CULTURE


  • History of surfing

    Surf culture

    The first known occurrences of surfing are connected to the ancient Hawaiian tradition of "he'e nalu", meaning "wave-sliding". For this ancient Hawaiian culture, the sea had an attached persona, which could reflect emotions. A good day of surfing required the proper waves, and in order to convince the sea to provide these waves, Ancient Hawaiians relied on Kahunas (priests) to pray for good surf. Kahunas would engage in ritual chants and dances, with the intention of pleasing the sea to provide the people with surfable waves.
    Surfing was not merely a pastime for the leaders of old. This sport served as a training exercise meant to keep chiefs in top physical condition. Furthermore, surfing served as a system of conflict resolution. Members of the affluent class would test their skills in fierce competitions, during which wealth, pride, and even romance were at stake.
    All this tradition changed though upon the arrival of the white man, or what the Hawaiian's would call 'haole'. The entire Hawaiian culture was dismantled by the arrival of Captain Cook in the late Eighteenth Century. Increasing numbers of foreigners visited Hawaii after hearing accounts of Cook's adventures. Initially these intruders were explorers and traders looking for profit, yet soon missionaries and settlers came, looking to destroy the Hawaiian culture and take the land for themselves.
    These people brought no respect for the ancient traditions of the culture they invaded, and soon it would be nearly lost. The introduction of western religion stripped the supernatural elements from surfing. Forced to adapt to a new lifestyle, the natives lost touch with their ancient ways, and surfing soon went into a major decline.
    As the Nineteenth Century approached, surfing was nearly an extinct pastime. Yet, surfing was not down for the count. Unlike many traditional sports, surfing had not been completely obliterated. As the Twentieth Century opened, the stage was set for a great revival.
    With the onset of the 1900's came a renewed interest in surfing. Revived at first in Hawaii by a group of resistant teens known as the 'Beach Boys of Waikiki'.
    Previously, Caucasians had believed that only native Hawaiians possessed the capacity to surf. This all changed though when a Hawaiian native of Irish-Hawaiian descent named George Freeth moved to California and earned acclaim as California's first lifeguard, and the world's first promotional surfer promoting a local railway company.
    It was not long before surfing in America began to spread along the Californian coast. A few years later in 1915, internationally, Duke Kahanamoku (one of the greatest and most important men in surf history!) had introduced surfing to Australia, where it would catch on very quickly.
    From this point onwards, many advances in technology along with the rapidly growing widespread interest in surfing took the sport further. The 'roaring twenties' were an important time for surfing. Advances in surfboard design around the 1920's were making the sport far more accessible to the public. The first ever major surf competition was in 1928. The invention of the automobile… using cars, surfers were able to easily venture along the Californian coast in search of the best waves. This led to the days of Surf Safaris (or Surfari's), during which the dedicated surfers of California would spend entire weekends travelling up and down the coast, partying as hard as they surfed.
    The number of surfers was still not very large, because of the difficulty of the sport. The introduction of fins on surfboards made the sport easier to learn, and because these fins enabled more elaborate and exciting tricks, the sport quickly picked up a broader fan base.
    Changes through the years in the materials used in making surfboards, have made surfboards progressively lighter and easier to manoeuvre. Initially redwood, and later balsa and plywood. The technological advancements brought on by World War Two made new materials available, enabling the modern styrofoam and fibreglass boards.
    Perhaps one of the most important innovations in surfing history, and often over shadowed by the progression of the surfboard, is the wetsuit! The first wetsuit was designed in the early 1950's in California, when Jack O'Neill stitched together pieces of neoprene in the form of vests. The wetsuit was so important, because for the first time surfers could surf all year round, not to say that no one ever braved the cold water, because they did, but the wetsuit enabled the surfer to stay in the water longer, practice more, which along with progressions in surfboard design, opened the door to new and radical surfing manoeuvres being explored.
    Advertising would be the next major boost for surfing. A man named Dale Velzy is credited for the popularisation of surfing. Velzy was surfing's first sponsor, giving boards to local surfers in exchange for endorsements. Velzy was also the first major surfboard manufacturer to utilize a wide-scale advertising campaign. Velzy made surfing visible to the American public.
    Next would come 'the surf movie'. Starting with the movie Gidget and later The Endless Summer. These surf movies ignited an explosion of interest. These movies truly opened America's eyes to surfing as a pastime. As a result the nation was hooked.
    Through these movies began a surf culture, which would sweep America. Music, fashion, and the English language were all impacted.
    As the surf craze continued the most profound change could be found in the boards, which by the end of the 1960's had reduced in size form 10 feet to 6 feet. This would become known as the 'shortboard revolution', and was one of the first innovations brought about by the Aussie's. Shorter boards accompanied a commercialisation of surfing, which went from an underground obsession to a mainstream cultural influence.
    Surf culture sprouted clothing brands and an entire subsection of the media. This began with John Severson's book of photos, 'The Surfer'. Slowly his garage-built book developed into a full-scale magazine called 'Surfer'. This would be the first of many surf publications throughout the world.
    By the late 1970's surfing had a new centre, Australia. Aussie surfers brought a brash and bold attitude to the sport. The colourful style of Australian surfing found its way into new surf-based companies.
    Going on in time, surfing has now become a lucrative profession… big money and many fans. Surf culture has invaded all aspects of life. Surfing is no longer only a sport or a lifestyle; it has developed into an industry, and a staple of our culture.

