Surf Lingo 101: What Does It Mean To Hang Ten?

With advancements in board technology, the style of longboarding has progressed over decades of refinement, with surfers now able to get deeper barrels, pull out straight airs or attack the lip of a steep section. The lines between shortboarding and longboarding are not exactly blurred—they are very different ways of surfing—but the margin has become narrower in terms of what you can do on either craft.

That isn't to say noseriding is easy. Learning to hang ten is a long process, much like upping your skills on any type of surfboard. It requires time in the water, patience and the right board to counteract your weight while moving around on the deck of the board.

This is all before actually getting your toes to the nose. Once up there, it is a delicate and intricate balancing act, where you will have to constantly make minute calculations and adjustments to maintain position.

Once you have spent years getting to grips with learning to hang ten, there will be no other feeling like it while riding a longboard.

Tips for Noseriding

• You will need a steep wall to noseride. Attempting to hang ten in slow waves will not allow you the momentum to cross-step to the nose and maintain speed.

• Allow the wave to wall up. Then scoop off the bottom and immediately begin cross-stepping up the board in one fluid motion.

• Once you've got that right, learn to negotiate how your inside rail stays in the water. This will be your stabilizer going forward.

• Try to keep your weight forward. This is an art, not a race. If you feel your weight shift backwards, you may bury the rail.

• Once your toes are on the nose, lean your weight slightly into the wave to maintain drive and speed.

Multiple nuances and factors will go into this, and the trick is the same as all surfing: practice, practice, practice. Learning to hang ten will not click overnight; it will likely take a few years. Like most things in the water, your own hang ten will refine over the years, and you will figure out what works best for you.

What Board Can I Hang Ten On?

Longboards have come a long way since the early days of surfing. There are now different shapes designed to do different things. This, combined with fin placement and number of fins, can completely change how one board feels compared to the next—and even how the same board feels after customization.

What you're looking for here is a traditional log. These boards feature a wide, rounded nose for extra stability for you to stand on. These are usually single fins, to allow for extra maneuverability while noseriding.

These noserider boards often have concaves to flush water towards the back of the board and thick rails to hold the board in the water. This is to stop you from pearling the nose of the board (when you bury the board in the water) and allows for a continual glide over the face of the wave.

Best Waves To Hang Ten On

• Malibu: This is the home of longboarding and one of the most iconic spots in surfing. If you can avoid the crowds, you can pick off a 400-meter-plus ride from First Point. There's a reason why when surfers think of long, loggable waves, Malibu springs to mind.
• La Saladita, Mexico: A mix of warm water and little tidal movement means you can surf La Saladita all day, if the wind plays ball. The long pointbreak is perfect for practicing your noseriding, and it's also a great place to go if you are a longboarder in general.
• Noosa, Australia: Known for long walls of water—and waves that aren't too steep—which means the surf will be forgiving while you're getting to grips with your log. Noosa is also one of the most well-known longboard spots on the planet, so be aware of crowds.
• Imsouane, Morocco: A long pointbreak that will run into a sheltered bay, Imsouane is a longboarding paradise. It also happens to be a paradise that the rest of the world knows about, too. On a good day, expect to jostle for position—but catch the right one and you can noseride most of the way in.