if you’ve spent any time in the surfing world, you’ve certainly heard the term “to hang ten” … but perhaps you’re unsure of what exactly it refers to. or maybe you’re curious about when it became popular, how it relates to the surf brand, or perhaps even how you can improve your own noseriding skills. Let’s dive in.
What Does It Mean To Hang Ten?
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“To hang ten” describes a surfing maneuver where a surfer, usually on a heavy longboard, moves all the way up to the top of the nose of their surfboard and wraps all ten toes around the front while surfing a wave-forming a connection between surfer, board, and water.
No one knows the identity of the first person to hang ten-somehow the move evolved with the progression of modern longboards and more lightweight, maneuverable watercraft.
When Did the term Become Popular?
The term became popular in the early 1960s,when Duke Boyd and Doris Moore founded a boardshort company called hang Ten. Boyd was born in Kansas City and began surfing when he was 12 years old in Hawaii, so he knew what surfers were looking for when it came to boardshorts.And so, the brand Hang Ten was born, paying homage to the subtle art of noseriding. It is still considered the ultimate form of riding a longboard, the pinnacle of style in the surfing world.
Longboarding Advancements
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 aren’t 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.