How to Surfskate: Learn to frontside Snap, Bertslide, and Layback

Snaps, Bertslides, and Laybacks are 3 of the most popular and recognizable manouevres that you see performed by surfers and surfskaters alike. This tutorial will walk you through the steps of going from a simple frontside carve to doing more aggressive frontside snaps, and then translating those skills into learning bertslides and laybacks.
I'd suggest watching my tutorial on sliding technique as a helpful tool before starting as being good at breaking into slides will help you learn all 3 of these tricks faster and easier: • The Secret to Sliding ...
One last thing, I smashed my Insta360 camera lens while filming a couple weeks ago. The replacement cost is about equal with what my channel has earned this year. It is honestly pretty discouraging. If you found these tips helpful and were interested in chipping in even a tiny bit to help replace it as a thank you, the best way to do so is through my buy me a coffee page: www.buymeacoff...
Thanks as always for watching!
#surfskate #howtosurfskate #tutorial

[@stevemitchard4016]

Very good and informative video Mark! I'm a bit late to the party at 63, but I have been progressing with my waterborne adaptor, just cruising and carving and increasing my flexibility. I have just bought a Yow Maraki Snapper and feel I need to take the next step up (This sport is so addictive!). Video was great for giving me a path for the next challenge. Cheers!

[@tomaskadlcik8630]

wow, Steve! I'm 60 and glad to hear from a late adapter, who is willing to take the Challenge. keep on rockin'!

[@pumapaw2020]

52 and loving it!! A few months into it. I have to force myself to stop a sesh🤙 Older dudes rule too🙏✌️

[@ha7179]

best slides video I've seen Thanks

[@RachaelJohn]

Excited to learn this. Thanks for your awesome breakdown and explanation

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Yeah, I hope it helps! Practice practice practice and you'll get it.

[@aaronvu6292]

Good tutorial video. These practices would help someone so much in surfing.

[@zawesome1398]

Very good vid once again, nice footage, good explanation & always stylish. Your park is like a dream , soo good. You should list your setup with every video though, this will help lots of more advanced peeps too!

[@michalmularski7833]

I’m still holding on to Bert since the surgery so progressing to layback has to wait, but good to see you in a great form 🤙🏻

[@angieabend1687]

Love it!!! So good!!!! Can't wait to work on these 🙂🙂🙂 thank you so much!

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Thanks! Let me know if you get stuck anywhere along the way.

[@surf679]

Great video! I like the step by step progression 👍 do you have any tips or videos on how to take this from a bank to a proper quarter pipe?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

I don’t, but basically everything just happens a touch faster and you need to adjust for physics. There will be less friction, so your wheels will come around faster and with less force, and there will be more gravitational pull trying to pull you down from your height. Make your movements quick and don’t overrotate.

[@piratadeplastico]

Thanks for your slow, well structured and detailed way of explaining! I've been working on snaps and slides on the old yow and on a carver cx setup with the standard wheels for a while now and don't want to keep swapping different wheels. Does it really make a difference for beginners? What do you think is your favorite setup to make good progress?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

I learned on a really tiny board with Carver C5s, maybe not ideal overall but I do think the shorter wheelbase was helpful. The hardest boards for me to slide are ones that have a long wheelbase and the front trucks right at the very front of the nose. It makes it difficult to shift your weight from being over your front wheels to being over your back wheels. The board in this video is great because it has lots of concave to grip when you are stretched out, there is a long nose that keeps your foot from sliding out the front, and the wheelbase is shorter at 16.75”. You can do these on any trucks and any wheels. For starting out, ideally some good concave and a wheelbase on the shorter side, and wheels that you can break into slides without too much trouble.

[@tzupengpeng]

謝謝！

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Thank you very much for the support!

[@williammadray7818]

Great tutorial.

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Thanks William

[@bruno18026]

I'm always stoked on your content and tutorials. I've learned a lot and this was a perfectly timed one as I am practicing my ass off trying to get good at slides. I'm getting there slowly. I want to move up the quarter pipe and slash near the coping and grind as well. Would love to hear what you recommend. Any tips are greatly appreciated. Keep rolling!

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Hey Bruno, This video I made a while ago to avoid jackknifes when grinding the coping has some good advice overall on how to approach and get your weighting right, even if you aren't using a YOW: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3-uaGSofLN4eJY

[@NelsonBarros-gi9fc]

Very good

[@williambo5989]

the tommy guerrero 540 bert slide looks awesome but its a super old video

[@thegermansurfskater8324]

Hey great tutorial! Can you tell me which Deck exactly do you have? Thanks!

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

This is the one: jackalop.com/skateshop/whaleshark-lush

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Also have a full review on my channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2POh2mYoZ6omK8

[@loko7345]

Thanks dude 👊🏻💥😍

[@ismaelgarcia606]

May be a dumb question, but can you do these tricks on a reg skateboard. Not a surf skate, but a reg skateboard deck. My set up is a 8.25 with 54mm Kyle Wilson spitifire wheels. But every video I see of the tricks done they are on a surf skate and thicker grippier wheels

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Definitely, these are among the first trick ever done on skateboards! The technique is different though as spitfires are going to "ice out" rather than breaking in a slow controlled slide, and you cannot really carve into these tricks on regular trucks, it is more of a quick jerky powerslide motion.

