Want
Noseriding Magic?
Here’s
what Steve Walden advises
The
competition rankings tell a lot about Steve Walden. Since the mid-1960s, he has
placed 1st , 2nd , or 3rd in most Southern California noseriding events, whether
amateur or professional. In just the last 20 years he's probably surfed 150 contests.
Go deeper and find that Walden has surfed, lived and made surfboards in both Hawaii
and California since 1981--up and down the coast from San Diego to Ventura . He
learned to noseride at Doheny , which he says is still a good noseriding wave.
Walden has shaped paddle boards, sail boards and surfboards and uses well the
knowledge and experience gained. As one of the sport's truly consistent innovators,
he makes one of the most complex longboards available today--with high performance
rockers, multiple concaves and rail chines . He also produces, perhaps, the sport’s
most innovative, high-performance noserider . |  |
…………………………………………
This
is how Steve Walden explained secrets to
superior noseriding,
when noseriding.com found him recently
at “ C Street ” his home break in Ventura , Calif. Secrets that some call magic.
What
is most important in learning to noseride better?
"When
you're talking about how to noseride best, to me, better equipment is the most
important part. I've always been surfing against guys that are better, so equipment
is key . Second is knowledge and practice. In noseriding boards there is a whole
variety, from classics all the way through modern performance longboards and all
in between. It is a misconception, however, that all longboards noseride . You
can noseride them, but with a lot of them the design doesn't allow you
to stand on the tip and just stay there. Some designs are so much more helpful
than others. Stability, when first learning to noseride , is just as important
as in first learning to surf. It's the same process of learning. Equipment, length,
and width of the nose, equals the difference right there.”
What
kind of wave works best?
“Trying
to learn at the San Clemente Pier or at a Beach Break like Huntington Beach ,
or in the South Bay where the wave picks you up quick and you have to get up and
moving quick makes it difficult to get long noserides . A beach break is the hardest.
You have to get up and things are over so quick, there’s not much time to get
the feel of a noseride . So the spot you pick is important.
“You
really want a point break. Going front side is best. You are looking for a classic
Malibu type wave that is long and lined up. Whether Malibu , Trestles, Churches,
Doheny , Cardiff Reef, C-Street or Rincon. You want a nice wall that is not closing
out, because you need some time to ride it a long ways. A beach break is not the
best place to learn. At Malibu you can get going and get the feel of it all, rather
than at a beach break where you get tense about not pearling, ahhhhhh !!!?, because
things are going so fast.”
So,
you’re stable and at the right break…
“The
set-up, or positioning of the board, is 3/4 of the noseride ; riding the nose
is only 1/4. Get the board trimming, not at the bottom, but in the top half of
the wave. Start moving up to the nose. Aim for the sticker or the other side of
the sticker. Not crashing and burning, but moving up there and getting use to
that feeling. Spend time trimming, get your comfort level up. Trim a little farther
up, then a little farther up, until you are at the nose. Have fun on the tip.”
What
are some of the finer points involved?
“At
the highest levels of Noseriding ability it has a lot to do with body English--with
stretching or reaching, arching-in towards the wave to get lift. You weight or
unweight that inside rail, climbing, dropping, stalling, steering. Too steep or
hollow? Drop down so you won't slide out.
Why
noseride ?
“Me?
I always want to noseride ! It’s such a gas. I make noseriders for myself, is
what I do. Friends ride them and say, ‘Wow!!’ So I make more of them!! Mine is
one of the top three noseriding shapes.”
What
are the other two?
“
Welllll …….
So--what
makes a really good, helpful noseriding board?
“First
is a wide nose, a minimum of 18 inches. Most people don't need to go over 20.
I prefer 19 inches for all around noseriding . I consider that the standard. Here
is how the various boards work.”
Traditional
boards
“The
approach in the wave is down the line, in the pocket. For these straight rocker
boards, riding in the pocket is the best.”
Performance
Longboards
“The
approach is a little different. They ride a little higher up in the wave, pointing
a little more toward the shore than down the line. You might say that performance
longboards ride a little better in the flatter parts of waves, where the traditional
longboards will only ride in the pocket.”
Traditional
vs. Performance Longboards
“Classic
single fin is better at Malibu , or C-Street, or Doheny . A modern longboard (tri-fin
setup) is better for a beach break like Huntington Beach , where you have to get
up and turn quickly. At Malibu you don't have to adjust much. Also, with a straight
board, without the proper nose rocker, you have to backpedal, because you can't
turn well from the nose. For that you need nose rocker, concave, bevels. These
allow you to stay up there and maneuver from the nose. There are different styles
of noseriding , and I'm not advocating one over the other. That's just the way
it works.”
What
about tail rocker?
“I
don't think so. You're up on the tip and trying to turn, and tail rocker can't
help you much then. The one that's easier to turn is the one that's wider in the
tail (did you say this?), with a certain amount of nose rocker (because straight
rocker speeds up). So a main factor in noseriding is a steer-able board.
“I
also found that rocker was always a factor when the waves got a little choppy.
Nose rocker makes it easier to handle the chop, to turn. Straighter nose rocker
worked great in the morning, when everything was glassy. But it didn't work well
in the afternoon in the finals.”
What
about actual equipment selection?
“A
narrow nose, without rocker and no concave is going to work against you. It will
be extremely difficult to learn. Just getting the right equipment will help. Stability
is very important. Think of it as learning to surf on a 6’2 or 6'10 or 10'0. Which
would be quicker, easier? A lot of noseriding has to do with stability. Length
is also really important.
“Design
and length are also important relative to age and weight. For a guy at 175 lbs.,
who is 30-35 + years old, I would say a 9'6 would be the minimum length. 9'0 would
be a challenge. But at 9'6 or 10'0 he's going to learn much faster. So if you
think 7'8 vs. 9'8, the 9'8 is better. You can think of it as training wheels to
learn faster. Or you can think of it as learning easier, quicker so you can have
more fun. You want to learn? You want to learn fast? Equipment makes all the difference!!!”
“Then
you practice, practice, practice. You can’t practice too much.”
………………………………….
Steve
Walden Bio:
The
Walden Surfboards Web Site: