found this on Safetosea blog "Have you ever noticed how flat take offs are harder than steep ones? The way the drop away of the board on a steeper wave assists a quick pop up, whereas those flat one's can have you ending up tripping over your front foot, leaving you feeling like a big goose."
It caught my eye because Swaylockian "everysurfer" just made the same observation a few days ago. Said the way the board just drops out on a steep takeoff means less effort to pop up, as the board just kinda pops down, so to speak. He's a late take off practically already in the tube kinda guy.
Now this must be one of the key differences between shortboarding and longboarding, because on my longboard (which I am new to) I find flatter takeoffs are easier than steep. Steep takeoffs have me on my tip toes, hoping I can catch up with the board before it pearls, or the lip comes down on me!