surfing

the sport of riding a surfboard toward the shore on the crest of a wave

See World Wide Web for "surfing" the web; see also Windsurfing'' , Hawai‘i.]]Surfing (Hawaiian languageHawaiian: he‘e nalu, "wave-sliding") is a very popular recreational activity and sport in which individuals are propelled across the water by the force of waves, while standing on a flat, wide board. Most modern surfboards are made of foam and fiberglass with one or more wooden strips or "stringers." An emerging surf technology is an epoxy surfboard, made from a different material. Epoxy boards are stronger and lighter than traditional fiberglass boards.

History - Originally developed by Hawaiian islanders (see Ngaru), before the 15th century, "he'e nalu" spread in the early 20th century to the mainland United StatesUSA and Australia, where heavy timber "plank" boards were ridden directly towards beaches. The sport exploded in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, when cheaper, more maneuverable, and lighter boards made of fiberglass and foam became available and the teenaged baby boomers headed to the beach in droves to enjoy the maneuverability and stunts made possible by the new boards. The sport has spread to most places where waves of sufficient size and shape appear, including France, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ireland, South Africa, Norway, and many island states.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 "skegs" (also known as fins) which can either be permanently attached ("glassed-on") or interchangable. In warmer climates swimsuits, surf trunks or boardshorts are worn; in cold water surfers can opt to wear wetsuits, booties, hoods, and gloves to protect them against lower water temperatures.Surfing's appeal probably derives from an unusual confluence of elements: adrenaline, skill, and high paced maneuvering are set against a naturally unpredictable backdrop—an organic environment that is, by turns, graceful and serene, violent and formidable. Surfers' skills are tested not only in their ability to control their board in challenging conditions, but by their ability to execute various maneuvers 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), 'off the lip' (banking off the top of the wave), the 'aerial' (arcing through the air above the wave) and, if the surf conditions allow it, tuberiding. This is the holy grail of surfing, where the surfer maneuvers into a position where the wave curls over the top of them, forming a "tube" (or "barrel"), with the rider inside the cylindrical portion of the wave. However, such situations do not exist if the waves 'dump' or 'close-out', meaning that they break in large parts at a time. The drama of surfing obscures the sport's mundane aspects. Most people only see the pros riding and miss (when televised) or ignore the time-consuming paddling out and waiting required to get a surfer into position. 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 championship series held annually at surf beaches around the world. 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.A non-competitive adventure activity involving riding the biggest waves possible (known as "rhino hunting") is also popular with some surfers. A practice popularised in the 1990s has seen big wave surfing revolutionised, as surfers use jetskis to tow them out to a position where they can catch previously unrideable waves ''(See also 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; jetskis enable surfers to reach the speed of the wave thereby making them rideable. Jetskis 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) without drowning. 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. , Hawaii catches a wave.]]

Understanding waves - Surfing conditions at a particular location or "break" that is known for surfing (see below) are almost never ideal. Wind blown consistently over a large area of fetch, or open water, generates waves. These waves use a drafting effect similar to race cars and cyclists to travel vast distances efficiently. To learn more about surf meteorology, see stormsurf.com - StormSurf's Tutorials. As waves near their ultimate destination (land), the bottom of the wave begins to run aground as the water becomes more shallow.There are two primary factors that contribute to the general characteristics of waves at a particular break: (1) the "swell window" or the exposure of the location to wave-generating areas of fetch, and (2) the structure of the ocean floor (composition, shape).The swell window determines the potential of a break to receive waves. In general, the western coast of any continent usually has better breaks since winds (and, therefore, waves) tend to travel from west to east. Coastlines that face east or south (in the Northern Hemisphere) or north (in the Southern Hemisphere) that are exposed to tropical storms and hurricanes can also be surfable on a consistent basis. When waves break along a section of coastline at an angle almost perpendicular to the land, these special locations, known as point breaks, can produce very long-lasting waves that can be surfed for several hundred meters. The two main types of waves for surfing apart from the pointbreak are the reef break, waves breaking over a coral reef or rockbed, and the beach break, waves breaking onto sand bars. To learn more about the types of waves for surfing see surfing-waves.com - Surfing-Waves.com Wave information.The structure of the ocean floor is the biggest factor that determines the broad characterists of waves at a particular break. For instance, there are beach breaks (soft sand bottom) that generate slower, mushy waves and reef breaks (coral reef or rock bottom) that tend to generate faster, more powerful waves. Based on the structure of the ocean floor, a location may break better on a particular tide, say, an incoming high tide or a low-low tide.Local wind conditions, water temperature, solar radiation, the crowd factor, hazardous aquatic life, water pollution, and aggression of local surfers are other factors that can have impact on the experience one might have surfing at a particular break.The availability of free Numerical weather predictionmodel data from the NOAA has allowed the creation of several Surf forecasting websites. These automatically combine the above variables into a presentation of how good the surf will be.weee

