# Effect of a Sensorimotor Training Program for Aerial Maneuvers in Junior Surfers
## 1 Introduction  
Surfing had an important turning point in terms of performance more than two decades ago, with the introduction of aerial maneuvers in competitions [1, 2]. And since 2021, surfing has been an Olympic sport demanding from surfers a higher quality in their performances with a greater risk of injury due to the complexity of the maneuvers and the need for high scores. To perform aerial maneuvers, the surfer needs to use speed and timing to project himself and the board above the wave's lip, control the board while airborne, and land back on the wave's surface [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] stable enough not to fall or to properly prepare for the next maneuver. Aerial maneuvers involve multiple performance variations (e.g., frontside, backside, rail grab/no grab, different heights and rotations, etc. ), therefore presenting a high degree of difficulty [1, 4, 6, 7, 8], which contributes to increasing their scoring potential [4]. Over the years, the number of aerial maneuver attempts has been increasing in competition [1, 9], as aerials have scored significantly higher than waves ridden without one [1, 6]. In fact, regarding the 2018 and 2019 World Surf League Championship Tour, within the aerials performed by the men's top five (n = 185), the frontside air reverse with 360\({}^{\circ}\) rotation (FSAR360) presented the highest rate of frequency of completion (n = 68)and the backside air reverse with 360\({}^{\circ}\) rotation (BSAR360) the highest scoring potential (7.64 \(\pm\) 0.85 points) [5]. However, the observed low aerial completion rate (45 to 55%) among elite surfers [4; 6] also contributes to a high risk of sustaining lower limb injuries, mainly to the knee and ankle [4; 10; 11; 12]. This low rate is because the successful completion of aerials involves the control of several factors, including an athlete's ability to control the anterosuperior displacement of their center of mass, to widen the support base (for frontside aerials) and triple-flexion of the lower limbs, which are more pronounced at landing [5], to absorb the generated forces during landing [3; 13; 14], and to react to the environments' constraints while maneuvering (e.g., moving wave; wave's surface instability at the moment of contact/landing; wind pushing the board; sunlight hitting the athlete's eyes). The understanding of these movement principles, body actions, and critical features related to aerial maneuvers [5], as well as landing skills and postural control requisites [2; 3; 5], seems essential for the development of successful aerial landing programs. These programs should include dry-land training like jumping and/or landing tasks and addressing lower limb flexibility and range of motion to protect the musculoskeletal structures involved and to maintain performance while surfing [14; 15]. Prioritizing injury prevention and implementing tailored training programs are vital for athlete well-being, and although surfing is a relatively safe sport when compared to other extreme sports, injury prevention has been mainly based on the use of protective personal equipment (e.g., helmets, bottles, wetsuits, sunscreen) [16]. Even though cuts and lacerations to the skin (head, neck, face, and lower limbs) are the most frequent type of injuries (46%) [16; 17; 18], musculoskeletal injuries do occur (22.6%) [17] and have increased, mainly to the lower limbs [12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19], as surfing maneuvers have become more difficult and acrobatic [20]. However, the literature regarding injury prevention training programs is still very scarce [20]. A systematic review [19] of other sport modalities (e.g., soccer, cross-country, dodge ball, football, and basketball) identified that youth injury prevention programs can have a positive impact on modifiable risk factors for lower extremity injuries, such as strength, coordination, posture, and balance.