Do you drop front or back foot firsst? and where are you from?

[paddymack]

i used to live in CLEARWATER Fl. and drop front foot first,
then i moved to laguna and switched to back foot first

[heavyheavylowlow]

california. back foot nukka

[Teddy Hartford]

back foot. california

[Richard]

holland? front foot first

:eek:

[dan.nj]

Back foot. Jersey (obviously)

[tyler_sti]

Cali, back foot all day. But can also go front foot if needed.

[nukka-cp]

arizona both feet, hey paddymack lets bump our systems at 2 am and get the cops calledd!



lets skim this weekend

1 more week and im done with school


lets talk to some wizards, and skim

[sharkboy]

Neither. Hawaii

[ejb]

front, south carolina.

[Daan]

backfoot Holland

[skimjtown]

front (i think), florida

[enjoy the slide]

front, florida

[SKIMPOWERMAN]

front, but switching to back. Portugal!!!

[3rd Coast Skimmer]

back, tx

[757skimmer]

Back foot, VA

[GnarKill1029]

front
southkeralina

[kylebaz]

both
michigan

[ZapBulletRider]

front, would never want to switch to back (had this debate many times)

from OBX, live in VA Beach

[Yoho]

i do two drops and i do front foot on one back on the other---Georgia

[ZapBulletRider]

huh?

[MI_Skim]

back, marco island

[Icej]

Back Florida

[beachbum]

front, florida.

[Bobbynic]

Front, NJ woot

[ICantSwim]

back, Taiwan

[Mmm... Pasta]

Back, Santa Cruz.

[Dono]

Front foot first; Florida



Whats the differnce between front or back?

[skim0x]

Back, Portugal

[Taylor Cadiz]

backtizzle , paddys bedroom

[alexM.]

both, norcal

[jackie]

back foot, CA

[paddymack]

arizona both feet, hey paddymack lets bump our systems at 2 am and get the cops calledd!



lets skim this weekend

1 more week and im done with school


lets talk to some wizards, and skim

NOT down for spending time with the po-9....

but def down to talk to some wizards and Zigg_y... and skim

[paddymack]

backtizzle , paddys bedroom



hahaaaaa :rolleyes:

[Jono]

Back, Bahamas

[dlux]

Front. PNW

[matty kerns]

same time clearwater

[lil chuck]

front florida

[MDskimmerMAtt]

Front, Delaware

[nikels]

back foot first of course, FLORIDA

[Mapdash]

front

[Patrick]

Front

[nikels]

why does every body in florida drop front first

[ejb]

im from south carolina and i drop front, so does gnarkill and so does luckybummra. and they are from s.c. as well. so include us too

[Skim Costa]

front, costa rica.

[carbonisyourfriend]

either, florida

[coleberr]

back foot, massachusetts

[nikels]

it just feels so much smoother with the back foot hops, thats just me though

[tycruickshank]

back ohio

[lil chuck]

i drop back foot when i go switch

[oldmanskim]

front, fla

i want to do back first but its too hard cause my back foot is my left and im right footed so when my back foot steps first im pushing down so hard to keep balance for right foot to come around and board shoots up at me. but i believe you lose no momentum when back foot first.

[Damon Point]

Back - Washington. My whole crew, even the goofies (none on the SOMB) are back footers.

[coleberr]

hand stand skim ftw

[rundropslide]

front, florida

[Conrad923]

Front foot drop, FL

I tried back but fell too many times on my ass

[superdewey]

front FL

[michelolz]

back foot first/ NC

[Weezyskim]

backfoot, California

[samcollett]

i drop back foot when i go switch

me too.

front foot first normally.

[Taylor Cadiz]

hahaaaaa :rolleyes:

hehehehe
paddy
the weekend after this , are you busy at night??

[Denis]

front, So cal

[jerzy_skim_07760]

Back, NJ

[Immortal Technique]

Front, CT

[ejb]

congratulations i've never heard of one of those bands that play "good music" according to you.

[noogie]

penis, c-a-l-i-f-o-r-n-i-a. That is how you finish spelling it for those who didnt know

[woody harris]

cali bro

[noogie]

ps-what the fuck would you have 2 different drops for? super-sexy-flashiness or what

[noogie]

cali bro
whatever bra, leaving me to go to the "banks" bra

[woody harris]

1 drop for widdly stance one for regular

[sharkboy]

back, when on Naboo

[woody harris]

obx 4 lyfe!

[Ammy]

Back. FL.

[lil chuck]

1 drop for widdly stance one for regular
repped :)

[Chrith]

front flawda

[zeus]

i always go back foot, but i want to try and learn front for the hell of it

[Shane McDade]

front first. florida

[paddymack]

i was wondering if it was really true...

sooooo manyh people from the east cost..mostly florida drop front first.

you should change if you drop front foot

[ejb]

why? it takes 3000 times to make something a habit and i dont have time or the patience for something that makes prob an inch of difference.

[i skim compton]

Front fla all day.

[Purple Snakes]

back floirda

[veeyecee]

monkey crawl , california

[carvalho]

front, but switching to back. Portugal!!!

the same here

[Blak_skimmer220]

Front front gang to. Norf Carolina

[SolvenCarlos]

Back, florida i think

[lucas chiabi]

back foot. Rio de janeiro - Brazil

[paddymack]

why? it takes 3000 times to make something a habit and i dont have time or the patience for something that makes prob an inch of difference.

cause it betters your skimboarding...may not be huge differences...but noticable ones that could improve you as a skimboarder

edit/add::

how can you not have time to better your skimming skillszzzz?
what are you doing everytime you go out and skim?
no time is not a good kop out.

[Utah]

Front foot... Floriduhhhh

[matty kerns]

paddy u dont skim right anyway fucking ginger...delaware.....

[relay]

back, maryland

[otto]

front, florida

[Tank11]

front foot FL

[Doctor Delicious]

Front florida. I got it from skateboarding.

[noogie]

why? it takes 3000 times to make something a habit and i dont have time or the patience for something that makes prob an inch of difference.

its really not that hard

[vicskim76]

back, CALI


fornia

[ejb]

cause it betters your skimboarding...may not be huge differences...but noticable ones that could improve you as a skimboarder

edit/add::

how can you not have time to better your skimming skillszzzz?
what are you doing everytime you go out and skim?
no time is not a good kop out.

it's just that, i would rather work on getting difficult moves down, not going back to square one and changing my drop.

[GnarKill1029]

whats so much better about back??
i carry more momentum through my front foot anyways..
and i get out just fine

[SolvenCarlos]

it's just that, i would rather work on getting difficult moves down, not going back to square one and changing my drop.
I changed my dropped to back, it didn't take long to get back to where I was. Actually changing to back foot improved my style and I have more speed.

[noogie]

it's just that, i would rather work on getting difficult moves down, not going back to square one and changing my drop.

but it is not going back to square one, you just change the drop and everything else stays the same....

[GnarKill1029]

but why change it if what you do is working fine
i really dont see a difference

[SolvenCarlos]

Back foot looks a lot better

[GnarKill1029]

cause that matters so much and all

[SolvenCarlos]

not saying it does dont get me wrong... to each his own I guess

[GnarKill1029]

truth

[noogie]

but why change it if what you do is working fine
i really dont see a difference

so you are saying that your skimming could not be improved at all, even if you do something that will help

[GnarKill1029]

uhhh what?
i dont see how getting on with my back foot will make me a better skimmer
i get out pretty easily with my front foot.
what is backfoot gonna change that will make me a better skimmer?

[woody harris]

it will help you get out to further waves.

[superdewey]

what actually makes the difference is from what angle u get on the board, usually front footers get on more on the side than back footeres. this is where the loss of speed comes from. the more directly behind the board you come on, the better.

[noogie]

uhhh what?
i dont see how getting on with my back foot will make me a better skimmer
i get out pretty easily with my front foot.
what is backfoot gonna change that will make me a better skimmer?


nevermind dude, do what you want i was just making suggestions.......there has to be a reason why almost all the top skimmers do it right .....right?

p.s. did we have an e-fight? is that why you are giving me this whiny baby attitude.....i am trying to help and you just continue to play the ignorance card

[GnarKill1029]

dude what are you talking about
i ASKED you what the advantages are to doing back foot first because i DONT know what it wwill change
you on the other hand probably do, because you are pro.
lets not resort to name calling.

i never denied it, i just dont get it.?
i never said all the top skimmers dont do it or anything...

basically i asked you, and ^^^thats what i got in response

[Aaron Peluso]

uhhh what?
i dont see how getting on with my back foot will make me a better skimmer
i get out pretty easily with my front foot.
what is backfoot gonna change that will make me a better skimmer?
backfoot is a far more efficient, which is going to mean that you have more speed while skimming, and hence have more options and can reach larger waves.

its not even really questionable...

look at the mechanics. with back foot you walk onto your board. while one foot is dropping onto the board you can still be pushing with your other leg. front foot you have to jump forward and catch up with the board. back foots better. a lot better. its still possible to skim at a high level without it, but it just makes it harder. Its like beaker riding a woody, he can still get barrelled, but that doesnt mean that woodies are the best boards.

[Aaron Peluso]

i edited my post for ya already

[GnarKill1029]

thanks for the information on that, really helpful

p.s. i always picture you as tiger woods because of your avatar
so while reading that tiger woods was totally spitting that info in his amazingly white voice at me
wierd

[noogie]

dude what are you talking about
i ASKED you what the advantages are to doing back foot first because i DONT know what it wwill change
you on the other hand probably do, because you are pro.
lets not resort to name calling.

i never denied it, i just dont get it.?
i never said all the top skimmers dont do it or anything...

basically i asked you, and ^^^thats what i got in response

My apologies i thought it was already established that back foot allows for a smoother transition and maintaining speed. The problem i see with many front foot first riders is they run super fast then the last step they slow down because if they throw the board too far in front of them it is gonna be a huge jump and tons of speed is lost. Back foot you can be full sprint toss your board almost out in front of you and then when you jump you catch up with the board and the transition is muy bueno

god is love, rev run

[GnarKill1029]

HOLY SHIT
hahahaha right when i read that, the ending bathtub scene where hes like spitting the lesson of the day came on on runs house.... ahhhh so wierd

haha thanks for the info noogie
good to know

[noogie]

yea its espn

[Dzan]

backfoot is a far more efficient, which is going to mean that you have more speed while skimming, and hence have more options and can reach larger waves.

its not even really questionable...

look at the mechanics. with back foot you walk onto your board. while one foot is dropping onto the board you can still be pushing with your other leg. front foot you have to jump forward and catch up with the board. back foots better. a lot better. its still possible to skim at a high level without it, but it just makes it harder. Its like beaker riding a woody, he can still get barrelled, but that doesnt mean that woodies are the best boards.

It might be a huge difference for the pros, but for the recreational skimboarder it makes almost no difference. Rarely is there a day when you are out skimming that dropping back foot first will mean reaching the wave but front first won't. How often in your skim career of maybe 15 years will that be the case? Three times? Four? For the average person I dont think it is worth changing your style if you already have your drop down. If you plan to compete at the absolutely highest level you might want to refine your skills until perfection, though.

[paddymack]

it's just that, i would rather work on getting difficult moves down, not going back to square one and changing my drop.


well i used to drop front foot 1st, and i switched...
idc what you say, it makes a diff.
would you continue to push mongo if your thing was skating??????

[jesse]

i drop front foot first, and am from florida

and i know everyone thinks this, but i really think my drop is efficient...

video: (and i know that on this one specific drop, i was a little off balance, but you get the point)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Carrothead77/th_MVI_0777.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Carrothead77/?action=view&current=MVI_0777.flv)

[ZapBulletRider]

if there's one thing in my skimming I know is efficient, it's my front foot drop... my front foot slides right up the center line of the board in rhythm with my running and I don't have any loss of speed whatsoever. Maybe beginning skimmers that drop front foot "get on more from the side" but I know I get on from the direct center.

[Doctor Delicious]

backfoot is a far more efficient, which is going to mean that you have more speed while skimming, and hence have more options and can reach larger waves.

its not even really questionable...

look at the mechanics. with back foot you walk onto your board. while one foot is dropping onto the board you can still be pushing with your other leg. front foot you have to jump forward and catch up with the board. back foots better. a lot better. its still possible to skim at a high level without it, but it just makes it harder. Its like beaker riding a woody, he can still get barrelled, but that doesnt mean that woodies are the best boards.



I'm going to disagree.
I get on from foot first and I can slide out farther than anyone I know. It is not front foot first or backfoot first, it is the riders technique. I have seen people get on front foot and not be able to go anywhere, same with the back foot but it is a flaw in the rider, not how they get on.

I think the advantage of someone getting on back foot first though is how they weight is distributed as soon as they get on the board. People who get on BFF start off with their weight more towards the tail, which is better than the FFF who gets on with their weight more towards the nose. ( at least this is the case with most amateurs)

Also I think people in FL get on FFF because its is easier to learn when you can't really sand drop.

[raj]

back floirda
fag


and front gulf!

[Tommy Chong]

back foot when i first started

front foot now

florida

[Duffskim]

back Rhode island

the main problem i always have with BFF drops is the initial drag you get between the time you first and second foot land when water dropping. People who front foot tend to have an easier time with that it seems, but i suppose learning Bff will be worth in the long run?

[Tommy Chong]

what actually makes the difference is from what angle u get on the board, usually front footers get on more on the side than back footeres. this is where the loss of speed comes from. the more directly behind the board you come on, the better.

i dont know who you've been watching but that is definitely not what happens, at least in front foot drop ive seen...

also,
just me and my technique (like micah stated) i cannot drop back foot, i put way to much weight on it and i've seen it from film, when stomped on the tail the nose raises then my front foot brings it down of course... thus i have pretty bad tail wear and tear after like 3 months. Thats just my issue.

otherwise if i didnt have that problem or i could get over it i would drop back foot first

[raj]

back foot first definetly makes it easier to get out to larger waves with more speed..front footers can do it but it takes more work.

[Aaron Peluso]

It might be a huge difference for the pros, but for the recreational skimboarder it makes almost no difference. Rarely is there a day when you are out skimming that dropping back foot first will mean reaching the wave but front first won't. How often in your skim career of maybe 15 years will that be the case? Three times? Four? For the average person I dont think it is worth changing your style if you already have your drop down. If you plan to compete at the absolutely highest level you might want to refine your skills until perfection, though.

IMO any skimboarder at any level will get better by switching to back foot first. It is more efficient therefore anyone at any running speed will lose less speed on the drop, and be able to travel further.

Furthermore, the fact that all the accomplished/veteran skimboarders are always 'arguing' with all the novice/rookie skimboarders is evidence of the truth in this matter.

Can you skim front foot first just fine? Sure... Is it going to cost you more than 3 - 4 waves? Absolutely. In many cases it will cost you 3-4 waves per session, or more. I would say you will have about 10% less speed with front foot than you could with back foot, for the rest of your life. If you are okay with that then go for it.

[Aaron Peluso]

also,
just me and my technique (like micah stated) i cannot drop back foot, i put way to much weight on it and i've seen it from film, when stomped on the tail the nose raises then my front foot brings it down of course... thus i have pretty bad tail wear and tear after like 3 months. Thats just my issue.

otherwise if i didnt have that problem or i could get over it i would drop back foot first

Your back foot should not land on the tail, it should land more towards the center of the board, near the top of the traction pad. This is also more efficient footing for maintaining your slide out. As you appoach the wave you move your foot back for control. This will resolve that problem.

[Aaron Peluso]

if there's one thing in my skimming I know is efficient, it's my front foot drop... my front foot slides right up the center line of the board in rhythm with my running and I don't have any loss of speed whatsoever. Maybe beginning skimmers that drop front foot "get on more from the side" but I know I get on from the direct center.

If that is true, you arent running full speed to begin with.

[paddymack]

back foot when i first started

front foot now

florida


is that a joke?

[waddsworth]

When I started skimming I did the front foot thing. Then when I was skimming with guys who were hella better than me I noticed that they were dropping back foot first. I sacrificed a few hours learning the basics of it, and once I got it down my skimming improved dramatically.

For you front footers, do you consider your drop a one-step?

[Utah]

When I started skimming I did the front foot thing. Then when I was skimming with guys who were hella better than me I noticed that they were dropping back foot first. I sacrificed a few hours learning the basics of it, and once I got it down my skimming improved dramatically.

For you front footers, do you consider your drop a one-step?
I do... while running I drop when my back foot is forward, thus allowing me to immedietly step on with my front foot first...

[GnarKill1029]

yeah i consider itt a one step because it take one step to get on
why would it not be?

[Doctor Delicious]

a lot of pros accomplished pros get on front foot first, with the exception of the exile team.

[heavyheavylowlow]

i drop front foot first, and am from florida

and i know everyone thinks this, but i really think my drop is efficient...

video: (and i know that on this one specific drop, i was a little off balance, but you get the point)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Carrothead77/th_MVI_0777.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Carrothead77/?action=view&current=MVI_0777.flv)

honestly, it looks like your losing speed from your drop.

[coleberr]

how many people gorilla drop / monkey crawl / whatever you want to call it

Whenever i see kids do that drop thy always seem to go like 10 feet further than everyone else. Like austin keen (sp) i saw him skim a couple times in cali and for the most part he one stepped but when he needed the extra couple feet it seemed like he would opt for the monkey crawl. Sean stevens does gorilla drop all the time and it always surprises me how far out he can get. any opinions on why? My personal view is that the little added momentum of throwing your holy body into the last movement carries a little bit more acceleration and allows the speed to stay above the skim sink threshhold

[heavyheavylowlow]

i dont know if anybody said this about the whole momentum thing but i look at it like this. back foot brake front foot accel. so if you put your back foot on first and swung your front foot on last then it would carry momentum to the front of your board allowing you to keep speed and go faster. however if you put your front foot on first and then put your back foot on last, your weight would be shifted to the back of the board thus slowing you down.
if you dont believe me look at jesse's video. you can see him shift his weight to the back of his board once his back foot gets on last thus slowing him down. and after he notices that he leans forward so he doesn't lose more speed.

[ejb]

I'm going to disagree.
I get on from foot first and I can slide out farther than anyone I know. It is not front foot first or backfoot first, it is the riders technique. I have seen people get on front foot and not be able to go anywhere, same with the back foot but it is a flaw in the rider, not how they get on.

I think the advantage of someone getting on back foot first though is how they weight is distributed as soon as they get on the board. People who get on BFF start off with their weight more towards the tail, which is better than the FFF who gets on with their weight more towards the nose. ( at least this is the case with most amateurs)

Also I think people in FL get on FFF because its is easier to learn when you can't really sand drop.

i agree with what you say, i remember seeing you for the first time at the vilano contest and was amazed at how for you went for this one set.

and on another note, i dont see myself doing much skimming during/after college so i dont really care too much about "perfecting" i just like to have fun now, plus today i didnt have one problem reaching any sets and the beaches here are flat as a 4 year old girl and maintaining speed today almost seemed better than in previous months. and paddy, it's not really mongo compared to skating. theres not really a right or wrong to drop unless you have like an 8 step or something whatever gets you out there gets you out there, if you have a 10 step but you can reach sets (not likely) then whats it matter. im almost certain aaron astin drops FFF and he travelled a mile out to the sets in vilano over december.

edit: plus in south carolina you usually have to water drop and i cant imagine a backfoot being very effective in deep water, maybe thats stupid of me to think but when i think about it, seems right to me.

[Aaron Peluso]

a lot of pros accomplished pros get on front foot first, with the exception of the exile team.

brad, jaimie and chia all would be faster with back foot IMO. Chia will tell you so himself.

Top 6 last year all drop back foot first. 5 of 6 are on exile.

[ejb]

brad, jaimie and chia all would be faster with back foot IMO. Chia will tell you so himself.

Top 6 last year all drop back foot first. 5 of 6 are on exile.

what if i dont plan on going pro?

[Aaron Peluso]

i drop front foot first, and am from florida

and i know everyone thinks this, but i really think my drop is efficient...

video: (and i know that on this one specific drop, i was a little off balance, but you get the point)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Carrothead77/th_MVI_0777.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v251/Carrothead77/?action=view&current=MVI_0777.flv)

I didnt realize this was a video.

not only is your drop not efficient, it is poor even for a front foot first drop.

dont shoot the messenger

[heavyheavylowlow]

the debate is whether you lose speed or not. pro or not. you lose speed.

[Aaron Peluso]

what if i dont plan on going pro?

its like I said, front foot is always a little less efficient. if its not woth it to you to change to be a little faster, then more power to you.

it has nothing to do with going pro. we are talking about whats best here, regardless of skill level. that means transfering whatever top running speed and athleticism you have into board speed in the most efficient manner possible.

[ejb]

its like I said, front foot is always a little less efficient. if its not woth it to you to change to be a little faster, then more power to you.

it has nothing to do with going pro. we are talking about whats best here, regardless of skill level. that means transfering whatever top running speed and athleticism you have into board speed in the most efficient manner possible.

yeah, i dont want to sound ignorant but, just doesnt matter that much to me. i can think of the physics and imagine that it is indeed more efficient for back foot but. just not that concerned.

[Aaron Peluso]

I can certainly understand that.

[Khoi]

I drop front first and I'm from Florida. I've tried to swtich to back foot, but it's just ridiculously hard and feels soooo awkward

[GREYskim]

most skimmers who's words count on here, pros, etc, are biased towards backfoot drops, thats the way it started in solag or whatev.,but theres no reason backfoot is more efficient scientifically. bye.

[lil chuck]

you're dumb

[paddymack]

most skimmers who's words count on here, pros, etc, are biased towards backfoot drops, thats the way it started in solag or whatev.,but theres no reason backfoot is more efficient scientifically. bye.

not true grey.

[MaRC StrehLkE]

Back foot/California

Yeah basically what they said, the transfer of weight is going forward if your back foot goes on then your front foot following it.

And why would font foot first be better for water drops? The same principle would apply...

[J. Saunders]

Backfoot, Not from NC at all

[noogie]

most skimmers who's words count on here, pros, etc, are biased towards backfoot drops, thats the way it started in solag or whatev.,but theres no reason backfoot is more efficient scientifically. bye.


Is this a joke, or are you a moron? I used to get on front foot first, i changed and my skimming improved drastically. "that is how it started in solag" did you pull that out of your ass or do you have a degree in solagology?

edit:just saw you were from florida, you MUST know a shitload about skimboarding in south laguna

[lil chuck]

how long did it take you to change noogie

[noogie]

to be completely comfortable, about a week, but in the long run it is completely worth it.........I can run pretty fast and the drop i had was giving me none of the speed or momentum that i generated........

[lil chuck]

ok thanks. im gonna try to change it. Do you think it would be more or less difficult to switch for someone that cross steps?

[Doctor Delicious]

Sooooo, getting on back foot first is better? Because you go faster?Maybe I'll switch, because i just pulled a muscle getting on front foot first, or maybe it was something else (not stretching). But I will learn it so i can decide which one I like better for myself.

