Popping Up in Surfing

A former test and certification pilot with the Federal Aviation Administration, Leroy Stotelmyer now works in special operations for the United States Department of Defense. Away from his work, Leroy Stotelmyer enjoys surfing.

In surfing, “popping up” is the technique of moving from a prone position to standing. Newcomers to the sport typically make two mistakes when popping up. The first is looking down at their feet as they stand, which shifts the body’s center of balance and may make the surfer dizzy and more likely to fall. When popping up, surfers should keep looking straight ahead.

The second common mistake of new surfers is the timing of the popup. New surfers may try to stand before their board catches the wave, which results in lost balance when the wave goes under the board. Instead, surfers should try to popup when they can feel the wave under the board pushing them along.