First you must read the hole to see if it is directional or symmetrical. Directional holes are set at an angle to the current. In directional holes the whitewater and greenwater suggest that you do moves directionallyóeither to the right or left. In a symmetrical hole, the seam between whitewater and greenwater is perpendicular to the current, so you align to the greenwater to play.

In symmetrical holes you always turn and do moves back toward the middle of the foam pile, or at the highest point on a wave. For example, a directional hole may look like a teardrop at an angle to the current, where a symmetrical hole would look like a teardrop whose tail points downstream parallel to the current.

Rodeo is about staying in/on the feature. How do you do that? You need to be on a downstream edge whenever you are sidesurfing, but just enough to not windowshade. But when front or back surfing, flatten out the boat. When the boat is on edge it creates drag. By flattening out, the boat slides upstream and stays in the feature.

One of the most important things to learn is to drive upstream more. Driving upstream is done by using forward or reverse strokes to push your weight upstream between spins or elevated moves. This is important because is keeps your weight upstream of the crest of the wave or hole, so you stay in it better.

You must keep your torso upstream and towards the center or corner of the feature. Your torso is your unit of weight that has to stay upstream of the crest of the feature to keep surfing. Do this by taking strokes between elevated moves to push your torso upstream.

Keeping the ends of your boat out of the greenwater is what will keep you retentive. When the ends of the boat are in the greenwater you are drifting downstream. An example of this is during a cartwheel or blunt. Cartwheel: Take a stroke to pull yourself upstream before the backsweep that initiates your move. Blunt: Paddle across and upstream hard enough to launch upstream. When you initiate the bottom of the bow, it snaps under you in the greenwater, leaving your torso in the upstream side of the feature.

If you want more dynamic, retentive and aerial results attack all your moves like this!