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Goofy vs. Regular: Laterality effects in surfing.
Philip Furley1, Jannik Dörr1, Florian Loffing2
1a Institute for Training and Computer Science in Sport , German Sport University , Cologne , Germany.
Laterality
|February 3, 2018
Summary
Recreational surfers prefer frontside surfing for better visual information and skill perception. Professional surfers, however, may overcome challenges with advanced skills, showing complex lateral preferences in wave riding.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Human Movement Science
- Psychology of Sport
Background:
- Lateral preferences, such as hand or foot dominance, are well-documented in human behavior.
- The influence of these preferences on performance in dynamic, visually demanding sports like surfing is less understood.
- Surfing performance is potentially affected by the direction of the breaking wave relative to the surfer's stance (frontside vs. backside).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between surfers' lateral preferences and their behavior and performance in relation to wave direction.
- To test the hypothesis that wave direction and surf stance interact to create performance demands.
- To explore differences in these associations between recreational and professional surfers.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Online survey with 394 recreational surfers assessing self-reported preferences and skill.
- Study 2: Analysis of 2,552 wave scores and laterality data from professional surfers during the 2014 season.
- Utilized self-report data and objective performance metrics (wave scores).
Main Results:
- Recreational surfers reported a preference for frontside surfing, associating it with higher skill and better visual information uptake.
- Professional surfers did not show significantly higher average scores for frontside surfing in contests.
- However, professional surfers were more likely to choose frontside surfing when given a choice, suggesting strategic decision-making.
Conclusions:
- Recreational surfers' frontside preference may stem from easier visual processing.
- Professional surfers' performance is not solely dictated by frontside preference, indicating skill-based compensation for environmental and individual factors.
- The findings align with the 'circumvention-of-limits' theory in expertise development, where experts adapt to overcome limitations.
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