Joe Blair gives his version of the nose kick turn for stand up paddle surfing – Video
February 6th, 2008 by evan 
Joe Blair shares a technique for spinning your board around quickly. It’s not as easy as it sounds. I tried it and it takes some practice.
(click thumbnail to launch video)
Joe Blair gives his version of the nose kick turn for stand up paddle surfing [1:14m]: Download
Joe Blair gives his version of the nose kick turn for stand up paddle surfing [1:14m]: Download
Wow, I can’t believe Joe came to the same conclusion about doing a fast turn on a Sup board. I pretty much gave up on my “step forward” technique that I played around with all summer in flatwater. When I tried it in waves I got pounded. Maybe I gave up to soon. Maybe putting that monster fin back on the JL 11er wasnt such a good idea. Maybe I need to try this some more–I could use a good pounding anyway.
Bill – Like the Michael Jackson song – “You are not alone…”…ok, bad example but I’m with you on this one. I’ve tried this technique a number of sessions and I can’t quite get it. In wind and chop it’s really hard, especially on a smaller board. I think I gotta see someone in the water do it and then copy their technique.
Brian Keaulana demo’s the technique in the ‘Stand Up Paddle Surfing’ DVD, spinning 360’s. But then, we are talking about Brian Keaulana… I gave it a shot in quiet water this past weekend and I fell many, many times. Perhaps it’s easier with a thruster or quad fin setup vs. 2+1, or big single?
It would probably be easier for me if I wasn’t so fat.
Getting the fins to release in flat water or on a wave seems like a skill that takes a lifetime to learn. In most pro surfing contests held in small to medium sized surf, the surfers are scoring those big points by getting the fins to release off the top at just at the right moment, then bring them back under control. I noticed on the Blair board in the video, it looked like had some little thruster fins on there. It’s definitely going to be easier to release those over a macking 12″ single fin. Maybe Blair can get us a video on the technique. I’ll give it a try my next time out.
Joe is supposed to visit Oahu in March and there is a small chance that he’s coming to the Maui board test. If so, we can all get together and get him to show us these techniques bc he’ll be on the north shore.