Tips by David Ngiam
Video : David Ngiam
Photo : Amos Boon
The power slide or power spray is where you cut out on your heelside into the flats and make a quick short turn on your blindside (or backside rotation), such that you’re skimming the water surfce with only the front edge of the board (fins out of the water), creating a big fat spray over you.
This trick lasts for 2-3 seconds only before your board sinks back in the water, but the effect of the spray is pretty awesome. Attempt this trick in fairly flat water. Rough water makes a little too bumpy and its not so good for the ankles.
Cut out hard on your heelside edge into the flats. Once you’re out, do an edge change by shifting your weight to your forward feet and pushing the board around using your toes on your back foot. Make sure you feel your back fin release as you are doing this. The most common mistake is that most people break at the waist too much for this trick making it hard for the fins to release off the water, or the spray they get is pretty small. You really want to stretch out your body for this trick such that your chest is close to the water level and your board is almost perpendicular to the water surface.
The way I initiate this trick to ensure that I get down low enough is to reach down to the water with my back hand as I do the edge change. As my back is turned to face the front, I push out my hips to get my posture straight (making my toes point directly down into the water for a fatter spray) and I look over my front shoulder so that I know where I’m going while keeping the handle close to my front hip.