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Surfing legend Kelly Slater being awesome, from Christopher Sugrue Photos |
My name is Christopher Sugrue. As an advertising creative, I hawk my ideas and proprietary flashes of genius to the Man to earn a living. The rest of the time, however, I am a regular ocean ripper, rubbing elbows with other sun, sand, and surf worshippers for a chance to crash into the waters and catch the perfect waves, riding sweet and low, or high and tight.
When exploring the intricacies of surfing, mastering the popup is crucial. The surfing popup takes you from the paddling position where you are lying on your stomach on your surfboard to an upright position on your feet.
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From Christopher Sugrue Photos/a> |
Allow yours truly, Christopher Sugrue, to give willing beginners a few lessons on the popup.
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From Christopher Sugrue Photos |
Practice several popups on dry land beforehand to build arm strength and muscle memory. This makes the actual popup easier.
Now, onto the step-by-step:
- Place your hands up by your chest, at the bottom of your ribcage.
- Snap up to a crouched standing position in one flowing movement by pushing yourself upwards using your arms while bringing your legs under your body.
- Voila – you have popped up – you are now upright, your feet and body are now facing out from the board.
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From Christopher Sugrue Photos |
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From Christopher Sugrue Photos |
If you find it difficult getting on your feet that way, here’s a shortcut:
- Place your hands on the rails when you are going at a fast enough speed to catch the wave.
- While holding the rail, pull your legs up under you by twisting your body around to the correct angle.
- Slide the front foot under you into the correct position, keeping your back foot and lower leg at the rear.
- When the front foot is firmly planted in the correct spot, close into a crouch.
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From Christopher Sugrue Photos |
From Christopher Sugrue Photos |
Congratulations, brah! You can now pop up.
Follow Christopher Sugrue on Twitter.
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Stencil of surfer bros Bill and Ted from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), from Christopher Sugrue Photos |