Popular surfing areas - Surfing is a global sport; one can find a surfer in almost every coastal nation in the world.

France, particularly the Atlantic coast south of the Gironde RiverGironde

Australia

*Newcastle, New South WalesNewcastle, where Surfest is held annually.

*Gold Coast, QueenslandGold Coast, Snapper Rocks and Burleigh Heads where many surf comps are held anually

*Ocean beaches of Sydney, in particular Bondi Beach

*Victoria (Australia)Victorian beaches Jan Juc and Bells Beach where the annual Rip Curl Pro is held every year.

*Western Australia beaches Margaret River

The Atlantic OceanAtlantic coast of France (eg. Biarritz)

Brazil

Peru

*Cabo Blanco, PeruCabo Blanco

*Pico Alto, PeruPico Alto (home to the Mavericks of South America)

*Cerro Azul, PeruCerro Azul

*San Gallan

*Chicama, Peru Chicama (home of the longest left in the world)

Mexico

*Baja States of Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur; Several great breaks, the island of Todos Santos being the most famous.

*Mainland – States of Sinaloa, Jalisco, Colima (home to Boca de Pascuales and its massive beachbreak), Michoacán (where rural surf towns abound), Guerrero, Oaxaca (where Puerto Escondido, the "Mexican Pipeline", is located), and Chiapas.

*Gulf Coast

Indonesia

Ireland

*The Maharees - South West Ireland County Kerry

*Easkey North West coast near Sligo

New Zealand

*Manu Bay and Whale Bay, Raglan

*Bay of Plenty and East Coast, Mount Maunganui

Much of South Africa's coastline (just a few listed)

* Amanzimtoti

* Cape St. Francis (Seal Point)

* Durban

* Elands Bay

* Jeffreys Bay

* Mossel Bay

* Scottburgh

* Port Alfred

* Port Elizabeth

United Kingdom

*Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall

*CroydeCroyde Bay in North Devon

*Gower PeninsulaThe Gower Peninsula near Swansea, Wales

United States

*Northern California, while it has its moments at times, is a far less consistent place to surf than Southern California, with consistently poorer wind and wave conditions. The main problem is that most spots are too exposed to wind and swell, often resulting in "stormy" surf. Nor Cal is home to one of the most revered and dangerous spots in the world, Mavericks, for which there is no comparison in So Cal.

*Southern California, from San Diego to above Santa Barbara, features outstanding beaches such as Windansea, Tourmaline Park, Ponto, Lunada Bay, Huntington Beach, San Onofre State ParkSan Onofre, and Rincon, and is where American surfing music and culture began to evolve. This stretch of coastline is remarkable for the sheer number of consistently pleasant and surfable breaks.

*Hawaii is probably the most famous surfing mecca that exists, every year thousands upon thousands of surfers make the trip to pay respect to the birthplace of surfing. The North Shore of Oahu is home to perhaps the best stretch of surfing waves in the world, including Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, and the world's most renowned and revered wave, "Pipeline" (or "Banzai Pipeline"), so named for the yawning chasms it regularly hurls over the heads of awe-struck surfers. The North Shore is the epicenter of commercial surfing each fall as it hosts a series of contests that end the professional season at Pipeline.

