5 Signs You're Not Flexible Enough For Surfing

[@Seraphim_skateboards]

my brother had his spine fused from his butt to his neck from severe scoliosis limiting his mobility in some ways for surfing. I found out he isn’t even able to poo man since his back does not bend therefore all of his mobility is in his legs and hips, I taught him drop knee on the surf skate to help him achieve that lower stance and now he can surf better than me, even if you think you can’t surf based on certain injuries or limitations it’s all about shifting the flexibility you do have!

[@charlesbarnett2724]

Agreed 👍

[@sirbustasirbusta8099]

wow, amazing news my friend. what's the drop knee? I have popped out the lower lumbar disc and been going through physio but the physio just does not understand how much I need to be in the water and keeps saying leave the surf!!

[@michaelolson571]

Cool Story huck! I'm happy your brother is still able to get out there.

[@mikaeladonges9102]

I've struggled with a disc injury just like sir busta. The pop up, which used to be so easy is now the hardest thing from making me get out there it really pings now when I try to get the foot through in the pop up. 😪

[@sirbustasirbusta8099]

@@mikaeladonges9102 it's really tough to get back into...but stay hopefully and keep the training up as the body shall heal, but we just need to find the adaptor link to make it all work again

[@johanmaritz9849]

I am 65 yrs old and got back into surfing after long break…watched this video for the flexibility aspect but the “slide-up” instead of “pop up” has saved my surfing!!! Thank you Nick!!!

[@johnbruce2868]

67 years old. Cavernoma. Stroke and hip replacement... but there's yet my SUP and collection of boogie boards including a legendary (well cared for) original Mike Stewart 5.5. Waves is Waves! Onwards... into the water! I was in it yesterday. 50 years of surfing. Bugger flexibility.

[@MotionMenace2]

I have been training brazilian jiu jitsu for many years, and recently started surfing. That last smooth movement he did where he stands up in the excersise is basically just a wrestling sprawl in reverse. Huge light bulb moment for me, thank you!!

[@sthomsonlfc]

That was cool. Not something I'd thought about before, but seriously obvious now! It's like Yoga was made for surfing... 🤩

[@dfilppi]

Great description and camera angle for the slow slide up. One thing not made clear elsewhere is the twist movement, the whole drag occurs on his side. Note also the feet position during the slide; front foot and back foot are pre-positioned and simply dragged into place. Another key point is the back foot lands first enabling a step through. Also note that the hips briefly reach head height to create space. As you develop muscle memory, that step through is lessened, but plenty of pros do it to one degree or another anyway. Game changer video for me.

[@JKR-z2g]

Amazing tips! I do loads of Yoga & Pilates but these little tweaks & finetunings were things I didn't notice. The arm raise out of a stable back was a game changer 🙌

[@beccahanson8644]

I have been taught, in other activities, that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. So glad this applies to surfing as well, especially in the pop-up! 😊 Thank you Kale for making all these lessons available on KZbin, Instagram and on your surfersroadmap. They allow us to bring surfing into daily life, even when we can’t hit the waves.

[@cwinfrey7077]

I had hip replacement surgery a year ago. This may be the best instruction I've seen to develop the pop up.

[@monkeymansean2]

Great video! I'm 41 and after a recent spained disk which left me in bed for 3 days and out of the water for a month, I realised you gotta stretch before surfing! I also do yoga most days now - I think most of the movements covered in this video are addressed in basic yoga practice. Great to see which ones to concentrate on.

[@kezza10mail]

yep, exactly, keep doing it, it takes a long time to get the rewards from movement, but not long to lose it.

[@madiem4912]

So true, many many 'coaches' wrongly call it a pop-up...its very misleading - what was shown as a slide up and rotating at the same time is EXACTLY the best way of learning. The snap 'pop-up' is just just plain wrong. Slow down pro surfers to .25 speed and see that its a smooth flowing action - EVEN WHEN DONE QUICKLY!, not a snappy thump on the board

[@safetybeachlife]

Yup. Slow is smooth. And smooth is fast. 😎

[@makeascene1587]

The reps they were doing at the end for the ‘slide up’ may be the best piece of advice I’ve seen to date. Excellent thing to practice.

[@Rob.Kisiel]

i surfed in Hawaii for nearly one year and noticed the good guys on the pop up instead of putting two hands on the sides of the board they placed one (in the centre) on the Stringer and the other slightly backwards on the edge....It gave them a much better position for the twist up.....

[@mich9831]

I grew up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches during the 90’s. At 36, I strongly regret not surfing at a younger age. My wife and I attended URBNSURF in Melbourne for a beginner lesson on Wednesday (and a second session today in a couple of hours). Aside from being a tad overweight at the moment (6ft @ 112kg), I found the pop up incredibly difficult. I have the strength available through my upper body and legs, but my core is like jelly and a surfboard has more flexibility than my rigid body. I kind of feel like today’s session will be a waste of money until I can move more freely, but also, loved it so much I can’t wait to get back out. Thanks for the video broccoli. Looking forward to getting the body conditioned to enjoying surfing more 🤙

[@KalesBroccoli]

🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@SuperTittays]

I've had 2 knee reconstructions as a result of skateboarding for my entire life and I already have some arthritis in both knees. What keeps me skating/surfing is having a stretch/calisthenics routine that I do every single day when I wake up (also I stopped jumping down stairs like an idiot) as well as daily joint care. Accepting that I am in a new, achy, creaky stage of my athletic life was the hardest part of turning 30, but these kinds of exercises make all the difference in the world and allow me to keep surfing and skating safely 👍🏼 Thank you for the tips.

[@Viellgas89]

Sooo gonna start doing theese exercises and movements!! Big thanks !!! Greetings from Sweden! Keep up your great work!! Pz

[@charlesbarnett2724]

Great exercise there. I do an hour of yoga once a week with my wife and a lot of that is very similar. (from a 52 year old with an arthritic hip 😄👍).

[@eventhorizon5183]

Just to let fellow surfers know these sort of exercises make a BIG difference. I was limping due to pain in my foot. I thought I was getting old and this was going to effective my quality of life. I was given advise by a sports therapist and was told to due stretching exercises to stretch the ligaments that run from my leg to my heel. After just 3 day of stretching that leg/foot/heel area pain went completely away and has never come back. Take this video seriously. IT MATTERS AND IT'S OUTSTANDING ADVICE!

[@KalesBroccoli]

Thanks for sharing!

[@didymostruespeal]

After a two-week lay off.my pop-up started slowing down again. So here I am again studying this one and hydro-mind... I'm fast enough it's that my front foot is not getting in the right position. Frustrating session today... After watching both videos I can see that I've let my hands go too far forward and I need to bring them back to my chest... Thanks fellas!

[@sicklad21]

Cool to see Nick featuring in another video, his advice is really interesting 😊

[@kirkdunn1379]

Always struggled with tail pads and booties, would always catch leading foot on tailpad getting to my feet....flexibility issue am sure

[@mixtereE]

A very helpful video that I keep returning to. They are all great but the "pop-up" exercises are especially helpful.

[@chloen3020]

Thanks for this, great tips to work through and will def keep up my yoga routine ❤

[@raoulolano5326]

The slide up test, this is gold

[@claytronico]

Love your focus on quality. Recently started going to my local gym again and am always surprised to see the people who never got the memo that everything in that controlled environment needs to be quality. The lifts and movements are not about the weight, reps, numbers. Oh the numbers.

[@tg5834]

Nobody did any exercises back in my day in the 1970s, we were too tired from actually riding waves all day, with no crowds.

[@C.Hawkshaw]

Muchfaster now, they need to land airs.

[@alanbaskaev3907]

Both lads are excellent coaches!

[@hillandrewdavid]

cheers! My pop up sucks. I'm always trying to pop (jump) up quickly...which doesn't translate well to the water for me. In steep take off conditions I end up going to one knee, which is a bad habit I've been trying to break for years. I will try the smooth/slide method to see if I can make it work.

[@robertlynde9964]

Super helpful suggestions. Being able to get into a full, flat footed squat is so essential.

[@Jbasiliomacedo3]

God, you guys should be in Portugal! We need this kind of duo here!

[@Jbasiliomacedo3]

Keep up the incredible work!

[@neilgouws6962]

Definitely will take your advice 👍🏻👌🏻 I'm as friggin stiff as my surfboard 🤦‍♂️

[@wcc1212]

lol...yea, i did a couple of those exercises, and i was like..oh...i see.

