How to Hang 10 on a Long Surfboard

Hanging Ten, or nose-riding, is the quintessential longboarding move. There isn’t much that can compare to gliding across the face of a wave with water spitting at your face as you are perfectly balanced on the nose of your surfboard. Unfortunately, Hanging 10 is also one of the most difficult moves in longboarding, requiring balance, coordination and, sometimes, just a little bit of faith. (This is written from a ‘regular footed,’ or right foot in the back, viewpoint. If you are ‘goofy footed,’ or stand with your left foot in the back, simply switch ‘right’ and ‘left’ in the directions.)

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Wait for a good wave; ideally, one that isn’t too steep or too big and peels (breaks) nicely. The size of a wave you ride should depend on how confident you are in your surfing abilities. Start smaller and as your confidence increases, work your way into larger waves.

2. Stand up on your board and begin to aim the nose at about a 45-degree angle away from the way (somewhere in between parallel and perpendicular to the wave.) You should be riding close to the top—or crest—of the wave with your chest towards the face of the wave. This is called ‘frontside.’

3. Cross-step your way towards the nose of the board.

4. Pause when your front foot is about 9 inches from the edge of your board’s nose.

5. Reach your left foot forward until only your toes are hanging over the nose of your boards. This is sometimes called ‘Hanging Five.’ It might help to curl your toes over the nose, to give you a better grip and make you feel more secure.

6. Now comes the tricky part: while leaning your center of gravity away from the nose, bring your right foot to the front of your board and let it hang over next to your left. This one small movement will take a good amount of practice, and you’re going to wipe out a lot. Don’t worry though; it can be done. If you’ve ever seen surf videos or pictures where the surfer has their body leaning far back and hands over their head, after you try nose-riding once you’ll understand why. Experiment with different positions until you feel balanced and comfortable.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t give up! It will take some work, but it’ll be well worth it once you’ve gotten the hang of it (no pun intended.)
• Practice on land by standing on a basketball (or something of similar size) to get used to balancing yourself on an unstable surface.
• Surfing can be dangerous or even deadly. Please take all precautions and seek professional advice and training before attempting this.