Surfing pioneers & innovators

Surf culture

Surfing heroes

Surf culture


  • Big wave surfers

    Surf culture

  • Surf speak

    Surf culture

    Surf culture has developed its own form of language. This language is basically slang, which only members of the surf community can understand, thus successfully excluding itself and its members from the wider society.
    There are certain surf terms that are recognised by the wider society, words or terms like beach break, offshore and swell. Then there are unique surfer terms like grommet, in the soup, mullering, pipeline, stoked and worked. Then of course you have the stereotypical slang like dude, radical, cowabunga and a whole host of similar words.
    The amazing thing about surf culture though is how these words have made their way from the shores of California, Hawaii and Australia, to mainland big cities, miles from the coast, and surfing as a whole! To our school playgrounds, television and movie screens, bars and even our literature. The mass commercialism of the sport via the media is almost directly responsible for this spread.
    Below are a selection of commonly used surf lingo and their definitions, so next time you are on the beach at Waikiki or J-Bay you'll know what the hell their talking about…
    180 or 360 - a surf manoeuvre, more commonly associated with skating, this is where the surfer performs an aerial turn of 180° or 360°.
    Aerial - part of a manoeuvrewhere the surfer and his/her board leaves the water.
    Air - after a good bottom turn with lots of speed, head up the face, off the lip and into the sky.
    Barrel - a hollow-faced wave. The barrel is where the wave is hollow when it is breaking. Surfers love to be in the barrel, otherwise known as the "tube" or "green room".
    Beach Break - a wave that breaks over a sandy beach, best suited for learning to surf.
    Blown-out - unridable, due to the wind's blowing so hard that the surf is chopped up.
    Boardies - board shorts worn by surfers in warm water (not the UK!), they are generally knee length, quick drying and lightweight.
    Bottom Turn - a surf manoeuvre, where a turn is made at the base of the wave when coming down off the face wave.
    Bowl - a shallow spot in the path of the wave that causes the wave to break a little harder.
    Brah - a word used by native Hawaiian's in reference to a surfer friend.
    Caught Inside - stuck on the shore-side of a breaking wave (going to take it on the head!).
    Carve / Carving - what sufers sometimes say referring to surfing waves, or turning the board on or through waves.
    Channel - a relatively deep spot where the waves don't normally break.
    Clamshell - condition that occurs when the lip section in front of the surfer doesn't break smoothly and gradually, but chomps down suddenly, eating up the surfer in one ruthless bite.
    Clean-up-wave - a wave that breaks outside of the line-up and dumps on the entire line-up.
    Cross Step / Stepping - a rather fancy manoeuvre performed on a longboard, where the surfer literally cross-step's or walks down the length of their board while still riding the wave. Look in any surf history book and you'll see images of Hawaiians walking down their old long longboards. Some even get cocky and ride with their dogs or passengers on the nose of their boards!
    Close Out - condition where waves break all the way across a bay or normally safe channel rendering a surf spot unridable (because surfers can't paddle out to the line-up).
    Cut-back - a surf manoeuvre, its a 180° turn that's done on either of the two rails of the surfboard, basically reversing the direction that you are surfing in.
    Deck (of the surfboard) - the top-side of the surfboard (the side you stand, lay or sit on).
    Drop - the initial downward slide on the face of the wave after taking off and before the bottom.
    Drop In - to cut in on someone else's wave, you definately won't be popular if you do this!
    Dumping - a scenario similar to a "clean-up-wave" or "close-out" where a wave breaks in big sections making it un-surfable.
    Eating It - another word for wipe-out (falling off your board).
    Face (of the wave) - the part of the wave where the lip begins to curl overhead.
    FCS - this stands for "Fin Control System". It is a type of fin that is fully removable from the surfboard. This is definately an advantage as if a fin breaks on your board you can easily replace it, where before you'd need a new one glassed back on (fibreglass that is). It also makes it more convenient for packing your board for travelling purposes.
    Fetch - the distance the wind blows over the water.
    Fin - a curved bit hanging down from the bottom of the surfboard near the tail (back of board). Aids the surfer in carving waves and executing tricks. It also adds stability to the board.
    Floater - a surfer who rides his board loosely along the top of the breaking up or foam of the wave.
    Goofy-foot - a rider who surfs with his/her right foot as lead foot.
