Turning on a Longboard
Longboards turn beautifully when you blend rail, weight shift, and timing with the wave’s energy. Because of the extra length and fin area, you’ll often need to step your back foot toward the tail to gain leverage — something shortboards require less of because you already stand near the fins.
Why it’s different from shortboards
- Longer wheelbase effect: standing mid-board is far from the fins; step back to shorten the “wheelbase”
- More planing area: requires clearer weight and rail engagement to change direction
- Momentum and glide: inputs should be smooth and early rather than abrupt
Fundamentals
- Look where you want to go; shoulders lead, hips follow
- Subtle front-foot pressure to initiate; back-foot pressure to tighten
- Engage the rail progressively — avoid abrupt leans that stall the board
- Step back along the stringer to increase tail leverage when you need a tighter arc
Types of Turns
- Trim adjustments: micro corrections to hold the high line
- Cutback setup: gentle direction change to return to the pocket
- Bottom turn: compress, load the rail, then extend up the face
Footwork for turning: step-back sequence
- Establish trim; spot your line and rotate shoulders toward it
- Slight unweight; move the back foot 3–6 inches toward the tail along the stringer
- Keep the front foot steady; widen the stance for stability
- Apply progressive back-foot pressure to tighten the arc; balance with forward pressure
- After the turn, step forward to re-enter trim
If you’re new to moving your feet, start with Shuffle Stepping to build confidence. As you improve, incorporate small step-backs within your turns on this page’s drills rather than treating it as a separate skill.
Drills
- S-turns in trim to feel rail engagement
- Small face slalom: look, lead with shoulders, then feet follow
- Practice on soft, shoulder-high waves to build muscle memory
Smooth inputs, smooth arcs — let the length work for you.