[noogie]

ok thanks. im gonna try to change it. Do you think it would be more or less difficult to switch for someone that cross steps?

changed from cross stepping as well chuck ma boy, you should look into it

[lil chuck]

ive tried, but gave up after like 5 minutes. i know domke did it too but was that harder than changing front foot to back foot or easier

[Tommy Chong]

is that a joke?

no paddymack, i would still be dropping back foot first if it wasnt for how i slam my back foot down and most of all when i dropped back foot first i one day missed with my back and got somewhat on with my front and tore tendons... so i have no reason unless someone will teach me,to drop back foot

[Fanaian]

Front.. florida. I guess ill find out this summer if it makes a big difference in cali.

[Nick]

For all who's goofy and who's regular?

[ZapBulletRider]

If that is true, you arent running full speed to begin with.

I definitely am. Maybe this summer I'll have some vid to post. I can promise my run/mount/sideslip is much better looking than what I can actually do on the wave :) I've been skimming since 91, I've got the drop down. Just don't have a whole lot of wave skills b/c I've only really focused on that for the last few years.

I wonder if back foot matters more on the west coast, because I've never encountered a situation where I fell or lost balance because I drop front foot, and I can get as far out as anybody I've seen in va beach short of a couple guys, such as Frank who's sponsored by Exile ;)

That being said I have a friend who I'm teaching how to skim now, and I'm teaching him to drop back foot first. I don't have the traditional style because it was already over a decade established before I even found out there was a "right" way to do it, so at that point I didn't see a reason to change it. I drop front foot and I hold the board right hand back & I'm goofy, from what I can tell that seems to be backwards from the recommended style, but it works well for me. But I figure since he's a clean slate I may as well teach him the "right" way.

[paddymack]

no paddymack, i would still be dropping back foot first if it wasnt for how i slam my back foot down and most of all when i dropped back foot first i one day missed with my back and got somewhat on with my front and tore tendons... so i have no reason unless someone will teach me,to drop back foot




so now that you drpop front first, you pull a leap of faith onto the board leaving your backfoot to hopefully catch up with the back of the board and still do the splits....i used to eat shit and fall forward so many times...and i cant even remember the last time i did the splits not tht i have my BFF drop...and like noogie said, it takes time...its all about timeing and getting it in your head...

like i said, i switched i was FFF dropping when i got out here. and when i changed to back foot..my style got better wave selection as better, transition from wetsand to water was better as well.

[450rider]

so california, i'm a pirate so step on back peg first, then i follow up with my left good leg. everyone's always laughin at me peg.

[lil chuck]

that was so far away from being funny

[Robert Huffman]

backfoot, florida

[solvenskim]

I can do both but I am better at front for the reason I can do it better when it is choppy but I like back foot for when its clean and a nice slope. Although I am trying to change completely. Oh, and I am from the Gulf of Florida .

[ejb]

what is cross stepping?

[Tommy Chong]

so now that you drpop front first, you pull a leap of faith onto the board leaving your backfoot to hopefully catch up with the back of the board and still do the splits....i used to eat shit and fall forward so many times...

haha :D, sorry but i have never pulled a leap of faith or had any problems except when i was first learning, and that was from kicking the board when i did not let it drop entirely...

i find it very efficient, but when i drop back foot.. less efficient. maybe when i come out there i'll see the difference and stick it out

[Tommy Chong]

what is cross stepping?

say you run left handed and you have to jump over following the board backwards for backside, i think thats how to explain it?

[lil chuck]

what is cross stepping?
i ride goofy but i hold the board regular. i have to do a quick 180 to get on the board.

[ejb]

yeah thats what i thought, thanks.

[sam m.]

I drop back foot first, but front foot would be nice in some situations. Cali.

[Fanaian]

Reading all the arguments on this thread made me want to change from front foot to backfoot. But there are times when (at least in florida) it's much easier to get front foot. I have a no step drop which makes it a lot quicker to get on the board.

[lil chuck]

i no step also. it helps for deep water drops

[carbonisyourfriend]

most people from the gulf area drop front first because most of our spots dont have a clean white wash/slope combo, so we have to rush to get on the board more

[Fanaian]

i no step also. it helps for deep water drops
Yeah chuck thats why i am debating whether to change it or not. I tryed it in the carpet and it's not too bad. It feels a lot more smoother (from the few time that i got it down).

[lil chuck]

i got to switch the way i hold my board so i dont cross step and change to back foot first. hopefuly it will help sognificantly like everyone is saying because i want to improve as much as i can. so if this will help, im doing it.

[Billagan]

[Back foot first; V-land Florida.]

Its weird though when i surf its opposite, front foot first. IMO if I were to drop my board and get on FFF then i would push the rocker down and plow through the water instead of skimming over any chop. I do get on BFF but I put my back foot on the top of the tail pad and then move it back wen i get ready to turn as Aaron said it is the most efficient way to maintain my momentum. You can get away with dropping FFF but to excel in a variety of conditions and still maintain your momentum during the drop you need to drop back foot first.

[erfon]

front foot first but I wanna change cause I think back foot is smother. I can do back foot when its not very windy

[SolvenCarlos]

most people from the gulf area drop front first because most of our spots dont have a clean white wash/slope combo, so we have to rush to get on the board more
but the pros from the gulf that get on back foot catch waves that break farther and seem to get longer lines, and have better style.

[OtotheZ]

bff regular europe

[noogie]

most people from the gulf area drop front first because most of our spots dont have a clean white wash/slope combo, so we have to rush to get on the board more
It does not affect how fast you get on your board if you do it right

I guarantee i get on the board just as fast as anyone on the gulf coast

[SolvenCarlos]

to me I found that I don't have to run as fast with back foot to get to the same waves i did front foot, saving me some energy.

[andyman06]

back foot, santa cruz

[coleberr]

k i dont know if anyone saw what i posted before but im pretty curious to get some opinions so im gonna post again

how many people gorilla drop / monkey crawl / whatever you want to call it

Whenever i see kids do that drop thy always seem to go like 10 feet further than everyone else. Like austin keen (sp) i saw him skim a couple times in cali and for the most part he one stepped but when he needed the extra couple feet it seemed like he would opt for the monkey crawl. Sean stevens does gorilla drop all the time and it always surprises me how far out he can get. any opinions on why? My personal view is that the little added momentum of throwing your holy body into the last movement carries a little bit more acceleration and allows the speed to stay above the skim sink threshhold

I've been working on it and teaching it to myself i think given a couple weeks of skimming one or two days a week and i should have a rough version of it worked out so i can use it to reach waves

[Doctor Delicious]

1,2 3, 4, 5 people gorilla drop. I counted them.

I think it's a cool drop, but its very hard to learn and stuff.

[coleberr]

Like look at Hugo Santos, he owns the portugal pro circuit from what i can gather and he works the gorilla drop and goes for miles.

[tyler_sti]

I think a monkey crawl is faster because its basicly insta side skim. The weight is already on the board most time when it hits the water. Instead of having a minor weight transfer from jumping on. Just seems more consistant. Although I have tried and faild BAD! hahahah..Shit is no joke...

[ZapBulletRider]

to me I found that I don't have to run as fast with back foot to get to the same waves i did front foot, saving me some energy.

the only way this would make sense is if you had really sucked at FFF

[ZapBulletRider]

I think a monkey crawl is faster because its basicly insta side skim. The weight is already on the board most time when it hits the water. Instead of having a minor weight transfer from jumping on. Just seems more consistant. Although I have tried and faild BAD! hahahah..Shit is no joke...

yeah but you failed to mention the fact that you still have to stand up, which means already you eliminate yourself from conditions where you're hitting the wave pretty much right after you get on the board. I've seen one guy around here that monkey crawls, and he's pretty good, but I see him blow at least one wave a session due to his drop.

Besides it's not possible to move your feet onto the board and stand up from that position without shifting your weight around on the board some, and that's only going to make you lose speed. I don't understand why anybody drops like that, i think it looks retarded.

[AdamO]

Back, Newcastle - england

[Aaron Peluso]

Hugo's monkey crawl is really efficient in portuguese style waves where he often benefits from being able to do deep water drops smoothly before any of us could even get on our board (when the water is still too deep, on top of incomming surge). It really is an advantage in that particular situation.

However, I think its a disadvantage in a lot of other situations, and I dont know that the advantages outweigh them at all. Also, I think that drop style requires more athleticism to be really good at.

[ZapBulletRider]

yeah that and windy conditions are the only advantages I see. I was talking to a guy the other day and he goes "yeah it looks cool as shit" and I'm like "really?"

:confused: :rolleyes: <-these emoticons indicate how I was feeling at the time


I think I'm actually going to try to learn BFF now, just to see how it feels. I dont' know if I'm necessarily going to stick w/ it but I want to see what all the fuss is about. But I'm pretty sure for me, correct me if I'm wrong, I'm going to have to hold the board differently (currently right hand on the tail and I'm goofy footed). Maybe that's why BFF seems so awkward now, because of the way I hold my board.

[Benji]

Look at how cool me and this guy are getting on front foot first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI3fknb3Rsw


Yeeehaw

[ejb]

yeah, that one side slip def proves that it can't matter that much. i love that video.

[ZapBulletRider]

1:20 is exactly how I drop

and 2:02

[heavyheavylowlow]

yeah that and windy conditions are the only advantages I see. I was talking to a guy the other day and he goes "yeah it looks cool as shit" and I'm like "really?"

:confused: :rolleyes: <-these emoticons indicate how I was feeling at the time


I think I'm actually going to try to learn BFF now, just to see how it feels. I dont' know if I'm necessarily going to stick w/ it but I want to see what all the fuss is about. But I'm pretty sure for me, correct me if I'm wrong, I'm going to have to hold the board differently (currently right hand on the tail and I'm goofy footed). Maybe that's why BFF seems so awkward now, because of the way I hold my board.

if your goofy you should hold the tail of your board with your left hand.

edit: i guess its different if u fff.

[ZapBulletRider]

see the vid above, it works for some people obviously. Like I said it's worked for 17 years and by now I don't have any issues getting to waves.

[heavyheavylowlow]

i think it would be a little bit different if u were going for bigger waves in laguna

[ZapBulletRider]

maybe, I still don't see how it makes a difference. By the time the board hits the ground my body is already rotated and my foot is already moving up right above the board. There's only a split second there b/c one time my board didn't drop quite as quickly b/c the wind caught it, and I kicked the board while running full force and split in between my big & second toe, got 5 stitches. I'd be willing to bet the difference in time that both feet are set between a really good FFF and BFF is minimal, if not nonexistent./

[heavyheavylowlow]

i think it has to do with the momentum you get from bringing the front foot around after the back foot is placed on the board which helps you generate more speed going out to the wave.

[ZapBulletRider]

yeah I'm sorry but I've studied enough physics to know that's bullshit. What about the momentum you get on a FFF from your front foot landing on the board with all your weight on it moving forward at full run pace? If you think about it what you just said results in less forward push than a FFF drop. If BFF is unequivocally better than FFF for California, that is not the reason. I've watched plenty of vid of guys dropping at the wedge and such and I don't see anything that I couldn't get to w/ a FFF drop. Like I said before what would be hard for me is what to do at the actual wave, that would take getting used to, b/c those waves are bigger and more powerful than what we have here. But the obx gets some pretty steep beaches so that's nothing new.

[ejb]

fight fight fight

[Aaron Peluso]

1:20 is exactly how I drop

an efficient back foot drop would give that guy about 10% more speed easy at 1:20. he is not running top speed at the drop point. 90% maybe, probably less. With back foot first, your initial board speed can be faster than your top running speed, because as you are landing with your back foot on the board you can be pushing laterally as hard as you can with your front foot.

Plus, in order to be that fast with the FFF drop he has to jump hard which creates a significant downwards force, that burns speed, even on the sand. 1:08 is the more impressive drop for sure. But even in that one he woud have reached that wave with more speed with a good back foot drop. Look at the water that comes off of his board on the way out, and he is already in a crouch because of his drop, so he has less room for error and less ability to adjust. He also would have been able to drop one or two steps further out BFF (yes, forever...), thereby reducing the distance to the wave.

For a FFF he does a pretty good job though. It good that he is able to water drop straight into a sideslip. That helps him a lot.

[heavyheavylowlow]

but after the front foot first goes on the board you have to get the other foot on. that other foor is your back foot. this transfers your weight to the back thus slowing you down. go back to school...

[ZapBulletRider]

it's not a fight, I just haven't heard enough to convince me that back foot is necessarily better. Are there guys in Cali that had a really solid front foot drop that had to switch because they had problems? If so, what were the problems?

[heavyheavylowlow]

i dont even think ive seen any guys in cali do front foot.

[ZapBulletRider]

but after the front foot first goes on the board you have to get the other foot on. that other foor is your back foot. this transfers your weight to the back thus slowing you down. go back to school...

once your front foot lands your back foot is almost irrelevant, I would think the only exception would be if you push mongo on a skateboard. For me, when I push on a skateboard, I don't have to rush my back foot into place, sometimes I just let it hang, b/c I'm balancing on my front foot. Same kind of thing going on here, except you'd be a badass if you could hang your back foot and balance on one foot on the drop, but my point is that the front foot is more important for balancing, and when your back foot lands, you're not really shifting much weight onto it until you turn.

[paddymack]

yeah I'm sorry but I've studied enough physics to know that's bullshit. What about the momentum you get on a FFF from your front foot landing on the board with all your weight on it moving forward at full run pace? If you think about it what you just said results in less forward push than a FFF drop. If BFF is unequivocally better than FFF for California, that is not the reason. I've watched plenty of vid of guys dropping at the wedge and such and I don't see anything that I couldn't get to w/ a FFF drop. Like I said before what would be hard for me is what to do at the actual wave, that would take getting used to, b/c those waves are bigger and more powerful than what we have here. But the obx gets some pretty steep beaches so that's nothing new.


then wouldnt physics tell you that your jumping onto the board and putting all your weirght in the front right off the start does nothing for your momentum in water...but if you can walk onto the board.........

[Luff]

Zebra and I are drop twins. FFF riding goofy and dropping with my right hand on the tail.

And, the only real problem I have with FFF is a lot of times I put my BF on too high and have to adjust it after I'm on the board.

[ZapBulletRider]

He also would have been able to drop one or two steps further out BFF (yes, forever...), thereby reducing the distance to the wave.


how is a water drop easier back foot first than front foot? That makes no sense. Your back foot pushes the entire rest of the board up, where in a FFF your foot would land almost in the center of the board./

[ZapBulletRider]

then wouldnt physics tell you that your jumping onto the board and putting all your weirght in the front right off the start does nothing for your momentum in water...but if you can walk onto the board.........

it's not like you're jumping down on top of the board, you're running onto it,

[heavyheavylowlow]

agreed to disagree

[ejb]

so lost.

[heavyheavylowlow]

im pretty sure its a jump unless you get on from the side of your board.

[paddymack]

it's not like you're jumping down on top of the board, you're running onto it,


no your wrong, you said it yourself...look at videos of the ppl that drop backfoot....
you jump onto the board when its FFF...I WOULD KNOW I HAD A FFF DROP FOR 3 YEARS. and switched

[paddymack]

Zebra and I are drop twins. FFF riding goofy and dropping with my right hand on the tail.
And, the only real problem I have with FFF is a lot of times I put my BF on too high and have to adjust it after I'm on the board.




like jon howell???;)

[heavyheavylowlow]

Zebra and I are drop twins. FFF riding goofy and dropping with my right hand on the tail.

And, the only real problem I have with FFF is a lot of times I put my BF on too high and have to adjust it after I'm on the board.

if you concentrated putting your back foot on first then you wouldnt have that problem.

[Luff]

like jon howell???;)

Mebbe?

Whenever someone sees me drop they're all like, "wuddafux?" Just how I learned so it feels normal to me :confused:. I've tried switching to left hand on tail a BFF but I get frustrated and give up.

[Luff]

if you concentrated putting your back foot on first then you wouldnt have that problem.

Well, duh. I've tried and it's hard as shit for me to change. I don't have much of a problem reaching waves though, and I ride a small as shit board.

[Aaron Peluso]

how is a water drop easier back foot first than front foot? That makes no sense. Your back foot pushes the entire rest of the board up, where in a FFF your foot would land almost in the center of the board./

No, your front foot generally lands at the beginning of the rocker curvature (one of the worst spots), however your back foot lands in the center of the flat spot (if you do it right, like I already described).

with back foot first you dont have to jump laterally, therefore you can drop further out when the water is like it was at 1:08.

also, if you do BFF right, you really dont put a lot of weight on either foot, until both are on the board. A good back foot drop will have the back foot on the board and be pushing out toward the water (not down) while on the board. Then when the front foot comes around both feet feel downward pressure at about the same time.

you have been skimming a long time ZBR, I understand that. But I am telling you, this is better. Maybe not for you, but ultimately, its better.

[heavyheavylowlow]

Well, duh. I've tried and it's hard as shit for me to change. I don't have much of a problem reaching waves though, and I ride a small as shit board.

getting on with your back foot is like walking on to the board. its natural.

[Luff]

getting on with your back foot is like walking on to the board. its natural.

Not foo mee.

[Fanaian]

aaron.. All that you have said makes since and you made me want to learn back foot first. ty.

[Aaron Peluso]

I couldnt care less whether you try it or not. But I think everyone should know that it is better.

I dont like mis information. In my mind the idea that front foot first is better or even equally as good, is flat out wrong.