    Green Room - inside the barrel of a wave. The green refers to the colour the wall/lip of the wave, with the light shining through from behind the breaking wave. A great place to be.
    Grom / Grommet - a young surfer.
    Gun - a long and thin surfboard ranging from 6 to 10 foot, used for big-wave riding. The name derives from the term "elephant gun", and means the board is the surfers' gun for hunting down big/giant surf.
    Hang Ten - riding a longboard with both feet on the nose of the board.
    Haole - what the ancient Hawaiian's referred to in regards to white men. Who at the time, were missionaries, and strange folk to the islands.
    Hollow - an extremely concave, curling wave.
    Impact Zone - spot where the waves are breaking.
    In the Soup - soup is what surfers refers to as the white foam of a wave that has broken.
    Layback - a surf manoeuvre, where the surfer literally lays backwards on a wave… difficult trick to execute!
    Leash / Legrope - you'll probably need one of these, it is a cord that is attached at one end to the tail of the surfboard and the other strapped round the surfers ankle. Nice trick for not losing your board!
    Line-up - the place in the water just outside of where the wave breaks. This is where surfers wait laid or sat on their boards to catch a wave.
    Lip (of the wave) - the top of the face of the wave which usually curls forward a bit.
    Macker - a wave big enough to drive a Mack truck through!
    Mullering - something you never want to experience! But if you must know its one hell of a wipe-out! Ouch!
    Mushy - describes slow, sloppy waves of little power that don't offer great surfing.
    New School - describes the modern style of surfer, performing tricks on their boards.
    Nose (of the surfboard) - the pointed bit at the front of the surfboard.
    Offshore Winds - when the wind is blowing off the shore… ideal conditions for surf!
    Onshore Winds - when the wind is blowing towards land… not so great for surf as it spoils the waves.
    Pit - the place directly in front of the crest of the wave… the bit you land face first in when you wipe-out!
    Pitched - tossed off the lip (top) of the wave and usually off the board.
    Pocket (of the wave) - the arc beneath the cresting lip of the wave.
    Point Break - a wave that breaks onto a rocky point.
    Quiver - the different types, shapes, styles of surfboard there are, from the old "sandwich" or "hot dog" boards to the modern "fish", "gun", "malibu" or shortboards. A quiver refers to the boards in your set or collection. Serious surfers tend to have a large 'quiver' to suit different surf conditions.
    Rail (of the surfboard) - the sides of the surfboard.
    Reef Break - a wave that breaks over a coral reef, these tend to be beautiful spots to surf, but if you wipe-out you'll do yourself some nasty damage!
    Ripping - executing drastic and radical manoeuvres on the wave.
    Rocker (of the surfboard) - generally refers to the bottom curve of a surfboard from the tail to the nose, more visible as the horizontal up-turn of the nose of the board. Flatter or more curved rockers give the boards different performance capabilities.
    huSbee - a tourist who buys surfing gear and dresses surf, but has never surfed in their life.
    Sick - descriptive word for something impressive, cool, thrilling etc…
    Skeg - another word for a fin.
    Slash - a surf manoeuvre, it describes a rapid turn off the top or lip of the wave, usually throwing up loads of spray.
    Snake / Snaked / Snaking - to steal another surfers wave, to drop-in out of turn before the other surfer… don't do it!
    Stick - slang word for a surfboard.
    Stoked - a word used to describe an awesome ride, or state of mind… a happy surfer!
    Stringer - is the thin strip of wood running down the centre of the modern day surfboard, between two halves of foam, encased in fibreglass.
    Surf Wax - wax rubbed into the deck / surface of the surfboard to provide grip for your feet.
    Tail (of the surfboard) - the rear end of the surfboard.
    Tailside - a surf manoeuvre, where the surfer allows the tail of their board to slide across the lip of the wave.
    Template (of the surfboard) - the outline / shape of the surfboard.
    The Zone - the place where there is no escape from the wrath of the on-coming wave.
    Top Turn - a surf manoeuvre similar to the re-entry, but the approach is less vertical and performed to gain speed.
    Tube - condition where the crest falls over the hollow barrel, forming a pipe-shaped wave (the best place to be!).
    Tube-ride (in the barrel) - condition where the surfer rides behind or inside the broken curl of the wave.
    Wipe-out - falling off your board… can be painful!
    Worked - yeah, you don't want this to happen to you! To get 'worked' is to wipe-out and then get thrown around under water while being held under by the force of the wave. Many surfers have sadly lost their lives this way!

