Surfing

Buttons Kaluhiokalani at Banzai Pipeline, December 1981

Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant is carried by a
breaking wave usually on a surfboard toward the shore. As well as
surfboards surfers make use of kneeboards, body boards, kayaks, surf
skis and their own bodies. Derivatives of surfing make use of other
elements, such as the wind, these include kitesurfing and windsurfing.
Other surfing derivatives when their are not any waves include
paddleboarding and sea kayaking.
Divisions reflect differences in surfboard design, such as long-boards and
short-boards. Additional Tow-in surfing to tow the surfer onto the wave,
this is associated with big wave surfing, where standard paddling is
unwise due to the waves rapid forward motion.
o

History
Surfing was first recorded in Hawaii by Lieutenant James King,[1] whose
task it was to complete the journals of James Cook after his death in
1779. However, by this time surfing had already become an integral part
of Hawaiian culture[1] with surfers riding waves lying down or standing on
long hardwood boards. Surfing was as much as a part of Hawaiian life as
many major sports are part of western life today. It permeated every
part of Hawaiian society including religion and myth. Hawaiian Chiefs
would demonstrate their leadership by the skills they possessed on the
surf.
Swell is generated when wind blows consistently over a large area of
open water, called the wind's fetch. The size of a swell is determined by
the strength of the wind, the length of its fetch and its duration. So, surf
tends to be larger and more prevalent on coastlines exposed to large
expanses of ocean traversed by intense low pressure systems.
Local wind conditions affect wave quality, since the rideable surface of a
wave can become choppy in blustery conditions. Ideal surf conditions
include a light to moderate strength "offshore" wind, since this blows
into the front of the wave.
The factor which most determines wave shape is the topography of the
seabed directly behind and immediately beneath the breaking wave. The
contours of the reef or sand bank influence wave shape in two respects.
Firstly, the steepness of the incline is proportional to the resulting
upthrust. When a swell passes over a sudden steep slope, the force of
the upthrust causes the top of the wave to be thrown forward, forming a
curtain of water which plunges to the wave trough below. Secondly, the
alignment of the contours relative to the swell direction determines the
duration of the breaking process. When a swell runs along a slope, it
continues to peel for as long as that configuration lasts. When swell
wraps into a bay or around an island, the breaking wave gradually
diminishes in size, as the wave front becomes stretched by diffraction.
For specific surf spots, the state of the ocean tide can play a significant
role in the quality of waves or hazards of surfing there. Tidal variations
vary greatly among the various global surfing regions, and the effect the
tide has on specific spots can vary greatly among the spots within each
area. Locations such as Bali, Panama, and Ireland experience 2-3 meter
tide fluctuations, whereas in Hawaii the difference between high and low
tide is typically less than one meter.
In order to know a surf break, one must be sensitive to each of these
factors. Each break is different, since the underwater topography of one
place is unlike any other. At beach breaks, even the sandbanks change
shape from week to week, so it takes commitment to get good waves (a
skill dubbed "broceanography" by a few California surfers). That's why
surfers have traditionally regarded surfing to be more of a lifestyle than
a sport. Of course, you can sometimes be lucky and just turn up when
the surf is pumping. But, it is more likely that you will be greeted with
the dreaded: "You should have been here yesterday." Nowadays,
however, surf forecasting is aided by advances in information
technology, whereby mathematical modelling graphically depicts the
size and direction of swells moving around the globe.
The regularity of swell varies across the globe and throughout the year.
During winter, heavy swells are generated in the mid-latitudes, when the
north and south polar fronts shift toward the Equator. The predominantly
westerly winds generate swells that advance eastward. So, waves tend
to be largest on west coasts during the winter months. However, an
endless train of mid-latitude cyclones causes the [[isobar]]s to become
undulated, redirecting swells at regular intervals toward the tropics.
East coasts also receive heavy winter swells when low pressure cells
form in the sub-tropics, where their movement is inhibited by slow
moving highs. These lows produce a shorter fetch than polar fronts,
however they can still generate heavy swells, since their slower
movement increases the duration of a particular wind direction. After all,
the variables of fetch and duration both influence how long the wind acts
over a wave as it travels, since a wave reaching the end of a fetch is
effectively the same as the wind dying off.
During summer, heavy swells are generated when cyclones form in the
tropics. Tropical cyclones form over warm seas, so their occurrence is
influenced by El Niño & La Niña cycles. Their movements are
unpredictable. They can even move westward, which is unique for a
large scale weather system. In 1979, Tropical Cyclone Kerry wandered
for 3 weeks across the Coral Sea and into Queensland, before
dissipating.
The quest for perfect surf has given rise to a field of tourism based on
the surfing adventure. Yacht charters and surf camps offer surfers
access to the high quality surf found in remote, tropical locations, where
tradewinds ensure offshore conditions. Since winter swells are generated
by mid-latitude cyclones, their regularity coincides with the passage of
these lows. So, the swells arrive in pulses, each lasting for a couple of
days, with a couple of days between each swell. Since bigger waves
break in a different configuration, a rising swell is yet another variable to
consider when assessing how to approach a break.

Wave intensity classification

The geometry of tube shape can be represented as a ratio between length and width. A
perfectly cylindrical vortex has a ratio of 1:1, while the classic almond-shaped tube is
nearer 3:1. When width exceeds length, the tube is described as "square".