[@caletasoul]

wht are best wheels for skatepark? i got a 69 concaves carver feel amazing but not for skateparks too sticky and big

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

So many good options. What do you want to do with your riding, that might help narrow down some options.

[@kai_plays_khomus]

Thank you once more for another inspiring video! I took up surfskating this summer because I thought it might be interesting and put a waterborne adapter kit to my cruiser board - and I got instantly hooked. I "felt home" right away - I suppose because I rode snakeboard/streetboard many years ago before I eventually switched to regular skateboarding I had a slight advantage because surfskating feels like a perfect hybrid of both. However, now I feel like taking it back to the skatepark after a long abstinence thanks to a broken wrist - my skateboarding already had been "surfy" with transition slides and stuff, and after I got flat slides under control an old urge got reignited.. I love the waterborne adapter, but I feel like its anything but ideal for park skating because of its height, weight, fakie stability and overall construction. Is there any approach or specific system you would recommend for park skateboarding inspired riding? Intuitivly I would be inclined towards a less complex kingpin-based design alá CX in contrast to a "pivoting lever" based designs akin to airborne or meraki, but I might be totally wrong here.. Thanks and greetings from Berlin!

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

I really like the waterborne on flat and carving downhill, but agree that it is a bit bulky for the skatepark. A lot of people love the Carver CX for skatepark and bowls, and it is a decent performer in the park. For me though I feel it is a compromise between the Carver C7 and Carver C5 and I love those two in the park so since getting the qwik trucks system that let's me switch trucks in 6 seconds, I mainly swap between those two and the CX gets neglected. But if you want to have a good in between, CX does the job. Many other riders swear by it as the best bowl truck. If you aren't doing much fakie riding, the pivoting arm systems do feel really good in the park also, so you won't be too disappointed with a YOW or Smoothstar either.

[@kai_plays_khomus]

@@MarktheLandlockedSurfer Thanks for your swift and thorough reply! I heard about the C5 and tried to keep my eyes open, but it seems particularly difficult to get, at least over here - if I find it somewhere it's usually sold out. Currently it appears to be available at the carver site which isn't always the case either, so I should make a decision soon I guess. I'd like to go fakie, so it will be C5 or CX then. The qwik system is extremly interesting as well - it definitly deserves consideration. Thanks again and have a chill weekend!

[@babelnow]

Which trucks do favor for all around skate park riding with the white tail deck?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

If I am doing a bit of everything, surf lines, airs, coping grinds, slides, plus a few wall rides and manuals, then my go-to choice recently has been Carver C7.

[@goofyfootgreg]

Good stuff! You gotta stop releasing these during my commute. Some time during the day so I can shirk my responsibilities would work better for me 😉😜✌️

[@reboundpt4987]

which board are you riding?

[@enotpoloskun8799]

thank you bro

[@ciyute]

Hello, what wheels you have in this video?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Surfskate Love 65mm 81a

[@ReyRincon-s6g]

what is your board set up in this video?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Whitetail Whaleshark deck, Carver C7 trucks, Surfskate Love 81a 65mm wheels.

[@ValverdeLeov]

Are those the Surfskate Love's 65mm 81A?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Yes indeed! Excellent wheels for the park.

[@ValverdeLeov]

@@MarktheLandlockedSurfer thanks, Mark, I'll most likely buy a set of those for my Yow Snapper, the Cynetic are too grippy for what I'm trying to achieve now in the park.

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

​@@ValverdeLeov My top all-around do-anything fairly well choice. If you do decide to grab a set, I get a small commission if you use this link. I don't push it very often but every little bit helps keep the channel running. surfskate.love/affref/1/

[@ValverdeLeov]

@@MarktheLandlockedSurfer thanks, Mark, I used the link and placed the order and added some bushings and pivot cups.

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

@@ValverdeLeov Hey thanks! I think you will enjoy them. Remember they may feel very grippy at first until you wear down the outer skin, then they start to really shine.

[@nicholasgeorge7825]

Can I do this with my stock soft wheels? Or am I gonna regret it?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

Yep! My how to slide on any wheels video is linked. Practice that first on flat and then apply on the bank.

[@nicholasgeorge7825]

@@MarktheLandlockedSurfer Ok, I slid a little today, but the street was wet. Thanks for the reply. Blessings this Christmas season to you and yours.

[@SRFeesha]

I feel kinda dumb to ask but, yeav - Is it possible to do a backside bertslide? Or is it actually the layback?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

It is possible! Here is how: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6e2Z6CHqLB-Z5Y

[@SRFeesha]

Makes sense, thanks Mark! Btw, great content, keep on rockin ⚡

[@friedrichkathler2398]

How far apart are your wheels?

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

16.75” wheelbase on the Whitetail Whaleshark deck

[@rudestbeast4907]

The harder the wheel the easier these are

[@diegoguerrero3525]

no lo haces bien no usas el giro ...levantas el nose

[@FunSk8chick]

What wheels are best for these types of tricks?