MEMBER TESTIMONIALS
IG @chris.fowler.187
Age: 48
Surfs: Wales and UK, Years surfing: 33
Over the years I have tried just about every training method out there! Due to a pretty high injury count over the years I have been forced to either stop surfing for long periods or at the least surf pretty infrequently.
I came across Wave Ki in late 2020 after finding a podcast with Brad discussing what it was he had created. It sounded perfect for me as someone who wasn’t surfing very often, was managing a lot of injuries and was wanting to rebuild confidence in my surfing so I could surf more with my sons. Whole podcast sounded like it was aimed right at me!
The impact on my surfing was instant. I practiced the front side take off section for three days – on the first wave of the first surf I felt something was different. I felt more together and the take off felt more fluid than it had before.
If I could describe how I felt I surfed before starting Wave Ki it would be catching a wave, throwing my board in front of me as I jumped to my feet with mixed results, wiggling my feet around until it felt right often missing the first section in the process, and then throwing the nose of my board around in various directions until either the wave had finished or I’d fallen off. I would leave the water frustrated the majority of the time, and I would always take with me the bogged rail, or the nose dive take off, or the mis-timed close out flail I couldn’t quite hang on to. Always thinking “Ahh I’m over this” as I walked up the beach.
Fast forward to January 2024 and I am more stoked to be going surfing now than I think I ever have been. Wave Ki is now a regular 4-5 times a week practice, and is the major part of my conditioning and supplementary training. I surf multiple times a week, for 2-3 hours at a time. Most the time I don’t want to get out, and it is usually the water temperature or a shift in tide making a break stop working that forces me out. I have a whole new appreciation for boards, different board lengths, fin types and wave types. I feel I now leave the water having maximised the enjoyment of almost every session, and I always feel like I have learnt something or felt something new. I am feeling new things all the time. I even enjoy watching other people surf way more than I ever have! I used to watch other surfers catch good waves and be bummed it was them not me – now I am just stoked to surf and watch others surf! I can’t wait to go surfing next time.
In 2022 I blew my knee out at jiu jitsu – Wave Ki was the perfect rehab routine. Allowed me to build strength in all the right ranges of motion needed for surfing. It also gave me 100% confidence of how I felt going through the motions of the various turns. In 2023 I broke my ankle in two places and the same approach helped me use Wave Ki to rehab myself back into the water.
For me now Wave Ki is as much a part of my surfing as waxing my board, rinsing and drying my wetsuit, checking the forecast – it is just a vital part of the whole, of me being able to surf as a 48-year-old managing a beat-up body. Now and into an exciting surfing future!
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Instagram DM by @jakey_thesnakey_
I just did a whole day of surfing focusing on tucking the pelvis and sinking the chest better in the surf mostly through bottom turns, re entries and floaters and all of a sudden that small heel to toe movement made the rails drive so much harder by correctly using my pelvis. Completely frothing and mind blown. Don't know what else to say about how much more I feel like I've unlocked in the surfing. I did a couple strait airs on my fish for a laugh because of how much more speed I was generating.
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Yo Brad
I just started Wave Ki and really enjoyed the backside late drop live stream. I just had incredible first session at Tarantulas at Jalama and lucked into insane late drop left - buzzing still and your live stream reinforced it.
I live at Windansea and coach local middle school surf team with my daughter 13/son 11 both surfing heaps. We're all getting into Wave Ki - so thanks and hope to get to Oz someday.
Mahalo
Mark Egan
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Hi Brad,
Just wanted to write to say thank you and also inform you about how much your program has improved my technique. Although I’ve been surfing for most of my life, at least 40 years, the past 5 years I have really struggled with the basics. Blame it on getting older, and just not being able to put the time in the water. I’m sure it’s a common theme for us old guys. I also recently moved to the SW of France and due to the fickle nature of the region, lining up opportunities to surf with decent swell has compounded my reduced water time. I found myself really struggling with just getting to my feet quickly and efficiently, which basically ruined most of my sessions. It also started to deteriorate my confidence. I came across your podcast interview and took a chance on your program back in December. I can honestly tell you that after about 3 weeks of following your methods, I saw a tremendous improvement each time I surfed. Even though I still wasn’t getting the water time I would have wanted, practicing the techniques on a daily basis kept me surf fit and brought back muscle memory. I found when I did get in the water, my technique was so much better and I just started to have fun again. It’s truly been amazing and I can’t tell you how stoked I am! So thank you Brad and really looking forward to progressing more with your program.