Classification parameters
 Tube shape defined by length to width ratio
o Square: <1:1
o Round: 1-2:1
o Almond: >2:1
 Tube speed defined by angle of peel line
o Fast: 30°
o Medium: 45°
o Slow: 60°

Wave intensity table

 Fast Medium Slow
Square The Cobra Teahupoo Shark Island
Round Speedies, Gnaraloo Banzai Pipeline
Almond Lagundri Bay, Superbank Jeffreys Bay, Bells Beach Angourie Point

Artificial reefs

The value of good surf has even prompted the construction of artificial
reefs and sand bars to attract surf tourism. Of course, there is always
the risk that one's holiday coincides with a "flat spell". Wave pools aim
to solve that problem, by controlling all the elements that go into
creating perfect surf, however there are only a handful of wave pools
that can simulate good surfing waves, owing primarily to construction
and operation costs and potential liability.
The availability of free model data from the NOAA has allowed the
creation of several surf forecasting websites.

Surfers and surf culture

A surfer memorial service, Huntington Beach Pier, Orange County, California.

Surfers represent a diverse culture based on riding the naturally
occurring process of ocean waves. Some people practice surfing as a
recreational activity while others demonstrate extreme devotion to the
sport by making it the central focus of their lives.
The sport has become so popular that surfing now represents a multi-
billion dollar industry. Some people make a career out of surfing by
receiving corporate sponsorships, competing in contests, or marketing
and selling surf related products, such as equipment and clothing. Other
surfers separate themselves from any and all commercialism associated
with surfing. These soul surfers, as they are often called, practice the
sport purely for personal enjoyment and many even find a deeper
meaning through involving themselves directly with naturally occurring
wave patterns and subscribe to ecocentric philosophies, or ecosophies.
[citation needed]

Maneuvers
Surfing begins with the surfer eyeing a rideable wave on the horizon and
then matching its speed (by paddling or sometimes, in huge waves, by
tow-in). A common problem for beginners is not even being able to catch
the wave in the first place, and one sign of a good surfer is being able to
catch a difficult wave that other surfers cannot.
Once the wave has started to carry the surfer forward, the surfer quickly
jumps to his or her bare feet and proceeds to ride down the face of the
wave, generally staying just ahead of the breaking part (white water) of
the wave (in a place often referred to as "the pocket" or "the curl"). This
is a difficult process in total, where often everything happens nearly
simultaneously, making it hard for the uninitiated to follow the steps.
Surfers' skills are tested not only in their ability to control their board in
challenging conditions and/or catch and ride challenging waves, but also
by their ability to execute various maneuvers such as turning and
carving. Some of the common turns have become recognizable tricks
such as the "cutback" (turning back toward the breaking part of the
wave), the "floater" (riding on the top of the breaking curl of the wave),
and "off the lip" (banking off the top of the wave). A newer addition to
surfing has been the progression of the "air" where a surfer is able to
propel oneself off the wave and re-enter.
"Tube riding" is when a surfer maneuvers into a position where the wave
curls over the top of him or her, forming a "tube" (or "barrel"), with the
rider inside the hollow cylindrical portion of the wave. This difficult and
sometimes dangerous procedure is arguably the most coveted and
sought after goal in surfing.
"Hanging Ten" and "Hanging Five" are moves usually specific to
longboarding. Hanging Ten refers to having both feet on the front end of
the board with all ten of the surfer's toes off the edge, also known as
noseriding. Hanging Five is having just one foot near the front, and five
toes off the edge.

Common terms

 Regular/Natural foot - Right foot on back of board

 Goofy foot - Left foot on back of board
 Take off - the start of a ride
 Drop in - dropping into (engaging) the wave, most often as part of standing up
 Drop in on (or "cut off") - taking off on a wave in front of someone else (considered
inappropriate)
 Duck dive - pushing the board underwater, nose first, and diving through an
oncoming wave instead of riding it
 Snaking - paddling around someone to get into the best position for a wave (in
essence, stealing it)
 Bottom turn - the first turn at the bottom of the wave
 Shoulder - the unbroken part of the wave
 Cutback - a turn cutting back toward the breaking part of the wave
  Fade - on take off, aiming toward the breaking part of the wave, before turning
sharply and surfing in the direction the wave is breaking towards
 Over the falls - When a surfer falls and the wave carries him in a circular motion
with the lip of the wave, also referred to as the "wash cycle", being "pitched over"
and being "sucked over" because the wave sucks you off of the bottom of the reef
and sucks you "over the falls."
 Pump - an up/down carving movement that generates speed along a wave
 Stall - slowing down from weight on the tail of the board or a hand in the water
 Floater - riding up on the top of the breaking part of the wave
 Hang-five/hang-ten - putting five or ten toes respectively over the nose of a
longboard
 Hang Heels - Facing backwards and putting the surfers' heels over the edge of a
longboard.
 Re-entry - hitting the lip vertically and re-rentering the wave in quick succession.
 Switch-foot - having equal ability to surf regular foot or goofy foot -- like being
ambidextrous
 Tube riding - riding inside the curl of a wave
 Carve - turns (often accentuated)
 Off the Top - a turn on the top of a wave, either sharp or carving
 Snap - a quick, sharp turn off the top of a wave
 Fins-free snap - a sharp turn where the fins slide off the top of the wave
 Air/Aerial - riding the board briefly into the air above the wave, landing back upon
the wave, and continuing to ride.

Equipment

Waxing a surfboard
Surfing can be done on various pieces of equipment, including
surfboards, bodyboards, wave skis, kneeboards and surf mat. Surfboards
were originally made of solid wood and were generally quite large and
heavy (often up to 12 feet long and 100 pounds / 45 kg). Lighter balsa
wood surfboards (first made in the late 1940s and early 1950s) were a
significant improvement, not only in portability, but also in increasing
maneuverability on the wave.
Most modern surfboards are made of polyurethane foam (with one or
more wooden strips or "stringers"), fiberglass cloth, and polyester resin.
An emerging surf technology is an epoxy surfboard, which are stronger
and lighter than traditional fiberglass.
Equipment used in surfing includes a leash (to keep a surfer's board
from washing to shore after a "wipeout", and to prevent it from hitting
other surfers), surf wax and/or traction pads (to keep a surfers feet from
slipping off the deck of the board), and "fins" (also known as "skegs")
which can either be permanently attached ("glassed-on") or
interchangeable. In warmer climates swimsuits, surf trunks or
boardshorts are worn, and occasionally rash guards; in cold water
surfers can opt to wear wetsuits, boots, hoods, and gloves to protect
them against lower water temperatures.
There are many different surfboard sizes, shapes, and designs in use
today. Modern longboards, generally 9 to 10 feet in length, are
reminiscent of the earliest surfboards, but now benefit from all the
modern innovations of surfboard shaping and fin design.
The modern shortboard began its life in the late 1960s evolving up to
today's common "thruster" style shortboard, a three fin design, usually
around 6 to 7 feet in length.
Midsize boards, often called funboards, provide more maneuverability
than a longboard, with more floatation than a shortboard. While many
surfers find that funboards live up to their name, providing the best of
both surfing modes, others are critical. "It is the happy medium of
mediocrity," writes Steven Kotler. "Funboard riders either have nothing
left to prove or lack the skills to prove anything." [2]
There are also various niche styles, such as the "Egg", a longboard-style
short board, the "Fish", a short and wide board with a split tail and two
or four fins, and the "Gun", a long and pointed board specifically
designed for big waves.

Dangers
Drowning

Surfing, like all water sports, carries the inherent danger of drowning.
Although a surfboard may assist a surfer in staying buoyant, it cannot be
relied on for flotation, as it can be separated from the user. The use of a
leash, which is attached at the ankle, keeps the surfer connected to the
board. The leash is a safeguard which helps reduce the chance of
drowning, though there are circumstances, such as unconsciousness and
the board becoming entangled or caught in a rip current, where its
effectiveness is compromised. To combat these dangers, surfers often
surf in pairs or groups.
A surfer should know the break before going out, and should be aware of
any dangers such as underwater obstacles, and rip tides.

Collisions
A large amount of injuries, up to 66%,[3] are caused by impact of either a
surfboard nose or fins with the surfer's body. Surfboard fins can cause
deep lacerations and cuts as well as bruising due to their shape. While
these injuries can be minor, they can open the skin to infection from the
sea, groups like SAS campaign for cleaner waters to reduce this risk.
There is also a danger of collision from objects under the water surface.
These include sand, coral and rocks.[4] Collisions with these objects may
cause unconsciousness or even death.

Sealife

Various types of sealife can cause injuries and even fatalities. Depending
on the location of the surfing activity, animals such as sharks, stingrays,
and jellyfish may be a danger to surfers.[5]

Famous surf breaks

 Banzai Pipeline
 Bells Beach
 Cape St. Francis
 Ericeira
 G-Land
 Gold Coast Superbank
 Jaws (Pehai)
 Jeffreys Bay
 Mavericks
 Fistral Beach

 Porthtowan
 Puerto Escondido
 Rincon
 Surfrider Beach
 Swamis
 Teahupo'o
 Trestles
 Waimea Bay
 Watergate Bay

Notable surfers
Surfing in Hawaii
2005 World Tour Top 10 Vans Triple Crown Standings 2007
 Kelly Slater (USA) 7962 (World
Champion: 1992, 1994-98, 2005-06)
 Andy Irons
 Andy Irons (USA) 7860 (World Champion:
 Joel Parkinson
2002-04)
 walker fraser
 Mick Fanning (Aus) 6650
 Frederick Patacchia
 Damien Hobgood (USA) 6148
 Taj Burrow
 Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 6060
 Luke Stedman
 Trent Munro (Aus) 5748
 Cory Lopez
 Taj Burrow (Aus) 5512
 Bruce Irons
 Nathan Hedge (Aus) 5426

 Kelly Slater
 CJ Hobgood (USA) 5248 (World
Champion: 2001)
All-time top female surfers (not
Outside the contest context
necessarily in contests)
 Rochelle Ballard
 Layne Beachley
 Lynne Boyer
 Miki Dora (USA)  Bethany Hamilton
 Gerry Lopez (USA)  Joyce Hoffman
 Wayne Lynch (Aus)  Keala Kennelly
 David Nuuhiwa (USA)  Sofia Mulanovich
 Eddie Aikau (USA)  Margo Oberg
 Bill Bragg (USA)  Jericho Poppler
 Laird Hamilton (USA)  Cori Schumacher
 Rob Machado (Aus)  Rell Sunn
 Alan Stokes (UK)  Freida Zamba
 Milton Willis (USA)  Chelsea Hedges
 Stephanie Gilmore
 Michael Willis (USA)  Rebecca Woods
 Silvana Lima

 Samantha Cornish

Notes
See also
  World Championship Tour (WCT)
 History of surfing
 Surf forecasting
 World surfing champion
 ASP World Tour
 Surf culture
 Surf music
 River surfing
 Lake surfing
 Surf lifesaving, SLSC and nippers
 List of surfing topics
 List of surfing areas
 List of surfers
 Ecosystem
 Oceanography
 Ocean wave
 Triple Crown of Surfing