[@ZenZone_Soundscapes]

I haven't surfed in over 26 years. Planning a vacation to a beach to see if I can still do it. I'm 48 now, so wish me luck!! hahaha

[@suganya9838]

Really loving these videos❤. Could you do a video on prepping your body before your first surf trip. Basically More of these lol

[@neuuser7071]

I agree absolutely with his theory on standing up. I’ve taught a few people to surf, and in my lessons I don’t even use the phrase “pop up”, and even tell them not to think of standing on the board that way. It’s too chaotic and not even accurate to what you do especially in steeper waves. If you were to pop up on a steep face you’d go over the handle bars. Similar to the way it’s shown in this video, I tell students to keep their tailing foot on the board and push off their trailing foot toes while making room for their front leg to slide up and plant the front foot. At no time are they unstable because their back foot is always in contact with the surfboard. This diminishes anxiety and makes building the courage to take the first few waves a lot easier. They know they aren’t expected to jump into the board, and they hardly even have to adjust their body to stand up. We do it a few times on the sand, but it’s so simple. As they progress they can personalize their stand up, and if they want to pop more quickly they have a solid foundation.

[@Godfreed87]

This was awesome dudes! Cheers heaps! ❤ I’ve been doing some basic stretching but its just not cutting it, this I believe will really help not only my surfing but life in general. 👌

[@robertgrass5486]

This really helped my kids surf

[@davesclarow4646]

GREAT episode!

[@redskizedski7336]

Gidday Kale! Back in the old days the “pop up” used to be called the takeoff. Can you tell me, when do you think the terminology started to change? Cheers!

[@jingtingliu3072]

good topic! Wanna say Yoga helps everything

[@timquain5341]

For those struggling with the deep squat, you may not have the range of hip flexion due to deep acetabulum or other boney abnormalities. That is, not soft tissue restricting your range. So what does that mean? Unless you have bone shaved away, you will not deepen your squat any further. ~orthopaedic physio

[@charlesbarnett2724]

Yep. Arthritis in my hip. I work to my limits.

[@makeascene1587]

So what you’re saying is; go to a hardware store, buy a metal file and go to town on my hip? Instructions received, thank you for your help : )

[@jowlorenz9555]

Welcome to the worldwide wireless concentration cramp ! maybe if we'd kiss our corporate cattlerancher state pharmer KINGPIMPS of gangstas pair-o-dice asses hard enough --- they might treat us a little better huh ? (Stockholm syndrome) We best start sharpening our mental shivs yawl. Hold fast (intermittent fasting from the poi-zion food and information supply) , and stay vigilant (meditation is prayer) --- to achieve Goddesspeed yawl. Time to conscientiously rip the goddamn blindfold MASK veil off Lady Justice --- so she can properly thrash that greedy-sadistic judiciously corrupt fraternity of pig-raping motherfrackers out of the equation entirely. . . We need to change "good mourning." into "good dawning !" REJOICE for the kingdom of heaven is in play ! FREEK-OUT ! And BIG Peace to all honest to goodness children of the earth ...

[@Ryan-tb7pp]

Full squat is what I’ve noticed to be a trait with avid surfers. I’ve been working on ankle mobility for months now

[@makeascene1587]

This. A lot of people think of tight hips/ hamstrings when being unable to squat to depth. Ankle mobility is a serious factor to consider that’s often overlooked (especially gym lads)

[@Ryan-tb7pp]

@@makeascene1587 Mobilizing my hips helps a bit, but I agree. Even at the gym, when I squat i go atg

[@makeascene1587]

@@Ryan-tb7pp Oh for sure mobilizing hips is important, I do it myself every gym/ surf session and I would recommend to all. My point was that many people would just stop there and overlook or not be aware of the importance of ankle mobility.

[@MenchanVlog]

Just wow! As a beginner I don't know how that slow slide pop up maneuver is performed.

[@erhardwoodsflooring4662]

Thank you very much . I’m 44 good shape but my flexibility has to improve..

[@323v6]

That was cool. The Flo and flexibility, instead of scrambling and jumping up with feet all over, only to join team face plant 👌🏼

[@PamelaColor]

Great video, should have millions of views!!!

[@zendean5207]

This has literally been my problem since I started surfing as a child. I was never flexible and I have never had good range of motion. Always stiff and tight. It always held me back.