Types of surfboard…



Shortboard or 'Thruster'

The most common board used for shredding and contest-style surfing. It sacrifices paddling ease for the sake of speed, power and control. They are generally around 5'6" to 6'4" long and between 16" and 19" wide, generally with a rounded square tail. A surfboard designed for the advanced surfer.

Fish

The fish surfboard differs from a shortboard in that it has a wider, rounder nose, a wider mid-section width and a 'swallow tail'. They are generally between 5'2" and 6'4" long and between 18" and 22" wide. They are designed to improve wave catching capability while maintaining speed and manoeuvring performance, ideal for small to medium sized waves.

Gun

The gun is long, narrow and pointy at the nose and tail (pin tail) for maximum rail contact. They range from 6' to 10' plus. They are ideal for big wave surfing, or for powerful, steep waves. Because of their shape they are easier to paddle out further to the big waves and easier to control on the steeper waves. The name derives from the term 'elephant gun', and means the board is the surfers' gun for hunting down big/giant surf.

Longboard

Otherwise known as a 'cruizer' or 'log'. They are usually over 8' or 9' long, with a rounded nose. Longboards are much more stable in the water, they are easier to paddle and great for catching waves, making them ideal for learning on. However due to their size, they can be harder to get through the white water and oncoming sets to get 'out the back'. There is a great deal of style attached to riding a longboard. Where the radical sharp turns and airs possible with a shortboard are not possible on a longboard, other manoeuvres are like hang fives or tens, drop-knee turns, cross-stepping along the deck of the board… and even tandem surfing!

Malibu or Mini-Mal

The malibu board is similar to the longboard in its shape and riding characteristics, but it's slightly shorter length and slimmer width and tail allow for sharper turns. You may also hear the malibu board referred to as a 'mini-mal', which is simply as it sounds, a slightly shorter malibu. They either have one large fin or three smaller fins.

Funboard

Funboards range in length between 6'6" and 8'0" and 20" to 22" wide. The funboard combines the paddling power of a longboard with the turning ability of a shortboard. These boards perform well in all conditions and are ideal for less experienced surfers.

Foamboard

Otherwise known as 'foamies' or 'softboards'. They are designed for beginners… as because they are foam, they are easier to catch waves on, easier to stand up on and much more stable in the water. Also as they are foam they are less likel to hurt you or others around you, and so are an obvious choice for surf schools.