Surf culture
Surf culture is the culture surrounding the sport of modern surfing.
Originating early in the 20th century, its largest growth was during the
1950s and 1960s. It continues to evolve, spread, and grow to this day.
The basis of surf culture involves primarily the love of surfing, the hunt
for great waves, the desire for the ultimate ride, and the life in and
around the ocean. The culture also includes a wide range of other ways
in which surfing might affect parts of a devotee's life, including fashion,
music preferences, literature, films, jargon, etc. Localism or territorialism
is often a large part of surf culture in which individuals or groups of
surfers designate certain key surfing spots as their own. Today, surfers
come from all walks of life and from all coastlines which makes the
group difficult to stereotype. Despite the great variety of the average
surfer's background, there is a strong commonality that can be easily
seen among all true surfers which is their unpretentious love and
appreciation for the break.
Pontiac woodie.
If there is one fair generalisation concerning the sport, it is the fanatical
enthusiasm of its devotees. The fickle nature of weather and the ocean,
plus the great desire for the best possible types of waves for surfing,
have always made surfers slaves to rapidly changing conditions. Surfing
Magazine, founded in the 1960s when surfing had gained popularity with
teenagers, used to say that if they were hard at work and someone
yelled "Surf's up!" the office would suddenly be empty. Also, since
surfing has a restricted geographical necessity (i.e. the coast), the
culture of beach life often influenced surfers and vice versa. Aspects of
1960s surf culture in Southern California, where it was first popularized,
include the woodie, bikinis and other beach wear, such as boardshorts or
baggies, and surf music. Surfers developed the skateboard to be able to
"surf" on land; and the number of boardsports and spin-offs has grown
ever since. Also, surfing (particularly in Southern California) has its own
slang, which has coincided with Valspeak. Words like "tubular" and
"gnarly" are associated with both.
Surfers have often been associated with being slackers or beach bums.
Though this is hardly a proper generalization today, since surfers come
from all walks of life, the basis of the stereotype comes from that same
over-whelming enthusiasm, sometimes bordering on addiction, that
surfers can have for their sport. Along with the rarity of truly perfect surf
conditions (plus the bliss that is associated with them) and the inevitable
hunt for great waves, surfers often become dedicated to their sport in a
way that precludes a more traditional life in a capitalistic society. Surfing
instead, becomes their lifestyle.
This has left a long history of surfers veering off the beaten path, and
foregoing the traditional goals of first world culture in the hunt for a
continual stoke, in harmony with life, their surfing, and the ocean. This is
part of the definition of a "soul surfer" whose goals are certainly not that
of every person who indulges in the sport, but a vibrant and long-
standing sub-group.
Competitive surf culture (centered around surf contests and
endorsement deals) is often seen in opposition to this, since it embraces
more traditional capitalistic ideals. Since its inception there has always
been debate about whether or not surfing for money and prizes is truly
compatible with the surfing lifestyle. Though this debate has lessened in
recent decades, since many of today's pro-surfers, seem to be able to
straddle both worlds: the competitive surfer and "free surfer".
The historic surf village of Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, is a good
example of a place devoted to the surfing lifestyle

Localism
Even though waves break everywhere along a coast, truly great surf
spots are rare. A surf break that forms great surfable waves may easily
become a coveted commodity, especially if the wave only breaks there
rarely. If this break is near a large population center with many surfers,
territorialism often arrises. Regular surfers who live near to a good surf
break may often guard it jealously, hence the expression "locals only";
or as the rock group The Surf Punks put it, "my beach, my wave, my girl,
Go Home!". The "locals only" expression is common among most beach
towns, along with "Go home Shoobie/Bennie." These sayings are
consistent with the territorialism that drives the beach culture and those
that live on the coastal territories year round. The expression "Surf Nazi"
appeared in the 1980s to describe territorial and authoritarian surfers.
Localism is expressed when surfers are involved in verbal or physical
threats or abuse to deter people from surfing at certain surf spots. This
is backed by the belief that fewer people equals more waves per surfer.
Other surfers, however, sometimes known as "soul surfers", hold less
aggressive views towards others. These surfers see surfing as more than
a sport; it is an opportunity to harness the waves and to relax and forget
about their daily routines.

Big Wave Culture

A non-competitive adventure activity involving riding the biggest waves
possible (known as "rhino hunting") is also popular with some surfers. A
practice popularized in the 1990s has seen big wave surfing
revolutionized, as surfers use personal watercraft to tow them out to a
position where they can catch previously unrideable waves (see tow-in
surfing). These waves were previously unrideable due to the speed at
which they travel. Some waves reach speeds of over 60 km/h; personal
watercraft enable surfers to reach the speed of the wave thereby
making them rideable. Personal watercraft not only allow surfers to ride
these waves but allow them to survive wipeouts. In many instances
surfers would not survive the battering of the "sets" (groups of waves
together). This spectacular activity is extremely popular with television
crews, but because such waves rarely occur in heavily populated
regions, and usually only a very long way out to sea on outer reefs, few
spectators see such events directly.

Issues Affecting Surfers

Global warming, environmental damage, and increasing riparian
development may continue to increase pressure on the sport. Oil spills
and toxic algae growth can threaten surfing regions. And, many wealthy
homeowners have tried to prevent free access to beaches in violation of
English and American common law traditions, in which "the strand" is
not private property.
Some of these stresses may be overcome by building of artificial reefs
for surfing. Several have been built in recent years (one is at Cables in
Western Australia), and there is widespread enthusiasm in the global
surfing community for additional projects. However, environmental
opposition and rigorous coastal permitting regulations is dampening
prospects for building such reefs in some countries, such as the United
States. A major big wave cultural group in northern Australia in called
"clarkey", and are known for their agression and passion.

Spirituality

A surfer memorial service, Huntington Beach Pier, Orange County, California.

