Barrel riding is the holy grail for wave lovers, and backside barrel riding or “pig-dogging” is probably the most challenging but arguably the most stylish way to spend time in the greenroom. The term pig-dogging is used globally in surfing circles and was born from an Australian hunting slang referring to a frightening breed of dog, the bull terrier aka “pig-dogs”. They are used to flush out wild boar from dense scrub. The pig-dog then uses its vice-like bite to violently and mercilessly hang on to its victim until the hunter is able to make the final kill. So in surfing terms it basically means “hang on for dear life”!
This technique is used the majority of the time when surfers or kiters go hunting backside barrel rides – in a nutshell the hunter goes into a crouched position, with his shoulders squared up to the wave, head down, weight forward, a death grip on the outside rail, body low and balanced on hand and knees like a tripod. Kiters have a fourth foundation if the kite is cooperating and that is the bar acting as a sky hook, so is another place to get stability from, unless your lines go slack that is…
I’m pretty lucky growing up on the east coast of Australia and I started practicing my pig-dogging from a young
