I think we can all agree that cross stepping looks stylish & graceful, but it’s much more than just aesthetics – it’s completely functional.

When longboarding, there will most certainly be times when you need to move forward or back on your board (we’ll get into that in another post) and cross stepping allows you to do this in a way that makes for fluid movements & smooth transitions. It helps to keep your board steady & in trim. Shuffling or other means of moving forward & back are too erratic & don’t allow for those fluid movements.

Cross stepping alone isn’t enough though – it needs to be done right. The easiest suggestion I have is to follow the stringer of your board to stay centred, keeping your toes on one side of the stringer and your heels on the other. Bend your knees slightly, keep your weight centred, & your shoulders square (as in, facing forward towards the nose of your board). As you take a step, feel your weight smoothly transition from one leg to the other.

You can practice cross-stepping at home or literally anywhere by following a straight line on the ground (the floor boards, tape, whatever really) which mimics a board’s stringer so that you’re better prepared when it comes time to surf.

‍@jesslowcher and I did this heaps when we first started longboarding as it really helped to get a feel for what it’s like to walk in this way (especially trying to walk in a straight line!) without the added complexity of actually surfing. We often followed the kitchen floorboards while hanging out making dinner 😆.

💬 How about you? Where do you like to practice your cross stepping?