When you’re learning to wakesurf, one of the first questions you’ll run into is: What’s your stance? Are you goofy or regular? It might sound like a silly distinction, but getting this right makes all the difference when starting out.

What Do Goofy and Regular Mean?

In board sports, not just in wakesurfing, your stance describes which foot you naturally put forward.

• Regular stance means your left foot is forward and your right foot is back.
• Goofy stance means your right foot is forward and your left foot is back.

The terms come from surfing and skateboarding and over time they’ve carried into snowboarding, wakesurfing, and other board sports. Roughly two-thirds of people ride regular, with goofy roughly filling out the remaining third. Which one you prefer largely depends on your body’s balance, strength, instinct, and a host of other factors. 

How to Find Your Natural Stance

If you’re not sure which way you ride, here are a few simple ways to test:

• Push test: Have someone gently push you from behind. The foot you step forward with is usually your lead foot. If you step forward with your left foot then there’s a high chance you’re regular and if you step forward with your right foot it’s just the opposite. 
• Slide test: Pretend you’re sliding across a smooth floor. Which foot naturally goes in front? That’s often your stance.
• Background clues: If you’ve snowboarded, skateboarded, or even kicked a soccer ball, your habits there can hint at your wakesurf stance.

Remember, there’s no “better” stance. The right one is simply the one that feels most natural to you. And if nothing feels natural during these tests you’ll generally find out when you start to get up on a wakesurf board as your feet will want to move into a stance that feels the most comfortable. 

Can You Switch Stances?

Advanced riders sometimes practice switch riding, or wakesurfing with the opposite stance. It’s a fun challenge, balances out muscle use, and unlocks new tricks. But if you’re new, focus on mastering your natural stance first. Once it’s second nature, then you can experiment with the opposite stance. 

Tips for New Riders

• Stick with your natural stance until you feel comfortable on the wave.
• Let your driver and spotter know your stance so they can set up the wave on the correct side.
• Don’t overthink it, after a few rides, your stance will feel automatic.

Goofy means right foot forward. Regular means left foot forward. The key is finding what feels natural to you and building confidence from there. Once you know your stance, you’ll have the foundation to progress faster and enjoy the ride even more! So, what’s your stance? Goofy or regular? Drop it in the comments and let us know!