One of the quirky things about these boards is that the size of the deck makes the rider alter their stance.
From what I have gathered, the main adaptation to riding style is the rider will have their feet closer together with the feet pointed forward. The stance the rider takes can significantly alter the ride and feel of carving in a way that is unlike most other disciplines of skateboarding.
When talking to Moon Patrol, I learned that having your feet close together in the center of the board will make the deck flex and give the rider a tighter carve. The flex wedges the trucks and increases the narrows the turning radius.
I use a combination of stances when riding. Feet close together and facing forward when carving and pumping. Front foot forward on the nose and rear foot diagonal on the tail when bombing hills.
I feel that I should include this stance as important when going fast as these boards can go as fast as you dare, and when reaching 17 miles an hour on a toothpick its important to be able to pick up the nose for cracks and be able to pull a power slide in emergencies.
When skating bowls and pools I find myself going with my front foot diagonal with the front truck and my rear toes slightly lateral on the tail.
This is the stance I take when I’m holding on for dear life, but the goal is to have my feet closer together as I grow more comfortable.
When trying new stances, I recommend looking at old photos from the 60s and 70s for inspiration. The style these riders displayed has become a lost art. Maybe we can revive it.
Here is what Neil has to say about stance. Granted this was his input on a previous version of this article, but I wanted to include this because it sums up stance, and how you should approach it.
NB: “Your feet gradually turn diagonal to compensate for the narrow board and trucks, it’s up to individuals to morph into a more comfortable stance, doesn’t have to be in the center.”
