Jumping from 2nd to 3rd coming off the bottom...
...and running across the wall in 3rd gear. Notice how far forward the rider's body is, and how little of the mat is touching the water at this point.
Using the 3rd gear speed to come off the bottom again...
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"3rd Gear" is a term Greenough uses frequently in describing high speed mat surfing. In simple terms, riding straight-off is 1st gear, while trimming across a wave at curl speed is 2nd gear. 3rd gear is moving beyond simple trim speed and running past one section, over a flat area, and through the next section.
One of George's favorite descriptions of a ride on a small wave is, "I touched 3rd Gear." What he means is that just for a moment, he was able to break loose from trim speed, hit 3rd gear, and shoot around a distant section... only to have to drop back into 2nd as the wave slowed.
Greenough talks about running in 3rd gear, and being able to surf through a single section of a wave three times. If enough speed is in hand, he can glide over the top of a section as it's forming, cut back across it as it crests, and run though it again (heading down the line) as it breaks. The above photo is a perfect example of third gear mat surfing.
