How to Ride Waves Back Side with Josep Pons – Video tutorial

Josep Pons explains in his tutorial how to ride waves backside. Finding the right position with the right speed in front of the wave and carving upwind quite hard are the key points at the beginning of the move. The perfect rail work, a hard precise hit of the lip and the powerful cutback with a correct body work comes later. The 36 year old wave windsurfing addict from Menorca, coach and team/R&D rider for I-99/Point-7, shows this back side wave riding technique in side-onshore conditions in Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria. Additionally he explains the main steps of this wave technique, which is essential for further techniques like the Backside Slash or Hack, the Aerial or Off the lip, the Backside 360° or the Backside Shaka. Thanks for that Josep and have fun in the waves!!

Step 1: Start a backside Bottom Turn with speed dropping down a wave and look at the lip of the wave. Where you look is where you go. Bend your knees to take your body center lower for better control.

Step 2: To start to carve up the wave move your body out of the board, put all your pressure on your heels and move the sail close and back at once. It will generate speed up to the top of the wave.

Step 3: As you are approaching the lip start a backside turn releasing the pressure on the upwind rail. Change the pressure from the heels to the tows and use the downwind rail to turn. Drop the sail down and forward. Stretch both arms and look into the direction you want to go.