s performance than just about anything else they could do.  Two types of review are available:

1.     Send footage for review:  Martin creates a training video, and supplies a written report, and training simulations.
2. Book a “live” video review: Book an hour long session to review and discuss your surfing in real time.

Both types of review are used by frothing grommets, surfing mums, & weekend warriors, – right up to WCT surfers. All are looking for the “What do i need to do?” to better my surfing.  One 2021 WCT surfer said to me upon receiving my review:

“I just wanted to say a big thank you for the detail and time you’ve put into giving me valuable feedback. I’ve never worked with someone who’s this quick at providing detailed feedback. I really appreciate it, and I should have done this years ago!“

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Surfers like Peruvian surfer Cristobal De Col, have the attitude required to reach a surfing potential. Cristobal always pushes his surfing, takes risks, and rides his wave for their full functional length. He makes mistakes, but doesn’t dwell on them – riding his waves with an optimistic approach that helps him be successful in the future. This is the attitude of champions, and every surfer wanting to better their surfing, should emulate this way of thinking.

Attitude_The Key To Better Surfing

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What happens to these talents?

What causes this loss of potential and future success?

To discover the likely cause, its relevant to understand the difference between talent and skill:

 Talent:             is a gift from our parents. If two genetic lines come together [one from mum, one from dad] and the chemistry is right, talent is created. In surfing, this could mean a higher level of athleticism, the ability to learn, decisive decision-making skills, and the ability to stay calm in difficult or dangerous situations.

Skill:                is learned and created though deliberate practise. Skill is often more elusive than talent, as skill is earned.

Talent vs Skill

 I’ve witnessed lots of talent over the past 35 years talent, but many never realise their potential because they don’t do the work necessary to enhance their talent and continue their development. They “rest” on their innate abilities [the gift from their parents], which results in the eventual formation of performance barriers. And as they haven’t learnt how to work on their surfing, they rarely progress from that point.

Those talented surfers who learn how to train and love the developmental process, end up becoming the champions in our sport. Additionally and importantly, lessor talented surfers can achieve at a higher level than an inherently talented surfer, if they are focused when training and are prepared to work harder.

So the reality is, not everyone is talented, but skill is available to anyone who is prepared to work at it. As long as they care about the quality of their practice, and stick at it, skill is enhanced. And this results in the ability to catch better waves, perform bigger moves, and achieve more success on a daily basis.

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10 minute Neck Strengthening and Soft Tissue Release for Optimal Neck Alignment

By Michelle Drielsma

Let’s be honest here, surfing is not great for your posture. Paddling is great for strengthening your back muscles, but the position of your neck is far from ideal when practiced over many years. The upper trapezius (upper back), shoulder internal rotators, short neck extensors and muscles that pull your head forward are just a few of the muscles around the upper spine/neck area which become overdeveloped and result in pulling particular bones out of alignment. Bones out of alignment do not allow joints to move efficiently, which can lead to wear and tear, pain and injury. Combine the assaults of surfing posture with those of working at a desk, driving for long hours (particularly to hunt for surf) or being the lucky user of a smart phone and you’re in for a forward-head-posture treat. There are many other body areas that get funked up from surfing, including your knees, hips, lower back and shoulders, but this article will specifically focus on the neck region.

Surfing, specifically paddling, will pull your neck into hyperextension, strengthening the short neck extensors and other muscles that pull the head forward. Key muscles that pull the head forward include the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), levator scapulae and scalenes. With chronic forward head postures, the deep neck flexors will become weak and lengthened. In paddling, our chin is lifted and our neck is hyperextended to allow us to see where we are going. The video below has 6 techniques – 3 strengthening exercises and 3 soft tissue techniques. The 3 strengthening exercises are excellent in targeting the weak muscles that develop from paddling over a long period of time. The 3 soft tissue techniques target the chronically tight muscles that develop from paddling over a long period of time.

I had an extremely sore and stiff neck when I filmed this video. I had been doing some serious road tripping and believe the combination of paddling, driving long hours in my toyota coaster, practicing guitar and letting my usual mobility routine slide led to the issue. I practiced this routine for 3 days consecutively and the pain started to lessen. The key to avoiding this issue in future is to maintain a regular practice for the neck, perhaps just once per week if you are not experiencing any pain, and become more aware of your habitual posture. If you are experiencing pain or if you are unsure of any of these techniques, please consult a physical therapist.

Below is a 10 minute routine that will help relieve a sore neck which is being caused by muscle imbalance. Please rule out neck degeneration, bulging discs and arthritis before starting this program.

1. Neck Retraction (3-5 second hold X 10 reps)

Lying face down with your forehead resting on the back of your hands, tuck your chin down slightly and then pull your head backward off the ground for 3-5 seconds, rest and repeat. If you’re not sure of the action, just go for your best double chin. I think I’ve even got a triple chin. Keep your shoulders held down and relax as much as you can through your upper back and shoulder muscles. The amount of chin tuck should be enough to hold a tennis ball between your chin and upper chest.

