How to Cross-Step

I once read somewhere that if you’re surfing on a longboard and not at least trying to ride the nose, “then you ain’t longboarding!” I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I do believe that noseriding and longboarding go hand in hand, with cross-stepping acting as the key ingredient in deciding whether it’s stylish or not.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Catch a wave on your longboard and begin riding it. You should keep in mind that cross-stepping is easiest to perform when surfing on an open wave face. So, be sure and wait for a wave that will offer up at least somewhat of a ride, as opposed to a wave that will likely closeout quickly.

2. When you do catch a good, open-faced wave, stand up and immediately stall a little bit, as you’ll find cross-stepping is tougher to do the more momentum you have.

3. As soon as feel like the surfboard is traveling at a comfortable speed, lift your back foot and place it a few inches ahead of your front foot so that your legs form an X. Then, lift your back foot, which was your front foot upon takeoff, and place it furthest forward of the two. Repeat the process until you are close the nose of the board.

4. Now, when you want to do a turn, cutback or kick out of the wave, simply reverse the process described in Step 3, so that in essence you’ll be cross-stepping backward toward the tail of the surfboard, which is where you started.

5. Continue riding the wave, seeking more opportunities to cross-step.