Port Macquarie duo Layla Deighton and Michael Finlayson were in action as the open age divisions among others started their first day of longboarding action.

Over the next nine days more around 150 surfers will take to the waves around the Hastings from under-18 to over-70 age divisions.

Surfing Australia contest director Glen Elliott said longboards involved the more traditional way of surfing when compared to the shortboard divisions.

"Being nine-feet (long), there's a lot of board to control and the best long boarders are the ones that can use the whole of the board," he said.

"Most traditional manoeuvres are performed on the nose and most of the modern-day manoeuvres are performed standing on the tail."

Elliott said longboards are more difficult to ride and leaned towards the more traditional-style manoeuvres such as cross-stepping turns, hang-fives and hang-tens.

Judges would look for a combination of both turns and the ability to use the entire board which would result in competitors receiving the higher scores.

"The cross-stepping to and from the tail to the nose is really what determines great surfing in the performance longboard category," Elliott said.

"Getting back to the tail with clean cross-stepping is the mastery of the art of longboarding."

Elliott said mastering a longboard took a lot of dedication, time and practice.

"A longer board is more stable to learn on, but to master a longboard and to also use all of the board in the appropriate way that the judges really like to see takes a lot of time."