[@tadejpeckaj1151]

I need to be more flexible.. a lot more 😅 After my ACL surgery in October, I was only doing exercises for my muscles in my legs. Any suggestions where to start? I need to get better on all the twist and flexes shown in the video 😅

[@KalesBroccoli]

Watch my knee rehab video 🙏🏽🤙🏽

[@kirkdunn1379]

Me too....always been decent athlete but really poor flexibility....being loose and limber does wonders.... Goal is to create more strength in weak areas

[@philippeforest8502]

Symmetry should be observed...at least in training. Surf both sides; rising to left (goofy) or regular (right). Better for body . Salut et merci du Québec !

[@KalesBroccoli]

Merci mec!!

[@rickbar123]

I’m 60, I’m getting up on that board. That’s just the way it’s going to roll.

[@christinegerard4974]

Very precious ! Thank you .

[@Outland9000]

This is a weird one for me, shoulder raise and particularly squat are good for me because I used to do a lot of olympic weightlifting but I'm also not a bean pole, I'm a pretty stocky guy. The slide up test might actually be something I do some of at home, I think it could improve my surfing.

[@pickle6759]

This guy has taught me more about my back than any chiropractor has

[@sokothechinchilla]

HUGE THANK YOU!

[@crystalrose2607]

That was a pretty cool little into with loads of functional insights and some great instruction for anyone looking to improve their surf experience a/or flexibility. Thank you for sharing, I hope to incorporate that last stretch and movement sequence into my daily yoga routine to get my body ready for a reintroduction to the ocean in the coming year. Currently I live quite far away and haven’t played in the waves in over a decade, but soon I will be closer and intend to get back in the water!

[@sunnydaze9644]

Thank you, this is excellent information. I've been debating on taking up surfing because I feel the need in my soul but my body is challenging me with knee replacement and lower back fusion. Other than that I'm pretty flexible but not sure I can squat down like you're sharing in your video.

[@chunbeebear]

this is helpful! thank u guys ❤

[@kirkdunn1379]

So balance both sides of the body As a golfer when I got better I noticed some better golfers practicing swing the club left handed and could hit ball on their weak side.....whole point was to create balance...made lot of sense and now I can swing left handed Surfing or any sport seems the same, balance out both sides

[@urmama54]

former golfer doing weights gonna mess wif ya big time... mobility is everything; splits training being the biggest help so far

[@115moki]

awesome guys ! very useful . Thank you :)

[@irishkitty7257]

So, I’m 64, flunked all of these tests. I’ve lost all flexibility. Should I just start paddle boarding. Eliminate the pop up.

[@C.Hawkshaw]

Well you still have to get up on a paddle board so… maybe yoga and the exercises they recommend.

[@mattclark1278]

NO. Just start working on these.

[@boxertwinjeff]

What exercises are best to loosen up a stiff tight neck?

[@thomasrebotier1741]

I thought this was my usual surfing channel but, LO, youtube subbed it with a video about ancient alien bodies :)

[@amiel6808]

Awesome video! I just started to learn how to surf, do you have a video for pre surf stretching/exercise? im def gonna sub! Edit: nvm! found it lol! Thanks again!

[@iantincangleed4702]

Great film cheers

[@omarelba6605]

what is the name of the song at 00:29

[@wintermoonplays677]

should you repeat these exercises daily? To help your felxibility?

[@brentsergent1579]

Loving the backhand slashes Kale, looking clean and progressive. and the flexibility wow where to start thanks for putting this together

[@benjamindonovan8728]

Any exercises for groin flexibility? I do butterfly stretch and some side to side lunges but still have a hard time staying low in a full side lunge

[@sergiysosnov2999]

its so good thanks 🤙

[@RobCummings]

Nice -- you've invented a surfie sun salutation. I'm gonna work on that. At 60, I need all the help I can get.

[@lst141]

I see that alot of those exercices go through L5 L4 vertebra. How do you do them without injuring it further?

[@nereaparamoormaetxe5851]

Man, im super flexible, but my weight isn't helping... I've lost lots of agility in the past 5 years. Any tips appart from losing weight for gaining agility on the board?

[@KalesBroccoli]

Commitment 🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@peter-jason5298]

great vid helps when wearing a 6mm suit on van isle

[@mattwilmshurst8456]

This guy is blatantly amazing at yoga!!!

