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Drop knee turn
The classic drop knee turn has survived through half a century of evolving surfing technique and has of late undergone a resurgence in the longboard world. This turn belongs in long skating as well, as an enjoyable way to carve, as a path to skating's surfing roots, or as part of a stylist's longboard repertoire.
Photo Karen Paquin
The term "drop knee" comes up often in surf, skate, and body boarding magazines and on internet postings. Even if you are not a traditional longboarder, you may know the term. It can refer to a kind of kneeling stance in body boarding. Skateboarders refer to drop knee when talking about a deep crouch used in slides or laybacks. The drop knee I refer to mostly in my projects is the term originally given the free heel stance used by surfers in the 50s and 60s to turn a heavy longboard to the heel side. Its identifying characteristic is the knees; the back leg is extended to the tip of the tail, the ball of the foot pressing the rail, and the knee dropped toward the deck; the front leg is bent as well.
Drop knee turn, Brooklyn Banks
Cross stance, backpedal to drop knee turn
In frame one I'm cruising straight on the front of the board in a cross stance. It takes some practice to be able to ride and steer like this comfortably, since it's a kind of switch stance, and also cross legged. From the cross stance I will step back into a drop knee turn.
In frame two I've uncrossed and stepped my right leg all the way back to the tip of the tail, placing it in the drop knee position. My weight has been dropped onto the back ball of the foot through bending both knees and pressing downwards toward the ground. The right arm comes up, and the left stays down. This arm styling is is done partly for style but may help in balance as well.
In frame three the shoulders have rotated left, which helps torque the board in the direction of the turn. My hips push or sit to the left out over the inside rail. Meanwhile my upper body goes to the right through a little bending at the waist. This makes my upper body a counterweight that balances the board.
Reverse drop knee or reverse turn
The reverse turn is a cross step with a turn. Your front foot is cross stepped back onto the tail to initiate the turn. The new back foot presses down on the rail like a normal drop knee. The front foot is very turned out, and your upper body twists against your lower body.
The reverse turn or cross foot turn came from classic surfing backpedals and certainly started as an accident. Sometimes in old films you can see when a surfer is walking backwards he winds up cutting back or kicking out with his feet crossed.
Modern surfers have refined this turn so it is done on purpose and for different functions. Wingnut uses the cross foot turn when walking backwards to perform a cutback. Sometimes his feet are crossed and he goes with it. Kevin Connelly sets up his turn as if it were a drop knee, he just reaches back by crossing his foot back. He uses his reverse turns to toeside or heelside.
Whether in surfing or skateboarding, the reverse is a loose turn and can be squirrely. The narrow, crossed stance makes it tricky to control.
Heelside reverse kick carve
To fully extend the stally, whippy feel of a reverse turn, do a reverse kick carve turn. This is a reverse turn with a wheelie. The toe presses down until the wheels come up, and the front foot swings the board around.
When I press down on the tail the nose becomes light. I will swing the tail to heelside in the reverse position.
Photo Mina Kuhn
The back heel can drag on the ground as a pivot, or you can drag the tail, or you can wheelie with no drag. The front foot stays turned out, toe turned diagonally to the right. It feels like you are kicking a ball soccer style. Notice that I swung the board around easily 90 deg.
To practice for the reverse kick carve, try some switch stance wheelies and switch stance kick carves. This will get you used to using your normal front foot as the tail foot.
Toeside reverse kick carve
The most common reverse turn is the heelside reverse turn. The reverse turn can also be done to toeside. You have to cross your foot behind farther, to hit the opposite rail. If you are regular foot, the toeside turn is to the right. This photo, from the Waves project, shows a toeside (right) reverse kick carve.
Kevin Connelly performing a toeside reverse drop knee turn
Photo Pacific Longboarder Magazine
One effect of reverse turns is that they put your weight more on the tail, in a cross stance that restricts the width of your stance. This makes the turn whippy, and quick, but if you are surfing this tail weighting will stall you. Notice how much of Kevin's board is out of the water, due to his weight being way back on the tail. This can be desirable, or not. If you want to do a fast bottom turn, it's best not to do a reverse. If you want to do a stally toeside bottom turn, use the reverse.