Australian surfer Nat Young tried to register surfing as a religion, but to
no avail. Many surfers combine their love of the sport with their own
spiritual beliefs. In Huntington Beach, California for example, a local
Christian, non-denominational church occasionally meets on the beach
for Sunday early-morning services. After the closing prayer, the minister
and his congregation paddle out for a morning session. In addition, many
surfing communities organize and take part in memorial services for
fallen surfers, sometimes on the anniversary of passing such as the
Eddie Aikau memorial service held annually at Waimea Bay, Hawaii.
Participants in the memorial service paddle out to a suitable location
with flower leis around their necks or with loose flowers (sometimes held
between their teeth)., The participants then get into a circular formation,
hold hands, and silently pray. Sometimes they will raise their clasped
hands skyward before tossing their flowers or leis into the center of the
ring. Afterward, they paddle back toward the beach to begin their surf
session. Often these services take place at sunrise or sunset. In locations
with a pier, such as Huntington Beach, Orange County, California, the
service can take place near the end of the pier so that any non-surfers,
such as elderly relatives, can watch and participate. Often the
participants on the pier will throw down bouquets of flowers into the
center of the ring.
 Spirit of Surfing
 West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief
 The Tao of Surfing

Quotes About Surfing

 "It's just the best way to start your day. People who surf, they know the object is to
have fun. You work hard, but you work hard to have fun." - Cynthia Derosier

 "I could not help concluding this man had the most supreme pleasure while he was
driven so fast and so smoothly by the sea." - James Cook

 "In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all
ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf-bathing. Each heathen
would paddle three or four hundred yards out to sea (taking a short board with him),
then face the shore and wait for a particularly prodigious billow to come along; at
the right moment he would fling his board upon its foamy crest and himself upon
the board, and here he would come whizzing by like a bombshell!" - Mark Twain

 "Surfing wasn't about money back then. Surfers always lived cheaply and scraped
by." - Mark Cunningham

 "It's a culmination of your life of surfing when you turn and paddle in at
Mavericks." - Jeff Clark

 "It's all about where your mind's at." - Kelly Slater

 "Your done, once you're a surfer you're done. You're in. It's like the mob or
something. You're not getting out." - Kelly Slater (from Step Into Liquid)

 "None but natives ever master the art of surf-bathing thoroughly." - Mark Twain

 "The idea that an individual can find God is terribly self-centered. It is like a wave
thinking it can find the sea." - Sir John Templeton

 "It was so big [the wave], it didn't even know we were there."[1] - Daniel Webber

 "Surfing soothes me, it's always been a kind of Zen experience for me. The ocean is
so magnificent, peaceful, and awesome. The rest of the world disappears for me
when I'm on a wave." - Paul Walker

 "How would you like to stand like a God before the crest of a monster billow,
always rushing to the bottom of a hill and never reaching its base, and to come
 rushing in for a half mile at express speed, in graceful attitude, until you reach the
beach and step easily from the wave?" - Duke Kahanamoku

 "Out of the water, I am nothing." - Duke Kahanamoku

 "Wipe Out" Surfaris
 "Sometimes in the morning, when it's a good surf, I go out there, and I don't feel
like it's a bad world." - Kary Mullis

 "If you direct your attention to the position of a bird with regard to the wave
surface, it will speedily be noticed to be nearly always on the rising side or face of
the wave and moving apparently at right angles to the wave's course, but really
diagonal to it." - Lawrence Hargrave

 "I tried body surfing once, but how often do you find a corpse?" - Emo Philips

 "You will never hear surf music again." - Jimi Hendrix

 "Then, after I've gotten rid of Batman and Robin for good, I will rule the waves.
Me, the Joker, king of the surf and all the surfers. Then, Gotham City! Later, the
world!" - The Joker from Batman

 "There is that desire to go surf the waves by yourself, just you and nature and I will
never do it again, never." - Davis Bunn

 "Give us back our suffering, we cry to Heaven in our hearts— suffering rather than
indifferentism; for out of nothing comes nothing. But out of suffering may come the
cure. Better have pain than paralysis! A hundred struggle and drown in the breakers.
One discovers the new world. But rather, ten times rather, die in the surf, heralding
the way to that new world, than stand idly on the shore!" - Florence Nightingale

Films About Surfing

A screenshot from Liquid Time.

Big Wednesday poster.

Sean Penn as the surfer Jeff Spicoli.

The surf culture is reflected in film. Bruce Brown's classic movie The
Endless Summer glorified surfing in a round-the-world search for the
perfect wave. John Milius's homage to the Malibu of his youth in Big
Wednesday remains a poignant metaphor for the similarities between
the changing surf and life. Beach movies such as the Gidget series and
Beach Party films like Beach Blanket Bingo are less reverential
depictions of the culture.
 Big Wednesday
 Blue Crush, starring Kate Bosworth
 Blue Hawaii
 Blue Juice, Sean Pertwee, Ewan McGregor, Catherine Zeta-Jones
 The Endless Summer, Bruce Brown
  Five Summer Stories, Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman
 Gidget
 Hawaiian Holiday, Bud Browne
 Liquid Time (2002) is an avant-garde surf film that focuses solely on the fluid forms
of tubing waves.
 Morning of the Earth
 North Shore
 Point Break
 Riding Giants
 Surf's Up is a computer-animated mockumentary, which investigates the premise
that surfing was actually invented by penguins, taking viewers behind the scenes of
the "Penguin World Surfing Championship".
 Step Into Liquid

Fictional Surfers in Film

 Sean Penn as stoned surfer Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Jeff
Spicoli is the stereotypical teenage surfer of the eighties, complete with surf talk and
imaginary tubes, ridden beneath overhanging ivy. The ambitious, conscientious,
hard-working Brad Hamilton provides a foil for Jeff Spicoli, who believes in
“operating from the heart” and “what you need will come to you,”. By contrasting
Jeff Spicoli's carefree approach to life with Brad Hamilton's disciplined work ethic,
the film exposes the dialectic in western culture.[2]

Scenes from Movies

 Apocalypse Now

Willard: Are you crazy God dammit? Don't you think its a little risky for some
“ R&R?

Kilgore: If I say its safe to surf this beach Captain, then it's
safe to surf this beach. I mean I'm not afraid to surf this place,
I'll surf this whole fucking place! ”
In the extended version of Apocalypse Now, there is a scene in which
Willard's team steals Kilgore's surfboard as they begin their journey up
the river.

