One thing I see pretty often with people new to cross stepping is that they don’t shift their weight between their feet as they take a step.

Instead, they do more of a “cross step shuffle” which, even though they’ve technically crossed their steps 😅, is more of a “shuffle” or “leap”.

The reason we don’t shuffle when traversing our board is because it’s more erratic and has a tendency to knock the board out of trim.

Cross stepping on the other hand (when done right) makes for smooth transitions between steps allowing your board to maintain its position & hold its line (see tip 2 for more info).

So instead of any sort of shuffle (yes, even a “cross step shuffle”) what you want to do instead is shift your weight between your feet as you take your steps.

👉 Here’s what I mean:

Start out in your normal stance with your weight distributed evenly between your feet, possibly with some extra weight in your back leg.

To begin your cross step, shift your weight into your front foot by moving your hips forward.

Once your weight is in your front foot, lift your back foot and bring it forward.

As you plant it down in front of you, you’ll now be standing cross legged & your weight will be split evenly between both feet again.

To complete the cross step, shift your weight forward again to the foot that’s in front (which is actually your back foot).

Then lift your back foot up (which is your front foot that’s now in the back 😅) & place it in front of you with your weight evenly distributed between both feet.

You’re now back where you started in your normal stance again, just one step closer to the nose 👃.

⚡️Bonus tip:

If you’re struggling to actually take a step, just try shifting your weight forward and back between your feet & don’t even worry about taking a step yet. Getting comfortable with having most of your weight in either leg will make it much easier to actually take a step.

💬 It’s easier to feel the difference than see it, but can you notice the difference?