So I speak my mind...

[waddsworth]

I guess the most solid proof that can be offered that it is better is that there's probably nobody who learned BFF and then switched to FFF because they felt it was better. Its always the other way around.

The reason I asked about "one-stepping" with FFF before was because I was having a hard time visualizing the mechanics of utilizing only ONE full running stroke with your back foot, while simultaneously not kicking the board with your front foot as you bring it over the board. The ONLY way I can see this happening is like in the vid above - where its a drop directly into a side-slip.

[Benji]

Why did this argument start up again? This has already been settled. In a whole other thread.

Even I, someone who has done FRONT FOOT FIIIRST for 10 years and been successful with it, knows that it is not as effective as using your back foot.

IT IS SIMPLE PHYSICS. All you have to do is watch and compare each one on video and it's ridiculously obvious.

No one is saying YOU HAVE TO CONFORM and change your approach to be a legitimate skimboarder. However there is no arguing the fact IT IS a more effective and efficient way of skimboarding. Please stop arguing about it.

[GnarKill1029]

this is convincing...
im gonna try it out and see how i like it
thanks for the info paddy and friends

[sealy]

o-m-g you are so right...:confused:

imma try BFFFF monkey squat to FFFF back to FBFFF then squat one...:D

...uncomfortablility is the best option to comfortability...:p

[ZapBulletRider]

well like I said I will give it a shot, obviously to be comparing apples to apples I'd have to have months of practice to get to where I'm as comfortable w/ BFF as I am now w/ FFF, but I want to just try it to see. I think we can all agree the biggest factor to how well you're going to be able to hit waves is how fast you can run though.

[Aaron Peluso]

yep. and wave knowledge and timing and trim etc....

but I think a proper BFF drop is in there somewhere.

[Benji]

It is.


Aaron, just post the grady/derek clip again (nothing meant by that Derek, it's just a good example) to give them a visual.

[Seanaldinho10]

edit: plus in south carolina you usually have to water drop and i cant imagine a backfoot being very effective in deep water, maybe thats stupid of me to think but when i think about it, seems right to me.


i water drop back foot first. occaisionally if im not running fast enough or the water is too deep i lose a crapload of momentum and i water drop nearly every time.


PS you should check out 2nd street when you come down next


PSS ejb would know - toby is easily the best skimboarder on tybee and he does a like 5-6 step throw/drop and gets on front first.

[GnarKill1029]

i just tried
it was horrible
ill manage ith front foot first

[ZapBulletRider]

I can't wait to show up at the vic this year, virtually unknown, win it all (in the pro division), and when I get interviewed by surfer magazine (who only showed up because of an anonymous tip that ill shit would be going down this year), I'll be like, "I think it was my front foot first drop that gave me an edge over the other competitors. They're still stuck in the past with their back foot drops, but I'm trying to move the sport forward and take it to new levels." Then you'll see the headline in Surfer magazine: "Skimboarding: Semi-legit after all?"

[Seanaldinho10]

insert donkey picture here

[heavyheavylowlow]

I can't wait to show up at the vic this year, virtually unknown, win it all (in the pro division), and when I get interviewed by surfer magazine (who only showed up because of an anonymous tip that ill shit would be going down this year), I'll be like, "I think it was my front foot first drop that gave me an edge over the other competitors. They're still stuck in the past with their back foot drops, but I'm trying to move the sport forward and take it to new levels." Then you'll see the headline in Surfer magazine: "Skimboarding: Semi-legit after all?"
huh?

[ZapBulletRider]

and I'll be like "yeah I'm representing team DBAG. Me, Luff, Nardog, we all have FFF drops."

[Chrith]

i back foot first switch. feels like i get more speed though front foot first regular

[Doctor Delicious]

yester day i went and learned how to drop on my back foot. Yeah im a bad ass, i learned it in one day. Anyways, I have been doin FFF since i started and i think i like Bff better. Because i haven't perfected it yet, its a little odd but i can do it well enough to catch any wave i could FFF. The thing noticed is the most dramatic difference between the two styles is the initial balancing pose. Bff is better, because right when you get on your board, you are already in the position you should be in to catch the wave, but FFF, you have to shift you weight from the front to the back. Notice how far forward benji leans forward in that video ( no offense, its a sick ass video i'm just saying). I'm gonna root for BFF for a month or two, then come back with my final decision.

[ejb]

i water drop back foot first. occaisionally if im not running fast enough or the water is too deep i lose a crapload of momentum and i water drop nearly every time.


PS you should check out 2nd street when you come down next


PSS ejb would know - toby is easily the best skimboarder on tybee and he does a like 5-6 step throw/drop and gets on front first.

im comin down for the contest, yeah i know who you're talkin bout. he'd be so much better if he fixed his "drop"

[Seanaldinho10]

yeah i know. plus he looks like a kook in some of the pictures ive seen of him mid-"drop"

[Tommy Chong]

yeah, i'm not arguing that BFF is better than FFF or anything on that matter, but i appreciate my FFF drop especially in the past few weeks. This video is from a little more than a year ago
http://www.youtube.com/v/rbWLfoMlkk0&hl=en
i mean i dont see anyprobelm with the drop and i definitely do not permit a "leap of faith" or jump onto it, a simple run onto
(yes i know i was running extremely slow there)

nor am i promoting myself but this clip was one of the only that show my drop besides *chriths recent footage*

[GnarKill1029]

ohhhh

[Dono]

I have problems dropping with BFF, I dont think i can get used to it. so should i stick with FFF?

[justin4]

naw, learn back foor first, you go faster

[Dono]

mmmmm

[justin4]

trust me, it will help in the long run, especially when water dropping

[Dono]

kk, Whats the best way to pratice? that might of been a stupid question

[justin4]

naw, i used to be a fron footer haha. idk just start slom, and work on the form. kinda walk it through on your grass or carpet inside. then take it to the beach and take it slow

[Dono]

kk. how long did it take you?