Television Shows With Surfing As A Heavy

Plot Point
 Blue Water High
 California Dreams
 Hawaii Five-O lead-in.
  The O.C.
 Surf Girls (2003)
 Surfing the Menu ABC TV, Australia.
 Eureka Seven (not on water, however)
 Summerland
 H2O just add water

TV Commercials

 Coca-Cola commercial featuring Kalani Robb and Maila Jones.

TV Documentary Series

 This Is Your Life presents Duke Kahanamoku (1957)

 NRG (1997)
 On Surfari Fuel TV
 Iconoclasts Season 2 Episode 1: Eddie Vedder and Laird Hamilton; Sundance
Channel

TV Episodes Featuring Surfing

 The Flintstones - "Surfin' Fred" (1965). Fred, Wilma, Barney, and Betty are
holidaying on Rock Island, where a surfing contest is to be held. Fred hopes to
relive his carefree teenage years, dancing to "hip" music with swarms of holidaying
teenagers and revelling in their adulation of his sporting prowess. However, in the
surf, Fred is repeatedly blasted by monsterous waves, as he tries desperately to
impress the young crowd. Rock star and teenage heartthrob, Jimmy Darrock, who
has been recruited to present the winner's trophy, avoids recognition by wearing
sunglasses and assuming the role of a lifeguard. But, he had not counted on Fred's
ineptitude on a board. Darrock has to retrieve Fred from the surf and perform
resuscitation on him. When Wilma paddles over, a huge wave throws Fred onto her
shoulders. Wilma manages to navigate through the pillars of a boardwalk, bringing
her surfboard to rest inside the revolving door of the hotel. Fred and Wilma win the
trophy for most adept use of a surfboard, and Darrock performs in the hotel
restaurant, singing about the surfing craze.

 Gilligan's Island - "Big Man on Little Stick" (1965). A surfer by the name of Duke
Williams washes up on the shore and collapses, having spent five days at sea on his
surfboard. The girls fall for Duke, played by Denny Miller, so Gilligan tries to learn
how to surf by tying his feet to Duke's surfboard. Despite their interest in the
newcomer, Ginger and Mary Ann panic when he makes a pass at each of them. To
resolve the conflict, the castaways pretend the girls are not available. Ginger is with
the Professor and Mary Ann is with Gilligan. So, Duke decides to leave the island
and manages to depart by catching a huge wave. The men sit around the radio,
anxiously listening to news of Duke's arrival in Hawaii. To their dismay, Duke
 doesn't remember where he's been for the last two weeks, having hit a rock and
suffered amnesia.

 The Brady Bunch - "Hawaii Bound" (1972)

 Even Stevens - "Surf's Up" (2003)

 The Surreal Life - "Surf School" (2004)

Fictional Surfers in TV

 Denny Miller as the handsome surfer Duke Williams, guest starring on Gilligan's
Island. Duke Williams is the stereotypical surfer of the early sixties: simple-minded,
yet handsome and athletic.

Duke: Man, five days on that board and I'm nothing but skin and bones.
“
Ginger: What skin.

Mary Ann: And what bones. ”

 Luke Perry as Dylan McKay was often seen surfing during the first few seasons of
Beverly Hills, 90210.

Surfing Music

Surfin' USA by the Beach Boys.

Surf culture is reflected in surf music, with sub-genres such as surf rock
and surf pop. This includes works from such artists as Jan and Dean, The
Beach Boys, The Surfaris ("Wipe Out!"), Dick Dale, and The Ventures.
The music inspired dance crazes such as The Stomp, The Frug, and The
Watusi. A newer wave of surf music has started in the acoustic riffs of
artists such as Jack Johnson and Donavon Frankenreiter, who are both
former professional surfers. The rise of surfers creating their own music
and new style of surf rock has started.
Surf rock

 Wedding Cake Island, Midnight Oil, 1975.

Surf pop

 Surfer Girl (single), The Beach Boys, 1963.

 Surf City, Jan and Dean, 1963.
 Surfer Joe, The Surfaris, 1963.
 He's my blonde headed stompie-wompie real gone surfer boy, Little Pattie, 1963.
 Fun Fun Fun, The Beach Boys, 1964.
 Surf Song, Fenix Tx, 1999.

Instrumental

 Dick Dale, 1960s to present.

 Walk Don't Run, The Ventures, 1960.
 Apache, The Shadows, 1960. (British group)
 Bombora (single), The Atlantics, 1963.
 Wipe Out, The Surfaris, 1962.

Video Games About Surfing

 Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
 TransWorld Surf: Next Wave

Fashion

Billabong

Rip Curl

Quiksilver
Roxy

Da Kine

T&C
Surfwear is a popular style of casual clothing, inspired by surf culture.
Many surf related brand-names originated as cottage industry, supplying
local surfers with boardshorts, wetsuits, surfboards or leg-ropes/leashes.
Today, its popularity extends so far beyond the surfing community, that
some of its most high profile brands are listed on the Stock Exchange.
These companies gain exposure through sponsoring professional surfers
and the contests in which they compete.
 Billabong was founded in Australia in 1973. As well as the Billabong brand-name,
the company sells surfwear under the Palmers Surf, Honolua Surf and Von Zipper
brands, as well as Element skate clothing and hardware.

 Rip Curl is a major Australian manufacturer and retailer of surfwear and surfgear.
The company started from the humble beginnings of two surfers in Torquay
producing wetsuits from their garden shed. Rip Curl remains a private company.
Rip Curl is the sponsor of one of the largest surf competitions called the Rip Curl
Pro, where the top 40 surfers on the world circuit compete for the title.

