How To: The Blunt

The Blunt:

It's a simple move, but one that requires some good knowledge of your edges.

Here's how its done:

1. Find yourself a steep wave (the steeper the better), preferably one with a little bit of a pile on it to keep it sticky.

2. Surf out onto the wave and give yourself some time to get comfortable on the wave.

3. Once your comfortable, surf your way to the top of the pile (spinning to the top works well), and you're ready to begin the move.

4. To throw a right blunt you will want to take a nice vertical stroke on your left side while taking one big bounce on your left edge (think about kicking your feet down on the left edge) with your boat facing about 10 o' clock (if 12 is straight upstream).

5. Mid bounce, switch edges and throw in a back stroke on your right side while maintaining head position upstream. The faster you switch your edges, the bigger your blunt will be.

6. Once your stern lifts from the water, and comes around, you will end up facing downstream (with head position maintained upstream).

Put in a backstroke on the left side of your boat to set the boat down and stay on the wave.

It's that simple! The harder you kick your feet and the faster your switch your edges, the bigger you will go!



Hope to see you on the river!

Kim Russell

(All photos Copyright Seth Swallen)