Jacob Szekely has marked a significant milestone in modern surfing by successfully landing his first-ever Superman Finger Flip in the ocean during a recent surf trip in Bali. The maneuver, which Szekely initially perfected in controlled wave pools, demonstrates the growing synergy between pool-based training and ocean surfing.
“I’ve never done that in the ocean,” Szekely said after executing the trick. “Ten years of trying a finger flip in the ocean and I finally just did it.”
The Superman Finger Flip is a challenging aerial move that requires flipping the surfboard while maintaining control and balance. Szekely first mastered the move in wave pools, where consistent conditions allow surfers to focus on technical skills. Despite criticism from some quarters that pool tricks do not count as true ocean surfing achievements, Szekely posted a video of the ocean maneuver on Instagram, expressing his excitement: “I’m beyond stoked to finally put one down in the ocean! Ain’t nobody flippin’ their boards except for me and Baja Koala (Kevin Meza)! And don’t forget I started that finger flipping sh*t in 2020.”
The post drew praise from prominent professional surfers and aerialists, including Josh Kerr, Sierra Kerr, Owen Wright, Albee Layer, Kevin Meza, and Ben Gravy. Josh Kerr, known for pushing aerial innovation, commented, “About time! Very proud of ya.” Kevin Meza, also known as Baja Koala, encouraged Szekely to attempt a double finger flip next, while Olympic bronze medalist Owen Wright described the feat as “mental.”
Szekely is recognized as one of the leading figures in the emerging wave pool surfing community, a new generation of surfers utilizing the consistent and predictable environments of artificial wave pools to develop advanced maneuvers. His success challenges the notion that pool surfing and ocean surfing are mutually exclusive disciplines, illustrating how skills honed in pools can translate to ocean performance.
With this breakthrough, attention now turns to how soon Szekely might land the double finger flip, a challenge posed by Meza in the wake of this achievement.
