Cross stepping...all fingers and thumbs

[voyager]

Hi, I've just joined this forum, and wondered if anyone has any good advice on cross stepping. When I make the first step, it takes me forever to gear up to actually do it, dunno why really, any clues?.... Also, after I make the 1st step forward and then land the leading foot to make the 2nd step, for some reason my front foot lands to the side of the stringer [facing the wave face side], so I'm not really going directly forward in a nice straight line. My stance in recent years has been a a bit short-boardie, knees bent, low centre of gravity, and facing hard into the wave face. For a long board stance , should I be a bit more upright, facing more forward, legs slightly closer together, would this [or anything else you can think of!] help the cross stepping?

[waikikikichan]

Could you clarify what stance you are ( regular or goofy ). And what foot you are "making the 1st step" with ? The front foot or the back foot ? Also which directions are your toes pointed on each foot when your first initiate the walk forward ?

[dtc]

You should also check out waikikichan's blog (in case he is too modest to post it)

http://alohaki.jugem.jp/?search=cross+step

[Big H]

I'm not great at it but the one thing that I started with as a mental reminder was that to move forward or back on the board, either as a shuffle or a cross step, start with the foot furthest away from the direction that you want to move....IE to move to the nose, start with your back foot, return to the tail, start with the foot nearest the nose.....practice on a drawn line or a curb ...

Other than that, watch old longboard surfing videos like Sprout or youtube videos featuring Joel Tudor....you'll start to see when he moves forward and back on a wave to get an idea of causes and effects as well as when to move......other than that you need to get in the water and respond to the feel of the wave once you have a rudimentary idea of what it is that you are trying to achieve with the stepping....that's where I am now, and like I said I'm not that great but I'm slowly getting the idea via feeling on the wave as to when to move up, step back, drop step the back foot to the tail for a big turn, etc.

[voyager]

Hi guys thanks for the response here!
to Waikikikichan: I'm goofy foot, so my first step is with my back left foot [crossing over the right foot].

I haven't looked down to see exactly where the toes are pointing, but replicating it at home, it looks like my back foot is around 10 oclock and front foot is around 9.30 [with back knee slightly lower than front]

bit like this

http://content5.videojug.com/40/406b2105-af1c-777f-abb2-ff0008ce5551/how-to-pop-up-on-a-surf-board.WidePromo.jpg

[waikikikichan]

The pop up stance in photo is so-so okay. But what you described your toes alignment is is the treaded X-factor stance, where the front knee points inward. Very very bad. Have your back toes pointed at 9 o'clock and your front toes around 11 o'clock. Right hip bone should be pointed towards the nose ( not rail ), but during the cross the belly button will twist around to the front a bit.

Practice L & T steps. http://alohaki.jugem.jp/?day=20130823. There's a lot more secrets, but work on that first.

[Big H]

I read waikikikichan's blog and the post above.....and read it a couple of more times as well as some other sections......i never had an uncle to show me how to surf, how to stand, what my body and hands should be/should be doing.....I adjusted my stance with the above post being the target; until now I just kinda went with what felt natural without any theory backing it up....I cross stepped as described and found it much easier keeping in mind the angles that the feet should be aligned....anyway no banging together and while I was so mesmerized by the stepping ease I forgot to pay attention to the wave and bogged down standing on the nose....but I walked easily and smoothly there....just got stuck marveling in that and forgot to sweep the leg and go back.....the stance improvements are great, board was more lively underfoot and i felt like I had more control and was able to make a section to the inside and do a couple of sharp but controlled turns then step down to race to the shoulder then step back for a big sharp kick out as the section closed out....with enough control to be able to calmly sit down and straddle the board, have a quick look around then paddle back out.....really stoked, definitely improving this week! FWIW the waves were a touch overhead today and hollow though I was never near enough to the pocket for that to mean much. Thanks Uncle WC for the detail; It is making the difference for me!

[Big H]

I'll mention the other bit; the concept of the front hand pointing the way and the rear hand being the power hand clicked for me as well....it was on my new surf skate board this morning after reading the blogs yesterday. I tried it and was more powerful and purposeful in my skating pumping, so I took that concept and some of that feel to the water this afternoon. Going to keep at it on land and in the water but I definitely felt more positive and like I had an idea of what I was doing or wanting to do.....the movement made and makes sense. Cheers again!

[waikikikichan]

the concept of the front hand pointing the way and the rear hand being the power hand clicked for me as well. --- Going to keep at it on land and in the water -- the movement made and makes sense.

Glad you got that "A-ha" moment for skateboard hand movement, that then translates to your surfing power and turning. You can feel your front hand and back hand working in conjunction. But now, separate them to see the difference. Try doing the same thing while riding your skateboard, but have the front hand down at your side, thumb in your pocket, or behind your back. Skate the whole length of road/area like that. Then switch to the back hand being in your pocket. Lastly, ride normally, should have even more power and swing now.

[Big H]

Wow! Just had a morning skate sesh before work....the drill you described has me flying down the street now! Eager to practice it more; the drill is very illuminating! Thanks!