Emily’s Eternity Hole Update!

 

I get to paddle in some pretty amazing places but what is very exciting right now is that I am only 4 hours from home and paddling in an entirely new place!

That’s right it is my first time ever at Eternity Hole, in North Carolina.

 

Eternity Hole is small, retentive, and fantastic for learning! This is exactly the kind of feature I have wanted to surf for several months and now that I am here, a craving has certainly been quenched.  There are several moves I am certainly not good at and struggle with being consistent on, some of them are Left McNasties, Left Tricky Woo’s and endless combos. This hole has allowed me to take time each day to continually work on my never-ending list of moves I could be more consistent at.  I was very happy to be in my rockstar as it helped me get a lot of pop and really felt more balanced on cartwheel moves. I also found that I never touched the rock that people said you could! Love the short boat that offers a lot of height! It has really helped my growth in these moves and my amount of air time!

Here is a recap per move from my time being here:  You might find some of my problems similar to your own and the tips the boys gave me may help you with your tricks!

 

Cartwheels-

Day 1 I realized I was falling over after a third end! Not sure as to why if the boys could link over 20. Final Day- Cartwheel till you’re dizzy. Still not getting as many linked on the left as the right but practiced each equally and got tons of cleans and super cleans! More super cleans to the right!

 

Lesson– keep weight forward, remember to lead the turn and look where you are going!

 

Split/ Split Combo-

 

Flat on first end when we got here- but now can say I am about 80%.

 

Lesson- Commit to verticality and keep weight forward!

 

Loops-

Starting to make them clean, getting some really big ones and linking them to cartwheel moves!

 

Lesson- Stand Up longer and keep chest up when plugging

 

Godzillas-

 

One side (I think left) turns into a loop sometimes on accident, but my other side is good, just need to focus on getting more air before rotating. When I wouldn’t get them it was mainly because I didn’t leave the water enough!

 

Lesson- Stand up longer before rotating, make sure to really pull to make it rotate

 

Back Loop-

 

Got almost everyone I tried, felt super good on these even though it’s a hard back loop spot!

 

Lesson- really keep weight forward when your stern is catching so you have room to throw back!

Orbits-

 

Not quite working on Lunars but as for plain orbits I got some really good ones and started figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Not consistent at this feature

 

Lesson-

 

Put paddle blade much further back, past stern if possible and pry hard! Start working on that final end for Lunars!

 

McNasties-

 

Righties I could almost always get, just not always with air. If I missed one it was because it wasn’t straight enough, which means I didn’t pry long enough and keep my body over my boat. Worked on getting big air, when I took my time and focused on that, they were much bigger and much straighter.

Lefties- figured out why I cant do them well… I don’t have a left loop stroke at all…

Finally figured out that edge though, really happy about that, now just get the loop straight!

 

Lesson- Righty McNasty, slow down the pry to ensure a bigger loop out of it. Lefties- continue to work on loops using only a lefty loop stroke. Continue to remember the feeling of prying the left edge under. Be aggressive!

 

Phonic’s Monkeys

 

Righty- SUPER HAPPY. We did a rodeo and I got all three in each rodeo ride. Some were aerial some not. But I was doing a good job of focusing on getting my pirouette vertical and my loops straight. Lefty- Closer then my left mcnasty. I was happy with my lefties and I got a couple. But I did try quite a few. It was a hard lefty spot as that curler was flushy. But I found my pirouettes were a tad low but my jump to loop was good.

 

Lesson- Righty- Go for more air! Lefty- get pirouette vertical by pushing on heels and keeping weight centered. Be sure to learn left loop stroke to keep the loops straight!

 

Tricky Woo’s

Righty- Threw some sweet ones! My first ever attempt was a perfect one, after that they weren’t all perfect but I was super happy with them here. Biggest problem was either not committing to the third end  or not pirouetting enough and throwing them more out of a back loop style.

Lefties- Most I have ever tried, never got a vertical third end but finally finding the balance point of the pirouette part. So that was very good. Keep trying those!

 

Lesson– Keep weight over boat, stay balanced, and push hard for the third end.

Combos-

 

Split Phonics-

 

Remember to throw pirouette as the bow is coming down from the split to ensure it’s a combo. I got several but when I messed up it was because I went too vert on the split or I didn’t get my pirouette in time to call it a combo.

 

Loop- Orbit

 

Commit sooner! Don’t loop then throw, throw orbit during loop almost!

 

Split Tricky Woo

 

Stay balanced! Try not to be falling over at any point because its hard to recover from! I got one that felt really good!

 

Back Loop McNasty-

 

Make sure the back loop lands far enough up in the hole to get pop on the mcnasty!

 

Loop- Split

 

Great great combo and quite easy! Just remember to already have the stroke in for your first cartwheel end before you come down.

 

Loop Godzilla

 

Keep the gravity force of the loop continuing by throwing feet down as landing the loop for your next loop move. Dane could do all three, I was sometimes getting two, didn’t try very many.

 

Well I am sure I am missing many moves! I did try several blunt mcnasties, felixes and such but I never really worked on them!

 

I hope you can learn form some of my mistakes and use it to help you with whatever moves you might be working on!

 

Happy Paddling to All and if you ever have the chance to see eternity hole, be sure to do so!

 

Emily Jackson-Troutman