*The eastern central coast of Florida, particularly Brevard County, FloridaBrevard County, is renowned as the "small wave surfing capital of the world," and is home to such surfing luminaries as Kelly Slater, Todd Holland, and Matt Kechele.

*The Mid-Atlantic StatesMid-Atlantic region includes popular spots such as North Carolina's Outer Banks, Long Island, Virginia Beach, Ocean City (Md.), and the Jersey Shore.

*There are decent breaks all up the east coast, notably on Cape Cod

*Even areas along the Great Lakes get local windswells with fresh-water barrels.The west coast of the Americas tends to have better surfing areas than the east coast. While the continental shelf of the west coast drops off quickly, on the east it extends a great distance, creating drag and making smaller and less powerful waves.Anywhere else waves hit the shore. Many surfers are seen as territorial, hence the expression "locals only"; or as the rock group The Surf Punks put it, "my beach, my wave, my girl, so f--- you!".Other surfers, however, 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 in and to relax and forget about their daily routines. This type of surfing has seen a rise in popularity recently.

Surfing culture - ''See surf culture''

Surfing movies -

Gidget (1959)

Ride the Wild Surf (1964)

Beach Party (1963)

Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

Endless Summer (1966)

Big Wednesday (1978)

Apocalypse Now (1979) (scene with Robert Duvall, "Charlie don't surf!")

North Shore (1987)

Point Break (1991)

Endless Summer II

Blue Crush (2002)

Step Into Liquid (2003)

Riding Giants (2004)

Surf brands -

Billabong (clothing)Billabong

Rip Curl

Quiksilver

Mambo GraphicsMambo

Famous and notable surfers -

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, olympian and Ambassador of Surfing

Laird Hamilton, Hawaii, California, Big wave Rider and tow-in surfing inventor

Tom Blake, Early 20th century surf pioneer, added fins to surfboards

Robert Wilson SimmonsBob Simmons, Initiated change in surfboards from flat logs to modern styles

Keala Kennelly, Kauai

Greg Cipes, United States

Greg Noll, big wave pioneer, rode biggest wave of his era at Makaha

Mark Richards, Newcastle. Australia, dominant surfer of the twin fin era

Scott Bass Surfer Magazine online editor and pioneer of stand-paddle surfing

Rell Sunn, Queen of Makaha, O‘ahu

Jake Mattocks, Mr. SP

Terry "TubeSteak" Tracy, The Original Big Kahoona http://www.tubesteak.org

Gerry Lopez, Mr. Pipeline

Shaun Tomson, one of the last top pros of the single fin era

Bill Andrews, La Jolla Local http://adaywithba.com

George_Freeth

Simon Anderson Australian, first to win competitions on thrusters

Tom Curren, First dominant pro thruster surfer

Kelly Slater, Florida, considered one of the best surf competitors ever

Andy Irons, Kauai

Sunny Garcia

Shane Dorian

Bethany Hamilton, Kauai and shark attack survivor

Layne Beachley, Australia

John Whitmore, "Die Oom", the "uncle" of south african surfing. Whitmore introduced surfboards to SA and pionered many advances in surfboards and techniques. Whitmore befriended filmmaker Bruce Brown and provided much assistance in the creation of Endless Summer 1 and 2.

