So my question is who is out there riding waves as well frontside switch, as backside natural stance? Is this the future? Unless you know the rider it is pretty hard to tell if they are switch from a photo or video. Any good video of someone killing it switch?
In paddle surfing it is a novelty. In competition surfing it is almost unheard of. More people use to do it (Buttons, and Bertlemann) before the equipment and techniques allowed them to ride backside as good or better than frontside. Backside tube riding is a good example.
However, if we could ride switch frontside we would. It is just really hard.
Kiting is easier to ride switch than paddle surfing, but I am still questioning if there are many people who can do it more than a novelty. However windsurfers have to do it and all good ones can. Skateboarders and snowboarders do it a lot when the do partial rotations or fakies. The famous skateboarder Rodney Mullen is the only person I know that is "stance less". After recovering from an injury he worked thousands of hours not just to switch his stance, but to actually change his center of gravity. He could then do all tricks equally well and equally as comfortable regular or goofy. In his opinion he was not riding switch, he no longer had a sense of a natural stance so he was stanceless. Most of the kiters I know also surf, which may make it harder to switch kiting, than if you started with another discipline where switch riding is more prevalent. However, I wave sailed a lot and obviously could ride switch, but still do not think I can wrap my head around doing it kiting. I know I can not even get close paddle surfing, but I could never fakie a skateboard either.In 1994, then two-time world champion, Kelly Slater, was asked about the future of surfing. "The next great surfer will be able to do all the moves that are happening now, except switchfoot," was his reply. While Slater has been spot on with many of his predictions this one appears off the mark. After all, 17 years have passed and switchfoot surfing is still a rare thing to see.
I do believe if we were stanceless we would ride frontside most of the time and backside would be the novelty. How many people get excited when the wind is in the direction making them go backside. Everyone I know prefers to be frontside on natural stance.
Now having enough experience and riding waves GOOFY or REGULAR(kiteboarding helped a lot) i started surfing when the wind is dyes and i try to catch some waves...conclusion ... I SHOULD have started surfing earlier riding BACKSIDE or FRONTSIDE.... the feeling is great..