 Quiksilver is the world's largest manufacturer of surfwear. It was founded in

Australia in 1969, when Torquay surfers Alan Green and John Law came up with
the idea of selling wetsuits for a living. They redesigned the wetsuit, creating one
that was specifically designed for surfing, and over time, introduced a range of
surfwear products, at a time when there was little competition.

 Roxy is Quiksilver's brand of clothing, accessories, and surf equipment named after
the daughter of one of the founders. The logo is Quiksilver's, reflected, forming a
heart. It is oriented toward young girls and women.

 Da Kine is a US based company specializing in sportswear and sports equipment.

In 1979 Rob Kaplan started manufacturing Da Kine surfboard leash which quickly
gained industry recognition and praise for innovative design and bulid quality.
Between 1981 and 1984 Da Kine developed the world's first adjustable windsurfing
footstrap and windsurfing harness. Currently, Da Kine is present on the Surfing,
Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Ski, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing and Mountain Biking
markets.
  Town & Country (aka. T&C) is a US based surfboard manufacturer that expanded
into a full line of surfwear and surfing accessories and now has retail shops
throughout the world in countries such as Japan, Australia, and Peru.

Other surfwear labels

 Creatures of Leisure
 Lighting Bolt  Revolver Surf
 69 Surfwear
 Lost  Ron Jon Surf Shop
 Balin
 Mambo  Rusty Surfboards
 Dylan&Kelsea
 Monument  Salt Life
 Ezekiel
 Northcore Boardriders  Salt Rock
 The Factory
 O'Neill  The Ryde
 Globe Shoes
 Oakley  Tube
 Headworx
 Ocean/Earth  Volcom
 Halewai Surf Company
 Oxbow  Warp
 Hang Ten
 Reef sandals  Wave Hound
 Hurley

Events
Festivals

 Nude Night Surfing Sydney Fringe Festival, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia.
 Saint Jean de Luz Surf Film Festival.
 Wavescapes Surf Film Festival
 Surf Film Festibal

Trade Shows

 Surf Expo
 Italia Surf Expo

Surfing Contests

Competitive surfing is a comparison sport. Riders, competing in pairs or

small groups, are allocated a certain amount of time to ride waves and
display their prowess and mastery of the craft. Competitors are then
judged according to how competently the wave is ridden, including the
level of difficulty, as well as frequency of maneuvers. There is a
professional surfing world surfing championship series held annually at
surf breaks around the world.
 Stubbies  Red Bull Big Wave Africa
 Bells  Surfabout
  Billabong Pro
 Surfest
 Pipe Masters
Although competitive surfing has become an extremely popular and
lucrative activity, both for its participants and its sponsors, the sport
does not have its origins as a competitive pursuit. It is common to hear
debate rage between purists of the sport, who still maintain the ideal of
"soul surfing", and surfers who engage in the competitive and,
consequently, commercial side of the activity. [3] An organisation called
the Spirit of Surfing has chosen not to accept surf label sponsorship,
since an association of that sort could detract from the sentiment they
wish to promote.

Surfing Organizations
 Association of Surfing Professionals
 Bronzed Aussies
 SurfAid
 Surfing Australia
 Swiss Surfing Association (SSA)

Spin-Offs & Influences

Boardsports

Surfers developed the skateboard to be able to "surf" on land. Later

came windsurfing (also known as sailboarding), bodyboarding,
wakeboarding, skimboarding, snowboarding, riverboarding,
kiteboarding, sandboarding, and mountainboarding, all now competitive
sports. Another fast growing boardsport is skurfing a mix of surfing and
more conventional water sports in which the participant is towed behind
the boat. Pineboarding and sandboarding are recreational boardsports.

Conceptual metaphor

The word "surf" is polysemous; having multiple, related meanings.

"Surfing" the World Wide Web is the act of following hyperlinks. The
phrase "surfing the Internet" was first popularized in print by Jean
Armour Polly, a librarian, in an article called "Surfing the INTERNET",
published in the Wilson Library Bulletin in June, 1992.

Branding

 Surf laundry detergent

 Toyota Hilux Surf (called Toyota 4Runner in North America).
Surfing in Multimedia
Internet

Surfing Forums

 Swaylocks Surfboard Design Forum

Surfing Portals

 International surfing news

Live Surf Cams

 Australia's popular surf breaks

Surf Forecasting

Main article: Surf forecasting

Thousands of sites offer surf forecasting and reporting, from single beaches to the
entire world. Some of the larger, more popular and reliable ones are:
 Coastal Watch - Australia
 Magic Seaweed
 Storm Surf - California
 Surfline
 Wetsand

CD-ROM

 Surfology 101

3D Models

 Tubing wave, using SketchUp, can be downloaded into Google Earth.

 Surfboard, using SketchUp
 Surfboard, available in various formats.

Print media
Surfing Magazines

 TransWorld SURF
 Tracks
 Surfing World
 Australia's Surfing Life
  Pitpilot magazine
 Wave Action Surf Magazine
 Surfer Magazine
 Surf Girl magazine
 Surfer's Journal
 Wavelength
 Carve

Surfing in Non-Fiction

Popular

 Surfing: A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport, Finney, B.

 Australian Beach Cultures: The History of Sun, Sand, and Surf, Booth, D.
 Eddie Would Go: The Story of Eddie Aikau, Hawaiian Hero and Pioneer of Big
Wave Surfing, Holmes Coleman, S.
 The Illustrated Discography of Surf Music (1961-1965) Blair, J. Riverside,
California, 1983.
 A Pictorial History of Surfing. Finney, B. and Margan, F. Paul Hamlyn, Sydney,
1970.
 Cowabunga: The Complete Book of Surfing. Wardlaw, L. Avon Books, New York,
1991.
 The History of Surfing. Young, N. Palm Beach Press, 1983.

