Cut-back

Sometimes called the S turn, the cut back is a replacement maneuver. Clearly if you continue to ride straight you will eventually come out of the wave off of the shoulder. We must turn around and return to the curl to turn again and find the original trajectory and sweet spot for speed.

The begging resembles very much that of a very elongated roller. We are not aiming for the lip, it’s more about turning around.

The first turn is prepared by opening the arms well. As soon as you attack, you have to drop your buttocks into the curve and steer your shoulders very strongly towards the end of the turn.

As soon as you have turned enough to see the foam, aim for it because it will have to turn right in front, right in the curl.

Once arriving at the end of the first turn, you have pushed out so much with your legs that you are almost fully extended. It is now necessary to regroup to lighten up the board to facilitate the rail change.

We then switch to the other rail, we load up the shoulders for the second turn and we move our gaze towards the end/exit of the move.

This second turn is a practically a bottom turn. We apply the same foundations.

The key is not to get the rail stuck in the first turn. So, attack it with a crescendo and with a transfer of weight that will bite the rail enough not to lay flat on the Fins, and without excess so you do not over brake.

It is a maneuver that is done drifting, or sliding out the tail, because it is a transition into a new action. We often do a cut-back because we have no choice. This is not a maneuver we are looking for because this U-turn is a bit unnatural.

At the end of this move you’re going to want to re-launch the Kite so you don’t end up bogging out.