Footedness

Boardsports such as skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding and snowboarding essentially involve the body's being oriented sideways relative to its overall motion. This requires that either the left or the right foot be placed in front. Most riders find one of these positions much easier and more natural than the other. Footedness refers to this preference. The term is also sometimes applied to which foot a footballer prefers to kick with. Like handedness, footedness is a laterality phenomenon.

Testing for footedness
Several informal tests exist to determine whether someone is goofy or regular-footed. Often the subject is directed to imagine sliding across an icy pond, and asked which foot they would prefer in front. Sometimes the subject is pushed gently from behind to see which foot they will put forward to balance themself. Ultimately, though, one's footedness is just an intuitive feeling; a beginner who tries both stances over a period of time will eventually know which one is right for them.

Other varieties in footedness
When a rider rides in other than their preferred stance, they are said to ride switch stance. "Riding switch" adds to the degree of difficulty of any maneuver, and hence often to its perceived aesthetic value. This is so particularly in trick-oriented boardsports. Many experts manage to gain some amount of ambidexterity in their stance, but this is typically not an easy process.

In skateboarding, nollie, refers to performing a trick in regular stance, but from the front of the skateboard, as opposed to the back. When one is both nollie and switch, it is called "fakie" (eg. nollie kickflip, nollie boardslide).

In boardsports other than skateboarding, fakie is often used interchangeably with switch stance.

To minimize on the dissonance between switch and regular stance, a snowboarder may adopt a "duck stance", which orients each foot outward, so a front foot will always be facing forward.

"Switch stance" in freestyle skiing is riding backward (facing top of hill).