How to do a Backside Snap with Damien Hobgood

Want to learn how to surf better? Learn from the world's best through Surfline's Pro Tips, a complete how-to series created to improve your surfing skills. In this episode, we go over backside snaps with Damien Hobgood.

Transcription:

Hi my name is Damien Hobgood. Backside Snap, like almost anything, it always starts with the bottom turn always staying really low, compact, and kind of more like rotating your body. It should be done with the hips parallel instead of like leaning over and trying to do it. As you get up to the top of the wave you definitely want that arm like this because then its just going to open up your shoulders and turn hard and open up your body.

As you're going into the snap you're going to want to start transferring your weight and leaning further back on your tail to really get that snap. Yeah once you're in the lip and your nailing it just try not to over rotate and as you come up and square up the lip, just close it and then it’ll come back around.

That’s one thing I've been working on lately is actually turning before the lip, snapping right in like the cup of the wave, instead of on top of the wave. You maintain the wave and actually can throw more spray. If your technique’s right, the board’s going to follow.

-Damien Hobgood

[seana]

IMO the perfectly executed backside snap is the sweetest looking move in surfing.

[ShortBrownMC]

I don't surf but love watching your videos!!

[anguski]

@stealth97x

this used to happen a few years back. you need to time it better when you do your bottom turn and approach the turn, and yeh u also need more speed

[HrcWhitey]

@Dylan5211 i can do backhand snaps and reos easy.
I think fronthands hard to keep my body centered over the board when i go verticle for a snap.
Always losing my balance.

[EdgarPSk]

yeah but if u look he grabs his rail to set up for the tube section right after. the snap was like a stall

[youlosez]

my god at 1:10 the wave is about to barrel over and he's still doing snaps! How the hell is he maintaining his balance on a vertical face hahaah.

[rowanfitch]

when doing the bottom turn make sure your weight is more on your backfoot and that you dont start to turn back down the lip too late, also you shouldn't see your board snap you should be at the top of the lip looking down

[wavevideos]

If your loosing the wave, you probably aren't putting enough w8 on your front foot and leaning back too much

[Vanish]

backsides so much harder than frontside.

[laserjohn]

42 people are the cooolest people
1 person blows tom cruise

[TrentonEffects]

You mean..
you suck at backside?
Not frontside,
this is a 'back'side snap....

[countryroadstakemehome]

No offence to Damien but...

Watch Bobby Martinez for some real backhand belts.