| On a longer board, you will have better balance. | | | | and quickest method of moving forward and |
| Therefore, you have greater ability to change | | | | backward on your board is to crisscross one foot in |
| positions while riding a wave. Long boarders can really | | | | front of the other in a sideways fashion. Imagine you |
| show off on a wave by doing pirouettes, 180-degree | | | | are walking on a tightrope sideways and you are |
| turns, or by hanging 10. Hanging 10 is a phrase that | | | | walking in front of your marker and then in back of |
| means dangling your 10 toes off the front of your | | | | it. This movement is called cross stepping and is a |
| board, something that is possible only on a long | | | | crucial movement to master, should you like to |
| board. Another phrase you might hear that refers to | | | | perform other maneuvers on the long board. |
| this maneuver is having your “toes on the | | | | When you feel you’ve mastered the cross step, |
| nose,” which literally means that you have 10 | | | | you should be ready to hang 10. You have to be |
| toes on the nose of your board. In either case, | | | | going fast enough on the wave to let you apply your |
| hanging 10 or having your toes on the nose is one of | | | | body weight to the front of the board without falling |
| the most fun tricks you can do on a long board. It is | | | | off the wave. So, you need to accelerate by evenly |
| one of the coolest maneuvers in the sport and one | | | | distributing weight around your happy place. As you |
| that simply cannot be performed on a short board in | | | | begin to gain momentum, you can then move |
| the same way. | | | | forward on your board. Moving forward on your |
| Whatever trick you intend to perform on your long | | | | board has to happen steadily but quickly. You |
| board, take the first few seconds on the wave to | | | | don’t want to move up too fast or the board |
| situate yourself on the board. Know where the front | | | | will topple over nose first. Too slow and the weight |
| of your board is as well as what direction you are | | | | in the front of your board will slow you down and |
| going. It might also help to determine how much | | | | the wave will continue on without you. It is perfectly |
| longer you can ride the wave. You should also | | | | acceptable to cross step forward and back until you |
| determine your “happy place” on the board. | | | | finally make it all the way up the front of your board, |
| That is where you feel most comfortable while | | | | but waves don’t last forever, so be sure to get |
| standing and riding on your board. Once you figure | | | | there as quickly as you can. |
| out where that is, remember it or mark it with a | | | | When you’ve made it to the front of your |
| permanent marker. That will be your eternal | | | | board, all you have to do is get your toes over the |
| reference point as your center of balance on the | | | | tip of your board. Use your arms to keep your |
| board. | | | | balance and enjoy. You can’t hang 10 for long, |
| Before you try to hang 10, you should practice | | | | though, so crisscross back to your original position |
| moving forward and back on your board, using your | | | | before you lose too much speed. |
| permanent marker as your reference point. The best | | | | |