Emilien y Tehina

“In this move the woman is the leader. I'm the follower — I'm following my partner.”

Explaining how the lead-follow roles flip from the usual setup in the big wave

“The counterbalance has to be really well built. If the woman goes this way, the man goes that way — it can't tip over to one side. It has to be really balanced, both directions.”

Explaining how to find the weight balance (counterbalance) between partners in the wave

“The woman does her own wave. The man's job is to go down following her — to wait for his partner.”

Breaking down each partner's role as the wave unfolds

“Whatever the woman does, the man's job is not to drop down right away — it's to wait for his partner.”

Re-emphasizing that the man has to wait for the woman's wave timing

“The leading hand stays in the center. If it crosses over to the woman's side, you get an accident.”

Explaining why hand placement matters when leading the big wave, and the safety issue behind it

“Block with your foot! Blocking right here is what matters. My center of gravity stays in the center — I have to be standing solid.”

The basics of blocking your partner with your foot and setting a strong position before starting the wave

“If the woman drops straight down from here, you get an accident — no good! Blocking her safely like this is what matters.”

Safety warning that going down into the wave without a block is dangerous