Decoding Your Longboard Stance: Goofy or Regular?

Since the dawn of skateboarding, riders have pondered a fundamental question: What determines whether you’re goofy or regular? Is it linked to your dominant hand, the leg you use to kick a ball, or some other hidden factor? While the mystery of longboard stance might seem complex, it’s worth exploring.

The term “goofy” is rumored to originate from the 1937 Disney cartoon “Hawaiian Holiday,” where Goofy surfs with his right foot forward. However, this doesn’t explain what truly dictates a rider’s stance. Some skaters, like P. Rod and Leandre Sanders, demonstrate that stance isn’t fixed. This has led us to delve deeper and try to “crack the code” of longboard stance.

(Disclaimer: Mongo pushing, which involves pushing with your front foot, is considered an anomaly in skateboarding and therefore won’t be included in this analysis.)

A drawing depicting a skateboarder&#039;s stance, with arrows indicating the direction of movement.

Table of Contents

Does Handedness Determine Your Longboard Stance?

No.

Data from the Skatepark of Tampa Database shows that roughly half of all skaters are goofy (44%) and half are regular (56%). This almost equal split doesn’t correlate with the fact that about 90% of people are right-handed.

A small survey of left-handed skaters further disproves this theory. Out of six left-handed skaters, five preferred a regular stance and one preferred goofy. This shows that there’s no direct relationship between handedness and longboard stance.

If handedness isn’t a factor, could stance be a bodily predisposition? Dr. Clare Porac, in her book Laterality: Exploring the Enigma of Left-Handedness, explains that people typically use their right foot for actions like kicking and their left for stability, but that these roles can be modified. For example, riverdancers train their bodies to perform actions that go against their typical foot preferences, demonstrating how much flexibility there is in our bodily habits.

Could this mean that our natural foot preferences hold the key to our stance?

Does Your “Action” Foot Dictate Your Longboard Stance?

No.

Porac also notes that about 85% of people have a right “action” foot. The typical test for determining your action foot is to kick a soccer ball. However, it’s not uncommon for a person who kicks with their right foot to push with their left foot on a board, and vice-versa.

In another survey, 44% of the 45 skaters identified as goofy, aligning with the Tampa database and proving that a skater’s “action” foot isn’t always the foot they use to push. So if your “action” foot doesn’t determine your stance, could your “stability” foot be responsible?

A GIF showing a person kicking a soccer ball.

Does Your “Stability” Foot Determine Your Longboard Stance?

Most likely.

The same survey showed that most regular footed skaters tend to use their left foot for “stability” tasks, like balancing on one foot, or stepping onto a stool. Goofy footed skaters also showed a tendency to use their right foot for “stability”, although a portion of them didn’t have a preference.

While these results aren’t conclusive, they do indicate that the foot you prefer for stability is likely the foot you place in front on your board.

What Does This Mean for Your Longboarding?

Here are the main takeaways from this exploration into stance:

Stance isn’t random. There’s a reason you feel more natural with one foot forward, and you can often determine your stance by noting which foot feels more stable when balancing. You can also try the classic “push test” on a friend to see which foot they use naturally when first getting on a board.
Stance isn’t permanent. If you’re truly determined to switch your stance, you can. Just like the riverdancers, with dedicated practice and time, you can learn to ride comfortably with either foot forward, or even become ambidextrous on your board, like Leandre.

A GIF showing a person riding a skateboard with their right foot forward.