The maneuver that can keep you going at full pace and drive you forward at increased momentum, all of us love the feeling of the full rail roundhouse rooster tail rebound of the foam cutback, yeewww!! Just saying it gives you goose bumps…
It hasn’t lost its mystique as the flowing timeless move. It’s the kneeboard riders’ classic weapon! Going back to the source of power into the pocket to come back off the foam up side down increasing speed and setting up the inside section. For driving hard off the bottom for the re entry top turn and fly off down the line to do it all again. With the RHC you have to time it spot on and have your speed gathering as u change rails. Plant it with flow, bury, roll and release your rail, put the after burners on and the rest is pure joy.
What sort of outline gives you the best feel on this move? Roundedpin, roundtail, rounded square, diamond, Fish or swallowtail? Just a couple of options to think of, at this very moment I have 2 kbs in my quiver: a swallowtail and a fishtail, and what I have found with them is this… they can be two faced, able to change direction on a pin or run out long and smooth accelerating out of the turn. Now I was a roundedpin, rounded square and roundtail man for years and I still do plenty of them. But these 2 kbs I currently ride never cease to amaze me, probably because of the speed they generate. Let’s face it, you can’t do much without speed – you certainly can’t cutback very well. The idea is to go thru your whole array of turns gathering momentum not losing it. Hence, the RHC the move that can double your speed if u get it just sweet.
Practice, practice, practice is what will get it right for you and of course you have to have the canvas so those long walls are on the cards for your next day out of RHC ‘s
Carlo half way through his roundhouse looking for a high five on his NL KB rounded pin.
Do u go in low or high? As you’re flying back towards the source , well then it’s timing, go up high and try and come back over the falls with the lip, land and with that momentum use it to your advantage to drive hard into your next move. If u go back into the tube and rebound off the spinning ball of foam… timing it so you use it as the perfect stall for the next tube section… these are all the possibilities that the RHC can give you, the possibilities are endless, really. It’s exciting to see this move done at top speed and it may look easy to a spectator but it’s a lot of surfing hours the exponent has put in to achieve pulling the RHC time after time.
Gun it out to the shoulder and then change direction looking towards where you want to go and do it at max speed. Lean into the turn, your head over the front half of the board, focused intently at where you want to go, visualize yourself doing it, relax, stay loose and flow and it will all happen. And besides all else it’s a lot of fun trying this move over and over. You will know when you accomplish your mission as ur stomach will be in your mouth and you wont be able to wipe the grin from your face. Let’s go get em RHC all round , yes. !! And i reckon you have had your fair share of doing them and seeing them done. I personally don’t get tired of either. Its such a pure kneeboard expression, thru the single fin days, twinny, tri fin and quad kbs it’s been a huge part of the surfers total package. Exciting, creative and energetic it’s just a beautiful thing , the roundhouse cutback… what an absolute gem.