[@brianmcnary3960]

Thank you . Appreciate you .

[@aaronmiles8286]

Great video 🔥

[@Durtydee904]

Super great video

[@manatalk]

I used to teach back in the days... If you're fat like me, try the K12 technique on a long board. Knees, then 1 foot, then 2 feet. However, it's for waves like Malibu & Waikiki, NOT for bigger round waves.

[@pratchsiri7153]

Great info n vid thanks also What’s nick’s info ?

[@marcushess7053]

Hey Kale, ran into you a while back at El Porto hope all is well! I've been working on my flexibility but have issues deepening my hip/thighs range of motion. I'm short and stocky so my arms don't seem to provide much separation on the pop up. Are most shorter people able to work through this over time or do they just have to compensate with a quick hop to the board instead of the more fluid tranisition from prone to standing?

[@vivienausberlin2774]

Looks like Yoga with Adrien is perfect

[@bodhi9464]

Qi gong - Kseny morning routine is also real good 😎🤙🏽

[@urmama54]

@@bodhi9464 qi gong be underrated fr

[@benjaminpotts2097]

... Great tips thx!

[@TheWorldofBlinky]

wish i lived in sydney, just so i could see this guy!

[@davidmjohn3194]

Thank you

[@KalesBroccoli]

You're welcome

[@yangyang3175]

looks a bit like the "animal flow" exercise, very inspiring

[@arturolealcerna3950]

ty

[@kylewattssurfing3266]

Awesomeness thxxxxxxxxx coooooool!!!!!!

[@markgransbury8377]

Hi do you have a coupon code so that I can purchase the course?

[@KalesBroccoli]

Those students who are already signed up on the surfers roadmap received one last week 🙏🏽

[@AC-pv2vz]

looks cool

[@sprecklesville]

What would you recommend for someone who is struggling to bring the front foot forward enough to place on the board without ending up kneeling on the leading leg?

[@KalesBroccoli]

Mobility training and rewiring the muscle memory!

[@jimmccarley9609]

I get good and warmed up before doing pop up practice. Also, keep your chin up, and stay stoked!

[@makeascene1587]

Chin up, chest up. Get lots of repetitions in, even on dry land. Film yourself (even on land) and be critical about what’s going right/ wrong. Also mobility as seen in above video.

[@federicoperezmola9446]

Excelent.

[@niki.danger]

Holy crap I didn't realize how out of shape I was until I tried #5 several times in a row alternating legs :O

[@chrisfernandez5566]

So helpful...

[@leaaae4638]

damn i failed at the first one already. Tried squatting like that my knee was hurting lol. Heard a pop

[@meerw5143]

Like Yoga for surfers. Top! :-)

[@susannewilliams]

Yeah! Rip in!

[@rickchandler2570]

I thought I wanted to learn to surf until I watched this video. I’m too old and stiff to do it. Guess I’ll stick with the bike.

[@SRFTRD]

I’d rather surf like stiff guy kale than this Gumby

[@ubetucan2747]

How about an "Aged Surfers" Roadmap????🤔

[@KalesBroccoli]

😂 our courses are ageless!

[@ubetucan2747]

@@KalesBroccoli Stretching really works and your surfing benefits from it too. Tend to do it more often on surf trips. Sometimes I might have a sh_t session and it can stuff your confidence. I just tell myself that's the sh_t session I had to have and allow for 3 more surfs to get back up to speed. The missing ingredient this time around is the lack of flexibility, your video was impetus to take some remedial action. So thanks for that.

[@toninlemonetoninlemone2984]

To be fair this guy is naturally flexible. The things he can do will not be possible with any amount of trainning for some people

[@defensealltheway719]

There is no such thing as “naturally flexible”. Any range of motion is achievable for any person with proper time and training. He’s worked on it for years, nothing like this comes natural to any human body, especially as you age.

[@chloen3020]

I disagree, it's not like he's double jointed. It's the result of a persistent daily effort.

[@diagonals792]

Since my ACL surgery and multiple cartilage tears, I will never be able to full squat like that. Better give up on surfing then..

[@KalesBroccoli]

There’s a video on my channel Knee Recover Story 🤙🏽

[@kristobahl]

Yeah nah im buggered then, will just ride a lid from now on