Surfer lands spectacular new air move

Surfers are always pushing new boundaries when it comes to aerial moves.

And Hawiia's Matt Meola is the latest air king after landing one of the most spectacular moves ever captured on film, which he has christened a spindle flip 540.

Surfing at Maui, Meola launched himself into this outrageous corkscrewing manoeuvre to blow the minds of contemporaries, including 11-time world champion Kelly Slater and fellow Hawiian John John Florence.

Meola has been landing his own version of the backflip, which he calls 'the spindle', for several years and after much trial and error added a 540 twist to the mix.

The goofy-footer admitted he was having a frustrating session in the water on the day he landed the move until the moment he pulled it off.

"Everyone went in but I stayed out and I was so angry to the point where I was screaming under water," he said.

"Then I got that wave and I did that flip, and it made my whole day."

Explaining how he pulled the move, the innovative Meola said: "It’s a corkscrew rotation for the first half.

"As soon as you hit the lip you already want to be looking over your front shoulder. You have to get the grab.

"If you don’t get the grab there’s no way you’re going to flip because it spins you so fast if you’re not holding your board.

"Then you immediately look over your shoulder and your body will follow.

"With everything in surfing, wherever you look your body will go. That’s the first bit.

"Then the momentum from the flip will start you spinning even more, and that’s where the 540 comes from."

The move comes after Meola won $100,000 from film maker Taylor Steele for his spectacular video section in the American's 2011 movie, Intersection.

And while there was no financial reward for his spindle flip 540, the satisfaction from landing the move was a sufficient pay-off.

We just wonder what's next.