Hi Beth:
You mentioned you have a good massage therapist in SF who understands the shoulder and back tightness that surfers get. Can you let me know the name and number of that person. Also I have very tight shoulders and upper body, I am doing Astanga yoga twice a week. What stretches do you recommend for the shoulders?
Finally, I have moved down from a hybrid (7′ 6″) to a short board (6′ 8″).I used to catch everything, now I miss a lot of waves. Other than lots of surfing and swimming, what weight work do you recommend for strengthening my paddling.
Thanks your column is great.
Greg W.
ANSWER:
Hey Greg,
Sounds like you are suffering from what I have dealt with my whole life, a tight back and shoulders. The only time I feel loose in those areas is if I haven’t been surfing much, am stretching tons, and don’t have massive gorilla arms!
My body worker dude is here in Mill Valley and he rocks. His name is Rick Kutten and his # is (415) 381-4959. If Mill Valley is too far away, let me know and I can ask around for a good one in SF.
As for good upper body stretches, you should definitely ask your yoga instructor to show you some. I think the entire practice is helpful. It is hard to get a good stretch from just one because unfortunately, “your ankle bone is connected to your… hip bone,” and so on. Tight gluts or hamstrings can increase the tightness felt in your low back resulting in tight shoulders, etc. See what I am gettin’ at? This is why I am sold on serious stretching for over an hour at a time at least 2 days per week.
I can totally relate to moving down in board size. You are on the right path for getting stronger. What I find is that you slowly get used to your new board size and actually get into different shape for your new board. The best way to get stronger for a shorter board is to ride it a ton. The weight room can also help by increasing the strength, size, power, and endurance in your muscles. I am actually giving a seminar on upper body strength on the first Tuesday in June in SF at a local surf shop. Check out our web site or contact me if you are interested.
Smaller boards are tough though. You are definitely not going to catch as many waves on a shorter board- especially if you just made the switch. You are going to have to learn how to better position yourself and get comfortable with taking off closer to where the wave is actually breaking. I have taken many a pounding while trying to get comfortable on my shorter board… but it is worth it!
Let me know if you have any more questions and do check out the surf seminars I am offering. They may help.
Hasta,
Beth(Posted 5-25-02)
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