Turns!

The Bottom Turn Top Turn Combo
By Kent Senatore
Tore Surfboards, North Shore, Oahu


The bottom turn to top turn combination is the most basic of combos, but it’s essential to learn and perfect it if you wish to progress to the next level. Timing is everything with this combo. A solid bottom to top combo will put you on the lip with speed, but a poorly timed bottom or top turn can cause all sorts of problems. Here’s a basic outline of the maneuver.

1. Start by taking off and dropping to the bottom of the wave. Go about a foot or two into the flats in front of the wave before you start to make your turn.

2. Weight your inside rail and lean towards the face of the wave, continue to turn with weight on the inside rail until the nose of your board is pointing at the lip. Look directly at the spot on the lip you wish to hit.

3. Now begin transferring your weight to your outside rail. Here’s where the timing comes in. You have to start your top turn before you get to the lip. The goal is to have the apex of your turn touch the point on the lip your aiming for. The size of the wave will determine how long to wait before starting the top turn. Timing this transition from rail to rail is the key to the combo, and will take time and practice to prefect, but once you master this combo you’ll be well on your way to ripper status! Just remember that while these maneuvers can be done on longboards and retro surfboards, they are easier to perform on shortboard surfboards due to their narrower outline and shorter length.