Look where you want to go! 👀#tiptimetuesday As in life, this simple phrase emphasizes the importance of where we look with our eyes. In surfing, especially in long boarding, there can be a tendency to look down at our board far more than we need to. ‘Looking where we want to go’ starts from the very moment we begin paddling for the wave. If we are only staring at the nose of our board, it becomes very difficult to pay attention to the way the wave is moving or other surfers in the lineup. Often when surfers are in the early stages of their progress, it is common to look down at the board throughout the pop-up process. This can hinder our pop-up because our gaze literally pulls us down towards the board. Rather, as youre paddling for the wave and ready to pop up, gaze down the line of the wave. This requires you to trust your body to utilize its muscle memory to pop up. Of course, we can look down at our feet to check their position, but only momentarily. Utilize these quick looks as you would checking your rear-view mirrors while driving. You don’t want to stare solely into your mirrors! Look ahead! For walking to the nose, the same theory applies. Yes it is ok to glance down at the board momentarily as you are taking your steps forward, yet avoid building a habit of only looking at your board while cross stepping. Your feet and body will have to adjust to what the wave is doing in real time, so unless we are looking at the wave, our feet won’t know how to react! Lastly, if you see someone in the line of your wave, do your best to not stare right at them, as it will act like a magnet, ‘we go where we look’. Rather, glance at them, acknowledge your spacial relativity, and pick a new line on the wave that keeps both of you out of danger. Sometimes the space and timing doesn’t allow for this, and since the rider is the active driver, it is their responsibility to turn in a way that avoids hitting the paddler, even if that means not being able to ‘make the wave’. Safety is always more important than any ride will ever be! Video: @simplyserene546 Surfer: @jojowiththeflo Words by: @leahloves