February 23, 2026

Deep Dive on Take Off and Pop Up w/ Pepijn Tigges

59 minutes

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In this episode we have Pepijn Tigges, a former competitive surfer turned surf coach based in the Netherlands. He dives deep into the fundamentals of pop-ups, takeoffs, and turns. He shares a fresh take on the takeoff, comparing it to a seesaw and showing how nose angle controls your speed into the wave. We also break down pop-up mechanics, including front foot vs. back foot timing and how to train movement on land that realistically transfers to the water. Pepijn also explains what happens under your board when you turn, and why this is such a crucial aspect to progression and technique. Lastly, we discuss paddling and why improving this one element of surfing can upgrade every part of the sport.

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Chapters

02:02 Pepijn’s Background and Dutch Surfing Roots

03:19 Surfing in the Netherlands

08:45 How Bad Waves Shape Good Surfers

11:11 Why Small Waves Expose Technical Gaps

12:51 The Seesaw Takeoff Explained

15:58 Chin Down vs Chin Up

18:55 Controlling Speed on Entry

23:12 The Viral Pop-Up Debate

27:25 Back Foot vs Front Foot in Critical Waves

31:15 Building a Controlled Pop-Up

36:32 Slow Practice vs Explosive Movement

42:33 How Boards Actually Turn

46:05 Rotation and Kinetic Energy in Turns

50:54 Paddling as the Foundation

58:16 Coaching Trips and Online Programs

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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