By Inês Tralha
There is much more to observe in a surf competition than the manoeuvre.
In the post I published about the world tour event in Peniche, I posed three questions. Where did the surfer position themselves? Which part of the wave did they choose to enter? When did they decide to accelerate or change direction?
They are simple questions. And a good starting point for moving beyond the outcome of a movement and beginning to follow the decisions that precede it.
You do not need to compete to find this interesting.
Where were they before catching the wave?
It is easy to start watching when the surfer is already standing. But the first question begins earlier.
Where did they position themselves?
On the next wave you watch, follow that moment. Then observe what happened. The idea is to follow one specific decision, rather than trying to notice everything at once.
Which part of the wave did they choose to enter?
The second question follows on from the first.
Once you have identified where they were, observe which part of the wave they entered. Follow the sequence. What happened between that choice and the start of the ride?
There is no need to turn observation into a parade of technical terms. One question we can follow is worth more than a list we do not know how to use.
When did they accelerate or change direction?
Now follow the moment of the decision.
Instead of looking only at the completed manoeuvre, try to identify when the surfer decided to accelerate or change direction. You can choose just one of these questions for one wave and leave the other for the next.
The aim of this exercise is not to award a score. It is to make observation more specific.
Observe, choose an objective, observe again
At Good Surf Good Love, we bring that attention to our work with each surfer.
Understand the starting point. Choose an objective. Observe again.
This is the sequence I want to make visible when we talk about our work. Before asking for a change, we need to understand what is happening. And know what we will look for on the next attempt.
You do not need to compete to deserve carefully planned training.
An exercise for the next heat
Choose one wave and one question. Follow the surfer before, during and after that moment. On the next wave, observe again.
Where did they position themselves? Which part of the wave did they choose? When did they accelerate or change direction?
What holds your attention most when you watch a surf competition?
If you would like to bring these questions into your own surfing, talk to us about coaching at Good Surf Good Love.
Talk to us about your surfing.
Bringing observation into your training
To continue the work, explore Sports Training. If you are looking for an intensive programme, discover Surfing With Science. Tell us about your objective and availability, so we can understand which proposal suits you.
To follow the scores during a competition, also read how a WSL heat is scored.
Photograph from the Good Surf Good Love archive. It does not depict a heat at the current event.