Skogging can be surfy
Skogging (Skate-Jogging) has been defined by its inventor, skateboarding veteran and 1975 World Slalom Downhill Champion Chris Yandall (1954-2014, RIP), as switch stance push, pump and carve skateboarding. This website is all about evolving the carve aspect of his extraordinary style of skateboarding.
Carving was a significant part of Yandall‘s way of skogging and he even did it while riding one footed. In contrast to the way the switch pushing aspect of skogging is performed by today’s distance skateboarders, Yandall‘s way to skog was very surfy in it‘s own unique way. When watching videos of him in action one can sense the influence of the early surfy style of skateboarding from the 1970’s.
The growth of surfskating
Since the beginning of skateboarding it has always been a dream of many skaters to transfer the surf feeling from water to land with the help of a skateboard. The results turned out to be quite impressive but were also limited by the turning capabilities of the skateboard trucks. Only in the recent years the development of so called surfskate trucks made a huge progress. Because of their improved performance and the corresponding increase in popularity amongst landlocked surfers, finally many variations of loose and tight turning surfskate trucks and adapters for skateboards appeared. Today these innovations make it possible for a skater to come as close to the feeling of real surfing on water as never before, while still allowing skateboard specific moves and tricks. A new category of skateboarding was born: Surfskating.
Linking turns skogging-style
But todays surfskate setups with their agile turning abilities are also a great training gear to be used for switch stance or ambidextrous (both handed/sided) carving and pumping. They have opened up new possibilities to bring the carve aspect of skogging to a new level of surf-skogging. Although, when performed with less emphasis on distance cruising but with more focus on surfy turns and moves, it might sometimes be more accurately identified as skog-surfing on land.
To skog on surfskate setups is excellent for improving mainly two bodily skills: balance and ambidexterity. Balance is the very basic skill needed in surfskating and ambidextrous footwork is the very basic skill for skogging. But since ambidexterity in skogging is directly connected to balance, both elements can perfectly complete each other, similar to the way the two forces of Yin and Yang are melting together in the Tai Chi symbol.
As keeping balance is more difficult when skating switch and in the same way, being ambidextrous is more difficult when having to keep good balance, the combination of surfskogging is the ultimate challenge for advanced surfskaters and skoggers alike.
So, come on try it and discover your other side!