Cheers, Ronnie
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Hi Brad,
Thank-you so much for Wave Ki. Even in a short time the program has made a difference to my surfing. I am 56 years old and I started surfing 20 years ago, and I have been in a holding pattern for many years now, not improving much. Some would say at 56 years I am unlikely to progress, but I remain hopeful. In a short time, doing Wave Ki, practicing the front side take-off has had an impact on my surfing.
Personally, I love the break down of skills. My husband usually gives me 10 things to change on one wave and I get overwhelmed and nothing changes.
My question to Brad is about surfboards. I started surfing on longboards and I am now riding a 7 8 mid length board, which I love because I can get on waves earlier and I can catch waves. But looking to the future, and being realistic about what I am likely to improve with Wake Ki, should I be looking to surf a shorter board? I know this is hard to answer but really just some pearls of wisdom around board choice.
Once again thanks for your excellent program.
Anne Stephenson
steady rockin'...
I'm not usually one to comment on things but you put together such a great product in Waveki, I felt I needed to send you an email.
I am really enjoying the process. When I first signed up for 12 months, 2 weeks ago.I first thought I wanted more than every 3 weeks but what you have put together is perfect. I have settled into the process and feel that spending the time on each step is key to success.
Secondly I thought your comments on the WSL commentary booth was a breath of fresh air. To hear your thoughts as a coach on the surfers performance on each wave I throughly enjoyed. I was bummed that you were only on for 2 heats.
Thanks again mate. I look forward to see how the whole year of Waveki does for my surfing
Thank you for all your support and guidance on my surfing improvement journey.
I have always been a poor intermediate surfer because of lack of basic understanding of the movements required for stylish surfing.
By taking time to follow the Waveki process I have been able to access and engage my rails. Brads detailed directions on weight transfer through your heals and toes is game changing.
Furthermore Brads able to tell and show you exactly how most people make mistakes and what you have to do with your weight transfer/ body placement to avoid these mistakes. This is technical information that takes time and repetition to absorb.
Waveki takes work but the results are worth it. I’m surfing my first Board Riders competition at Urbnsurf next weekend, at the age of 45 because of Waveki !!
Once again Brad thank you for the amazing insight and direction it’s changed my relationship with surfing.
Cheers
Malcolm D
You’re welcome to use me as testimonial, but let me see if I can describe my thoughts better. In terms of photos...man...I don’t really have any recent photos that will demonstrate application of what I’ve learnt from Wave Ki... The one on my profile pic was taken in January, but that was before I started Wave Ki and I will probably/hopefully, position my body a bit differently now. But it’s up to you – at least it’s a solid wave with a committed bottom turn J
So, here’s a bit of background from me:
Started surfing in 1987 and in those days there was no such thing as surf coaching – at least where I grew up. Which meant that guys who naturally had style looked good and guys like me who naturally do not have style (Cannot dance either J), thoughtthey looked good, as there were not so many cameras around that could show you how you REALLY looked. Over the years, I just thought that if you put all your power into a move and really “give it” to the wave, it will automatically look hot, right? Right?? Ha!
Anyway, what this meant is that so many basic problematic faulty technique issues got ingrained into my surfing that I simply never realized it. And I never realized how much these small technique faults impacted my surfing. I did manage very modest amateur competitive success, but even then there was no coaching done! I recall before one national school surfing event the full extent of our “training” was being made to run up and down the beach, until we were wasted. How I would have benefitted from someone just looking at my surfing and telling me a few basic things... but that was how things (mostly) worked in my orbit.
Anyway, after school life happened and surfing gradually took more and more of a backseat. I started a family, built a business, picked up weight and so on. The bad thing about surfing less and being out of shape is that sessions become more and more frustrating, so that you actually do not enjoy surfing anymore: you’re unfit, meaning you cannot compete for waves, you often blow take- offs due to just being weak and tired, you see “kooks” getting much more waves than you do and eventually realise you’ve now become a kook as well. This is just a vicious circle as you rarely now get to paddle for a wave, without other people putting pressure on you by also paddling for it. You can just imagine the vicious circle. And, at some point you can actually start imagining not surfing at all...
