matt archbold cutting back
matt archbold
This is a disappointment – Mr. Archbold has been convinced by the photographer to provide ‘ an instant. ‘
We look at the spray – 1st class. The hair swept back by his huge momentum, again 1st class. The physique – the man is toned no doubt. The hair colour – blonde – This shot has all the hallmarks of immortality – but there is a problem or two to the discerning examinist.
Both of his arms are in the water, this could mean one of two things, or both – He wants to slow down or he’s lost his balance.
Matt Archbold does not slow down!
Matt Archbold does not lose his balance!
Nevertheless it looks as if he may well have some difficulty in pulling the board back around without doing a pathetic wallow on the inside of what looks like a relatively easy wave. That full rail bury has no momentum,
– in fact it has stalled, and his leading foot is being led by a buried hand and as such cannot rely on any catalyst to provide him with a speedy release of that sunken rail.
The head is wrong too, he’s been seduced by the allure of a hair shot – Curren would be looking at where he goes next – There’s nothing down there Mr. Archbold.
Another minor technicality of design is that the huge release of spray (energy) from the fin configuration points to a major design defect of said skeg arrangement – That lost energy would be better used underwater as a means of maintaining speed through a radical change of direction.
petebowes.com 
Indeed. Words cannot express my extreme dissapointment in Archy. But you’ve done an admirable job, Mr. Bowes, of saying what I could not.
next we examine the late AI – who I’m sure wouldn’t mind a dispassionate look at his cutback technique
Archy was a disciple of Pottz who made a career being a “still” photo pro. The emphasis in that era was to place oneself in a radical position, clik the shutter and carry on like you’d pulled the manouver.
Reality is, Archy… like successor Wardo…. couldn’t follow his full rail line back into the soup… neither like their outside rails to a full degree.
This particular photo ended in no speed at the bottom of the wave as the lip line ran ahead of him… I think.
I’m not claiming mine to be better, but there was a clear propencity to pander to the camera, not the video.