Parallel/Symmetrical vs. Staggered/Asymmetrical Stances.

[Nov]

Which style do you prefer? Those that surf with a parallel (symmetrical) stance, surfing lefts and rights identically, or those that surf with an asymmetrical stance (i.e. one knee up, one knee back), surfing with a backhand and forehand?

I'd have to say I love both styles.
I really like the look of big vert backhand turns on a kneeboard (e.g. those done by Matt Gallagher), while those that surf parallel seem to make tube riding look so easy (which it isn't! ).

Thoughts?

[Kev]

yeah I do

I'm a Natural and have more on my right so my right knee tends to be back with a right hand wave being my forehand

currently my left knee and leg is weaker so a left hand waves seems to be very backhand and sluggish with little drive and power
I tend to just follow the wave more
but the cutback is better

in my younger days I think I was more parallel and would only drop my right knee back on a right hand wall or tube

like Nov ... I do like to see and use both ideas
I wish I could produce a comfortable forehand on my left

actually I wish I could produce any power or drive on my left

[skansand]

i can do either but almost always go goofy knee'd... better barrel riding on the lefts and i feel i can get more power/style in my backside surfing...

today i got my first pig dog barrel! went right and fully extended my right leg, flipper dragging way behind my board... more fun then functional but definitely fun..

[Bob]

Face the wave on rights(left knee forward).

Backside if mushy or switchstance if hollow when going left.

Facing the wave is better for hollow waves and tubes. Nov is right about backside top turns.

[W.G. Facenda]

Don't really understand the idea of frontside -backside on Knees? Why? Seems like total disadvantage to me, not to mention ugly ...

[Nov]

Don't really understand the idea of frontside -backside on Knees? Why? Seems like total disadvantage to me, not to mention ugly ...

I don't about other people, but I can't help it. I do it naturally, I get up left knee forward every wave without fail. I've tried getting up parallel and bottom turning the same on lefts as I do on rights but it just doesn't feel right.
I find it's quite functional and it's definitely not ugly if it's done right (check out Matt Gallagher on his backhand as a good example).

[K-man]

Don't have a choice.Left knee is forward at all times.Here's the kicker:My feet do not sit flush with the rear deck.Won't,can't...Tried sttreching,flippers,rear roll bar,still doesn't work,and at this point doesn't matter.
Try this on the carpet to get an idea of what I'm saying.Left foot is resting on the rear stringer[sideways]the top of the right foot is resting on the bottom of the left foot,acting as a single unit.Notice where the left knee points?left of the nose?Now check the right knee,see where it points off the nose?I'm using the feet together thing as a single foot,like a standup.Mentioned this style quite awhile ago in a similiar thread,but got no responses;Maybe sounded to bizarre.....
If it is still not understood,I'll post a few pics.KenM knows what I'm talking about.

cheers

[Jerry]

Right knee forward. Maybe because I'm a goofyfoot. Maybe because 90 % of my wave riding the past 30 years has been aimed to the left Definitely have a frontside and a backside. And my backside definitely sucks

[Bill E.]

Right knee forward. Maybe because I'm a goofyfoot. Maybe because 90 % of my wave riding the past 30 years has been aimed to the left Definitely have a frontside and a backside. And my backside definitely sucks

Thats a big 10-4 there Jerry......I am a goofy too and all the waves here are lefts and the knee dents are always right knee forward.

Had some hot rights saturday, just to be different, and it felt so weird to look down the line out of the corner of the right eye. It felt like my right hip was hangin in the water, but the cutbacks were awsome.

[KenM]

K-man's unique positioning doesn't seem to have any drawbacks for him, he rips going right or left. I'm definately goofy knee'd and find I prefer a looser board on rights. Like Nov, I've tried to "straighten out" my positioning but prefer not to think about what I'm doing too much while I'm surfing, I'd rather just flow with it. "Cada loco con su tema"... "cada loco com sua mania"... "to each his own."

[KenM]

While we're on the subject, I used to watch a kneeboarder at Huntington Pier back in the early 70's that had an even more exagerrated asymetrical stance with both knees aimed in the same direction at an angle to the stringer,his surfing was unique and very stylish. I'm sure some of the older HB guys would know who that was. Pretty sure he mostly rode Infinitys shaped by Dean Cleary or maybe Ed Greener's boards, still remember him riding a 6'2" or so Hollow Wave swallowtail single fin one time. Anyone got a name,... anyone?

[Nov]

I wouldn't call my backhand weaker, just different. I can throw more power into my backhand turns, but I can't throw the tail over sections using my feet as well as I can on rights. On rights I can control the board purely with my feet, while on lefts I tend to push my entire body into turns- which is why they're more powerful.

[Bintang Bob]

I'm a regular knee, ( had to go look at my board).... musta' been caused by evil influence from my footboarder friends back in the day....

[surfhorn]

I can switchfoot kb or standup. Depends on my mood and the wave.

[stevea]

Definately got to go with the assymetrical my left knee been showing me the way for ever dont know what influenced it maybe my love of lefts Northy ,Ocean beach ,Ulus where ive had the best days and waves of my life even the local beachie ive been getting fitness on is a left mostly dribble with the the odd exceptional reef like dredging sandspitting down the line speed trip .thats not to say i dont go right its just i dont see so many except the one i keep secret about a k from my room the window opens infrequently but when it does hang on let me see if i can post this picture