2. Neck Retraction with Rotation (slow, continuous movement X 5-10 reps).

Same set up as before but with a slow rotation of your head each way with each rep, then bring your chin back to the centre, rest and repeat. Slightly tuck your chin down (enough to hold a tennis ball between your chin and upper chest), pull your head back to give yourself a double chin and then rotate your chin as far as you can over your left shoulder, then as far as you can over your right shoulder, bring your chin back to the centre (still tucked) and then rest your forehead on the ground. Repeat this for 5-10 reps. It is very important to keep your chin tucked to strengthen the correct postural muscles here.

3. Deep Neck Flexors (10-30 second holds X 5 reps for 10s holds or 3 reps for 30s holds).

Lying on your back, locate the big muscles at the front-side of your neck, called the Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles. You have located the SCM muscles if you can feel a muscle bulge under your fingers when you lift your head off the ground. The purpose of locating the SCM muscles is not to strengthen them, but to ensure they are NOT activated during this exercise.

This exercise is really simple. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and gently tuck your chin downward and hold this for 10-30 seconds or until you feel muscle fatigue in the muscles down the front of your neck. If you tuck your chin downward too strongly, you will feel tension in the SCM muscles which is not ideal. If this occurs, back off the chin tuck and start again. Keep the back of your head on the ground and only tuck your chin down as much as possible, before any SCM activation.

This may be tiring initially, so some of you may need to start with 10 second reps and others can start with 30+ second reps. You are encouraged to complete more sets than suggested if you are not experiencing sufficient muscle fatigue in the deep neck flexor muscles, which should feel deep and subtle. If you’re unsure, reach out to me or ask your physical therapist.

4. Suboccipitals Release (10-30 second press X 5 reps for 10s holds or 3 reps for 30s holds).

Find the centre of your neck by moving your fingers up your spine and then place your fingers either side of your neck at the base of your skull. If you tilt your head back slightly, you can cradle your head and find where the base of your skull is. Then lie down, lift your head up slightly and then relax your head into your fingers, allowing gravity to do the work. This may cause referral pain that mimics a tension headache and if so, relax into it because it’s a good indication that you need to release these muscles.

Breathe through the belly with a 4 second inhale and an 8 second exhale. Relax your neck and shoulders and allow your head to sink into your fingers. After a 10-30 second hold, relax and repeat.

5. Levator Scapulae Release (5-10 second press, moving down the muscle X 2-3 reps).

To find this muscle, your want to move your fingers outward and down a bit from the previous technique. If you are unsure about locating this muscle, please check with a physical therapist as this one is easy to get wrong. If you have a forward head posture, this muscle will feel quite ropey and moves down the side and then the back of the neck, attaching to the shoulder blade. This is commonly quite sore and tight in long-time surfers over the age of 30, as well as those with forward head postures, which is pretty much everyone.

Lie on your back and relax your neck. Palpate the top of the muscle, press into the muscle for 5-10 seconds and repeat as you follow this muscle down the side and then the back of the neck. One rep would equal one sweep down the length of the muscle. Aim for 2-3 reps/sweeps from top to bottom, holding each point of pressure for 5-10 seconds.

6. Scalenes Release (10 second holds X 3-5 reps).

Here we need to anchor the insertion (note: video incorrectly says “origin” for all you anatomy buffs) of the scalene muscles by placing both hands just under your collarbone on one side and then pushing your hands into your chest as well as downward. As you press and hold your hands downward, rotate and tilt your head to your opposite shoulder and then lift your chin. Hold this for 10 seconds and then repeat for 3-5 reps.

Sometimes this stretch can be felt as a release through the underside of the jaw and can be quite strong so take the movement easy. Breathe with a 4 second inhale and and 8 second exhale to encourage your nervous system to relax.

Putting this in Practice

One set of the above exercises in a circuit is enough. If you have a moderately problematic neck, it may be preferable to practice this routine every day for up to a week. Become aware of your habitual spine and neck posture throughout the day as this really gets to the crux of the issue, as will looking at your upper spine, shoulder blades and shoulders. Once you are feeling better, you may be able to drop the frequency of this practice to 1-2 times per week. For a seriously problematic neck of if you are unsure, please consult a doctor or physical therapist.

These techniques have specially targeted the neck region, however neck issues are always associated with upper spine, shoulder blade and shoulder issues so grab some reliable tips on how to address these areas also.

I have a comprehensive library where you can find all of these techniques, plus those for every body area that needs some TLC, at surfstrengthconditioning.com.

*The most appropriate membership for neck, shoulder, upper spine, lower back, hip or knee issues related to surfing will be the Silver Surfmads membership. Memberships can be canceled or switched over at any time so if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. surfstrengthconditioning.com

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