I also had a very bad injury at Periscopes, Sumbawa, in 2003, where my backfoot slipped off the board and I basically did a split. Tore my hamstring properly, but did not realise I also injured my hip joint. At that stage I just recovered after months with no proper rehab, but combined with me being less active, my hip just got stiffer and stiffer over the years, but I thought that was because I’m just getting older. Anyway, fast forward a few years of surfing less (At one point surfing probably 8 times the whole year), being 15Kg overweight on my 171cm frame and after eventually suffering a mental breakdown (As always, a complex cocktail of causes) I decided to slowly rebuild my life. I got hip surgery in 2018 and luckily it was a huge success and immediately post-op, lying in bed I started to watch any surf training and technique video. Starting with stuff as basic as paddling technique and – as it is commonly described, the “pop-up” J, I just starting rebuilding and for the first time in my life actually thinking about how I surf, how I paddle and move in the water, and what my goals are. So, here are my goals:
To “enjoy surfing at seventy” – this means that I need to be able to surf with flexibility and flow and not just stand up like a stick man. And a secondary goal is to learn how to surf with more “flow” and “appropriate power”, in harmony with the wave - almost like a dance.
Since then, I’ve lost 13Kgs and am know 72Kgs (70 Kgs should be optimal), my health is the best in two decades, I feel good and I’m just a different person. I’m probably also surfing “better” than I have since just after school. I stretch every morning for 20 mins and surf about 3 times a week (I have an intense job with lots of responsibility, so this is what is the realistic max for me).
Now to get to Wave Ki: it has really been a game changer. Starting with Brad’s mentality and approach, linking it to an eastern martial art mentality - to his focus on slow, deliberate practice actions - has been so good for me. Intuitively this feels right for surfing and although I’m impatient, I feel it is just brilliant that he moves at a deliberate pace and forces one to practices each technique before moving on. If he would move faster, the program will fail – honestly – and I can testify how my surfing has changed. For example, I always went through a moment of instability and loss of momentum on the take-off and often had to recover when taking off on a heavy, critical wave. I often made very late take-offs, which may look impressive, until you realise that the problem is exactly that I’m having so many late take-offs... why? Now I feel that the takeoff has for me become the foundation that I always wanted and my confidence at one of our heaviest beach break waves in Cape Town has increased so that I now go for the biggest sets, on or behind the peak, with much more confidence. Side comment: the scary thing is how much rubbish is taught to people on YouTube! – it’s almost criminal! I just see so many people, with years of surfing, not doing this basic thing correctly and I just wish everyone will subscribe to Wave Ki to fix this.
At the moment, I’m working on the top turn and practice the take-off > bottom turn > top-turn every day as a combination. It works and my surfing is different. I really look forward to the rest of the program...
There’s so much more I can say, but I guess one has to end at some point. Plus my fingers are tired of typing J. Please feel free to use my feedback, or parts of it, or whatever to promote Wave Ki – as long as it makes me look very good J.
Best wishes!
Le Roux V
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I just want to say a huge thank you for this program. I love that you've set it at 21 days per section to break bad habits and reinforce new ones. I'm doing practice 2 to 3 times a day and seeing massive results. I love that even though I've just started fundamentals 1 my surfing has improved massively, plus the late take off into bottom turn video you posted is incredibly helpful. I've been surfing for 7 years on all sorts of high performance waves around NZ, AUS, and Indo and this has upped my skill level and confidence majorly. I can feel the movement and power through my core, my hips and the small points in my feet, I feel so much more in tune with my body and connected to my board.
Jake Formosa
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Hi Brad
Not sure this message will reach you.
Truly sorry for your loss.
You may not remember me, I am from Nova Scotia, been living in North Country for 33 years.
I think I’m a year older, but haven’t had to go through that dreaded chapter yet.
I tell people all the time, that my parents are 84 and 81, and are still happily married. They Still travel From Nova Scotia to Todos Santos (Los Cabo’s) every winter.
I tell them I’m 56 and if they got divorce (Heaven Forbid) tomorrow, I’d be completely devastated, even at my age.
Loosing a parent has to be agonizing.
Our paths have crossed many times, we don’t really know each other, but I want you to know that a friend purchased Wave Ki for me as a rehab program after tearing my Right rotator cuff 4.5 CM (just under massive) and my Left 1.5CM, all on one poorly placed duck dive on a big day at Seaside Reef. Wish I had of sat that one out. Messy unorganized day.
I have always been a solid fast down the line surfer, but even at my age feel like I’m improving and actually doing turns.
I still have more passion than the day I started surfing.
I m only in fundamentals.
I believe this program will help anyone at any level, if they humble themselves.
If an individual got nothing else from this program but the “Take off” they would gain significant “Jump” in their surfing.
It’s a testimony to the Training you received from your Father, who like Father and Son are Great Athletes in their own right.
Cheers
Zane.
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