Watch: Albee Layer Attempts Rare Surfing Double Spin (Inspired by Kelly Slater)
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Back in 2014, during a free surf at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, Kelly Slater dropped into a Peniche closeout, hit the lip, and rocketed aerial surfing into the future.
A 540. 720. Double spin air reverse. The surf world didn’t know what to call it, nor do they still, but universally, minds were blown. Best air ever…?
Maybe. At the time. Since then, however, above-the-lip innovators have built upon Slater’s groundbreaking foundation. Surfers like Maui’s Albee Layer.
In an attempt to recreate Slater’s frontside double spin air reverse (official name still pending), Layer hucked one into oblivion the other day at home in Hawaii.
No good, though.
In classic self-deprecating form, Layer captioned the clip:
“After thinking about this section instead of sleeping for most of last night I decided I hit it a half a second early and didn’t stomp hard enough on the landing.
“Good news is I probably hate myself enough to land it today if I get another chance which the odds are pretty low on. Fuck”
Toss in a water slap for good measure.
You’ll recall, Layer historically landed the double spin before – but that time it was backside, both in alley oop and air reverse rotations.
About those two airs – the double oop from 2018, and the double reverse from 2016 – Layer told SURFER:
“I think this is the best air that I've ever done. The only other thing I've done that compares would be the backside double, because it was a world's first, but I think this was higher and the spin was more corked out, which made it look way better.”
It’s been nearly six years since then; will the double spin finally have a moment in 2024?
Maybe it’ll even finally get a name.
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