Nose ride

Noseriding is the art of standing on the front of a (longboard) surfboard.

Tipriding is a subset of noseriding where the surfer wraps 5 or ten toes around the tip of the board whilst surfing in the curl of the wave. Next to getting tubed, the most accomplished move in surfing.

Noseriding evolved out of the functional move of getting the surfboard in "trim", the goal being to stay just in front of the white water – the steepest and fastest part of the wave, known as the "pocket" the "slot", etc. If the forward speed of the surfboard is too slow, the wave will pass under board and the surfer will drift out its back or be relegated to the white water.

Hydrodynamically the greatest speed possible from most longboard shapes, trim is usually achieved when the rider is standing at the front third of the board. As its speed increases and the board descends the face of the wave, less of the rear of the board is held down by the breaking part of the wave. As downward pressure on the back of the board lessens, the surfer’s weight on the front of the board threatens to drive the nose of the board beneath the water or "pearl" (short for pearl diving). The surfer has to retreat rearward to adjust.

In the 60s noseriding developed into an end unto itself and the "nose" came to be defined as the front 25% of the board. While success at this sub-genre is grossly measured in proximity to the tip of the board and time spent there, the acknowledged artists (Nuuhiwa, Carson, Tudor among them) move forward and backward fluidly on the board by cross-stepping or "walking" foot-over-foot (never shuffling) with poise and economy of movement, resolving changes in upward pressure with subtle adjustments to their center of gravity using knees, waist and hips (upper bodies ever quiet) and position on the board; never the arm waving and upper body histrionics of most mortals.