Bodyboard

Otherwise known as a 'boogie board'. They are small, more rectangular boards you lay on rather than standing. Used by a variety of age groups, one of the safest options for families in small waves. Made from polystyrene, foam, wood or fibreglass. They can be very cheap, and are a lot of fun.

Fins/skegs

The fin is the curved bit hanging down from the bottom of the surfboard near the tail (back of board). They give the surfboard directional stability on the face of the wave enabling turns and tricks. The early Hawaiian Olo boards didn't have a fin, it wasn't until the 30s when Tom Blake put a fin on a longboard that the idea caught on. Since then, twin-fins were introduced, then tri, then quad and now fins are interchangeable allowing surfers to experiment to suit their own style.

The 'rocker'

The rocker refers to the bottom curve of the surfboard. From a horizontal view, it is more evident as the up-curve of the nose and tail of the board. Modern surfboards are shaped differently to enhance speed or maneuverability. There are many different types of rocker. But as a general rule the more bottom curve the surfboard has, the looser the board is in the water allowing more maneuverability, but slower. And the flatter the bottom curve, the faster the board is, but with less maneuverability.
And so a board with more bottom curve is better in larger waves, as the surfer has more maneuverability and the board is slower and easier to control in the more dangerous surf, where a flatter bottom would be better in smaller, slower surf where more speed is needed. Most surfers would prefer a neutral rocker as a happy medium.

 types of tails



  •  TYPES OF BOTTOM




  •  TYPES OF FINS

Surfboard wax

This looks like a bar of soap! It is in fact what surfers use to provide grip on the surface of their board. You rub the wax over the top of the surfboard to create enough friction to melt the wax into tiny bumps, which hold your toes to the nose.
There are different types of surf wax, it is important to use the correct wax for the conditions of surf, or the temperature of the water, or the wax will be ineffective! The different kinds are…

  • COLD - for water below 58°F / 14°C
  • COOL - for water 59-64°F / 14-19°C
  • WARM - for water 65-74°F / 19-24°C
  • TROPICAL - for water above 75°F / 24°C

Types of wetsuits

Wetsuits come in different sizes, thicknesses and styles. Names will vary around the world, as will the slang terms for them, but below is a basic breakdown of wetsuit types…

Full suits

Full suits are as they sound really, 'full' body coverage, long arms and legs. They are designed for cold or cool water temperatures and enable you to stay out in the water longer. A full suit is your 'main' wetsuit if you like, if you're only going to get one suit, you're probably best off with a full suit that'll keep you warmer in the winter months, but maybe not too warm in the summer months, depending on where you are in the world! You may hear some people referring to 'summer-suits' or 'winter-suits', these refer to the thickness of the neoprene… For example, you may opt for a 3mm thickness in the summer and a thicker 5mm in the colder winter waters, it's your choice.

Shorties

Shorties just means shorter sleeves and legs. Obviously not suitable for cold water and supposedly gives you more ease of movement, but then wetsuits are so good nowadays that most full suits are stretchy and agile enough for you to move freely.

Spring-suits

An extension of the 'summer-suit', with long legs and short sleeves. Doesn't keep you as warm, so maybe not the best choice for cold water, but can be more comfortable in warm water.

Rash vests or 'rashies'

A rash vest is not a wetsuit, but a simple, thin, stretchy, long or short sleeved top most commonly worn with boardshorts in warmer water or tropical climates. Unlike wetsuits, they are not intended to keep you warm, they have a variety of other uses… They can be used to protect you from the rough (waxed) deck of your surfboard... and more important for guys here, but the warmer water can melt the wax on your board, which doesn't mix too well with hairy chests! Additionally sand can stick to the wax, which effectively turns your surfboard into a block of sandpaper… ouch! Rash vests are also worn to cover up from the sun, important for longer sessions in tropical locations! And also in competition surfing, different colour tops are worn to identify the surfers in the water for the benefit of the judges and spectators on the beach.

In conclusion…

At the end of the day, there's no right or wrong wetsuit, it's down to your own personal preference, what you feel comfortable in, how much or little you can brave the cold water, or how much or many you can afford!

One final piece of good advice… It's well worth spending a bit more money on a wetsuit, you can save pennies on them, but you'll probably regret it once you're in the water!



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