Zen moment

Sam Bleakley

In the midst of frantic activity there is sometimes a quiet spot, where time and space seem to collapse into a moment’s calm - the eye of the storm and the almond eye of the tube. Deep inside offers a Zen moment, a counter current, and a paradoxical impossibility of complete stillness amongst extreme motion. For longboarders, second only to tube riding to seek those perfect moments, is noseriding, the defining dance, the finest statement of balance. But the truly elegant art of noseriding is a secret known only to a few. Kelia Moniz, Kassia Meador and Belinda Baggs have all mastered the Zen paradox of noseriding – apply weight, remain weightless. Their measured walking matches their poise on the nose, never hesitating, always confident they can pull it off, linking visualisation with body movement to read the wave ahead of time.

 

Functionally, noseriding is actually the best way to obtain perfect trim speed in order to make, or stall, a section. Noseriding is possible because the fin creates drag and the tail of the board is being pressed down by the breaking curl, acting as a counterweight, enabling the body weight to be pushed up. At the same time, water gathering underneath the board can cushion the nose. But to hang five the board must literally be sucked into the wave. Every curve throughout the board from the rail shape to the rocker and bottom shape affects the flow of water in this suction process. First hot tip – DO NOT think about this stuff while attempting the noseride! People fall off their bikes when they start to wonder how they maintain balance. 

Second hot tip – DO think about this: the easiest way to get five is to use the stall. Wait for a small section to build in front of you, applying pressure on the back foot to slow down. This pause allows the wave to get very steep around you and gets water over the deck to hold the board in place. While the board is high in the wave and ready to accelerate through the section – walk to the nose and hang. This works for short nose rides but for a stunning, long trim-based noseride you need to understand the difference between modern and traditional longboards. Flat-bottomed modern boards will noseride further out on the shoulder of the wave while the softer railed traditional boards will hang ten in the steeper sections. On the modern mal you can charge the nose early, find the nose and hang out. On a traditional board you have to pick your line to get maximum speed. Wait as long as possible before the section steps up, then position the board parallel with the wave and start cross stepping with your hips and ankles loose and knees bent for balance. Walk – don’t shuffle. Don’t force anything, just dangle your toes over and relax. Once you see or feel the wave slow down it’s time to back off the nose – stoked from your Zen moment. If you didn’t get five this time, don’t give up – practice. And learn from the Masters. Just watch Kelia Moniz, Kassia Meador and Belinda Baggs. Don’t they look the part?