How to Hang Ten
Hang Ten, the ultimate surf maneuver!
Do you know how to Hang Ten?
When we perform a hang ten, our feet end up at the nose of the longboard, with your toes curled over the edge. It's the ultimate longboard surfing gesture; it's an old school statement.
Noseriding and tip riding are two critical stages in the art of hanging ten. The first 36 inches of a board is considered the nose; the first 16 inches is considered the tip of the longboard.
Hang Ten, riding the nose of a longboarding is still considered by many the ultimate classic surfing maneuver. The old school trick that never goes out of fashion. The iconic moment of any surfer while enjoying a summer ride at Malibu.
Longboarding has evolved so much that loggers can now pull 360s, floaters, and even airs at the blink of an eye. But the Hang Ten - is before anything else. It's the foundation of longboarding, from the moment you learn how to trim a wave all the way down the line.
The graceful move defines longboarders, and the genre itself. Hanging ten is like an ID. It represents who you are as a log rider. However, a perfectly-executed hang ten requires lots of practice, observation, and timing.
Hanging ten involves a lot of calculations, wave management, and balance. You need more than just walk the length of the board and ride its tip.
And when you finally get your ten toes over the board's nose, you embrace a new challenge called hang time. For how long can you ride the tip of the longboard? Can you hang in there eternally? Are you weightless and in sync with Mother Nature?
As you progress, you'll notice that there's a subtle, yet relevant difference between noseriding and tip riding. In other words: you may be able to ride the nose of a longboard, but you it doesn't necessarily mean you can ride its tip.
Ten Steps for the Hang Ten
So, how can you hang ten, and stay up for a long time while maintaining style and finesse?
1. Catch a good-looking wave;
2. Sweep into a competent bottom turn;
3. Aim the board for the upper third of the wave, near the curl;
4. Start cross-stepping quickly towards the nose of the board;
5. Place your weight towards the inside rail;
6. The breaking part of the wave will start enveloping your board's tail;
7. Tip ride for as long as you can;
8. Close your eyes, and enjoy the spiritual and weightless moment;
9. Shift your weight when the longboard and the wave ask for it;
10. When you feel you're hanging ten underwater, trim back, cut back, and start all over;
Practice makes perfect. A good and effective hang ten training routine is to do a lot of cross-stepping, running up and back on the longboard fast. If you end up hanging ten for more than five seconds, you're on the right track to perfection.
Remember that you can't - and you shouldn't - hang ten on the whitewater, so you really need to find a decent open face part of the wave. And leave the leash on the beach - it won't help you, and it doesn't look cool.