Academic Topics

Natural Science

 The Science of Surfing Waves and Surfing Breaks, Scarfe, et al. (2003), Scripps
Institution of Oceanography Technical Report.
 Mathematics and bodysurfing, Neville de Mestre, Faculty of Information
Technology, Bond University.
 A numerical study of breaking waves in the surf zone, Pengzhi, L. et al., School of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University.
 Waves and Beaches, Bascombe, WR. Doubleday.
 The Wetsand Wavecast Guide to Surf Forecasting: A Simple Approach to Planning
the Perfect Sessions Cool, NT.
 Ocean Surface Waves: Their Physics and Prediction Massel, SR.
 Waves of Semiosis: Surfing’s Iconic Progression, Flynn, PJ (1987), The American
Journal of Semiotics
 The Aesthetics of Risk: A Study of Surfing, M Stranger (1999), International
Review for the Sociology of Sport, [Link]
 To the Extreme: Alternative Sports, Inside and Out, Rinehart, RE. Sydnor, S.
(2003), State University of New York Press
 Good to the last drop! Understanding surfer motivations, Butts, SE. (2001),
Sociology of Sport, [Link]
  Sick, Filthy, and Delirious: surf film and video and the documentary mode, Beattie,
K. (2001), Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, Vol. 15, No. 3.
 Putting up your Dukes: Statues Social Memory and Duke Paoa Kahanamoku,
Osmond, G. Phillips, MG. O’Neill, M. (2006), The International Journal of the
History of Sport, Taylor & Francis
 Hangin' ten: The common-pool resource problem of surfing, Rider, R. College of
Arts and Sciences, Economics Program, California State University, San Marcos,
CA, 92096-0001, U.S.A.
 Surfing the Other: Ideology on the Beach, Rutsky, RL, (1999), Film Quarterly, Vol.
52, No. 4.
 ‘We shall Fight on the Seas and the Oceans…We shall: Commodification, Localism
and Violence’, Scott, P.(2003), MC: a journal of media and culture, Vol.6, No.1.
 ‘Just the lemon next to the pie’: Apocalypse, History and the Limits of Myth in Big
Wednesday, Ormrod, J. (1978), Manchester Metropolitan University.
 Surf tourism and sustainable development in Indo-Pacific islands: I. The industry
and the islands. Buckley, RC. (2002), Journal of Sustainable Tourism
 Surf tourism and sustainable development in Indo-Pacific islands: II. Recreational
Capacity Management and Case Study. Buckley, RC. (2002), Journal of Sustainable
Tourism, Vol. 10, No. 5, 2002.
 A Sociological Study of the Surfing Subculture in the Santa Cruz Aea Masters
Thesis by Stephen Wayne Hull (1976), Department of Sociology, San Jose State
University.
 Waves of Transformation Crawford, C. Masters thesis.
 "Surfing, the Ultimate Pleasure". Lueras, Leonard. Honolulu: Emphasis
International, 1984.
 "The Search Issues of Play, Identification, Agency, and Deviance in the Absence of
Mainstream Sports: Towards a Discovery of the Social Meaning of the Sport of
Surfing". Ehrlich, JN. Honors Thesis for the Undergraduate Research Program in
the Department of Sociology at the University Of California, Irvine.
 "Civilising Surfers: Exploring Subculture Through Historical Consumer Research"
Robin Canniford (2006) PhD Thesis.
 "“Marketing the Savage” Canniford, R. & Shankar, A. - Book Chapter in Cova, B.,
Shankar, A. and Kozinets, R. (2007) "Consumer Tribes: Theory, Practice and
Prospects", Oxford: Elsevier
 How to Surf, Evers, C. (2006), Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 30, No. 3.
 Locals Only! Evers, C. (2006), Conference Proceedings, Everyday
Multiculturalism, Macquarie University.
 Men who Surf, Evers, C. (2004), Cultural Studies Review, 10, No. 1.
 Becoming-Man Becoming-Wave, Evers, C. (2005), Doctoral Thesis, University of
Sydney, Australia

Surfing in Fiction

Comics

 Captain Goodvibes
  Wilbur Kookmeyer
 Silver Surfer, who rides a surfboard-like vehicle

Prose

 Surfing in Hawaii: A Personal Memoir, by Desmond Muirhead

 Paunalu, by Rustom Calisch
 The Impact Zone, by Ray Maloney

Philosophical novels
 West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief, by Steven Kotler

Surfing Reference Materials

 Encyclopedia of Surfing
 Riptionary surf lingo dictionary
 Surfin'Ary: A Dictionary of Surfing Terms and Surfspeak T Cralle (2001)

Sculpture
Surfing Monuments

 Katwijk aan Zee.

 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi Beach.
 Newport, UK.
 Michigan, "Wave Field".
 Santa Cruz Surf Statue.
 Waikiki Surf Statue.
 Swami's Surfing Memorial Sculptor/artist, George Bredehoft.
 Hermosa Beach Surf Legends Memorial Fountain.

Graphic Art
Main article: Surf art

Early depictions

 The Great Wave Off Kanagawa (Japanese wave).

Textiles

 Mambo Graphics

Surf Tourism
  Surf camps
 Yacht surfing adventures
 Surf Camps Worldwide
 Surfboat Maldives

Surfing Education
 Surfing instructor certificate
 Diploma of Surfing Studies

References
1. ^ Welcome to the Weird and Wonderful World of the Webber Clan, Interview by
Tim Baker, Australian Surfing World Magazine, Issue no. 271 (2004)
2. ^ Culture Jock University of Chicago Magazine, December '05, Volume 98, Issue 2.
3. ^ Billion Dollar Breakers: The Professional Surfing World Background Briefing,
ABC Radio National, Sunday, 13 April, 199