See also - commonsSurfing

ASP World Tour

List of surfing terms

List of surfing topics

List of surfing areas

List of surfers

List of World Surfing Champions—Men

List of World Surfing Women's Champions

External links -

wannasurf.com - wannasurf.com A comprehensive atlas to over 5000 surf spots around the world.

globalsurfers.com - globalsurfers.com A commercial surf-travel site with an atlas of surf spots around the world.

swellfinder.com - Swellfinder.com Swell, wind & weather forecasts, surfcams, tides, etc. for windsurfers

wetsand.com - Wetsand.com Swell forecasts

magicseaweed.com - magicseaweed.com Swell and weather forecasts for breaks around the !worldCategory:SurfingCategory: Extreme? sportsCategory:Water sports !Category:Subculturesca:Surfde: Wellenreitenes:Surffr:Surfit:S urfhe:גלישת? !גליםnl:Surfenja:サーフ� ��ンpl:Surfingpt:Surfru:Сё� �фингscn:Surfingzh:衝浪< /text>

Hotel Tierra Verde
Hotel Tierra Verde located in Bocas Del Toro, Republic of Panama. Its a hotel with 7 rooms and a suite all with a/c hot and cold water, internet, and views of the ocean
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Homegrown.es
Surfschool Homegrown on Fuerteventura - Surfshop, Surfcamp, Boardrenting, Infos and Pics about surfing on Fuerteventura
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surfing lessons in cornwall and wales, learn to surf, surf school.
GSD is a four star surfing school offering surfing to everyone. Absolute beginners are welcome and we provide all the equipment you will need to enjoy the surf.
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Hedley Wood Caravan & Camping Park
Nestling in 17 acres of tranquil woodland a short drive from Bude & Widemouth Bay, Hedley Wood is the ideal location for your North Cornwall/Devon holiday experience whether you camp, caravan or prefer the home-comforts of a static mobile home
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Hawaii Activities
Hawaii Activities gives you instant access to the largest selection of the best Hawaii tours and activities, Hawaii tourist attractions, sightseeing tours, and unique Hawaiian adventures. There are so many wonderful things to do in Hawaii and we’ve gathered the best Hawaii tour operators in one convenient place - begin your search now! Finding the perfect Hawaii activity for your upcoming Hawaiian adventure has never been easier.
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Vacation apartments in Salvador
Comfortable, quiet and safe apartment pousada in Barra, near the beach. All rentals with DSL Internet access and air conditioning. English speaking management.
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Sennen Surfing centre
A BSA level 4 Surf school. Surf tuition for all abilities in Sennen Cove Cornwall. Half and Full dat tuition with all equipment included. From 1 to 5 day courses anyone can learn to surf properley in an amazing setting
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RIPAR Surf Camp / School
Learning surfing on a great Portuguese coast. Surf Courses, Surf Guiding, Accomodation, Yoga, Massage.
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AAVE Teen Adventures
Wilderness, leadership and academic adventures in the western US, Hawaii, Alaska, Europe, Costa Rica, Baja, Peru, Ecuador, Thailand, Australia, and South Africa for motivated teens ages 11-19; 2-6 week sessions. Trip leaders challenge participants and teach leadership and wilderness skills. AAVE is about adventure travel, leadership and learning. Since 1976 AAVE has inspired responsibility, commitment and innovative camping, rock climbing, surfing, mountain biking, kayaking, service projects, language programs, backpacking, horseback riding, ice climbing, mountaineering and sailing adventures around the world. Join us for a challenging, meaningful and fun experience.
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SurfMusic.ru
russian web page dedicated to surf music in russia and all over the world
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Surf El Salvador
All-inclusive surf trips and eco-tours in El Salvador, Central America. Great prices, amazing trips!
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bodysurf-xtrem (100% bodysurfing)
Rien que du bodysurf avec l'incontournable Matias Hegoas, et retrouvez Mike Stewart, Mark Cunningham et bien d'autres bodysurfers.
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Bahamas Out-Island Adventures
We specialize in customized, small-group adventure trips offering kayaking, snorkelling, surfing, caving and exploring. We offer day trips and overnight camping trips with the option to stay at our guesthouse too. Also: Surf lessons, boat trips to outer cays and cliff jumping. We customize trips to fit what your group wants to do. We are the opposite of many companies that put large groups together and offer one generic trip. You do what you want to do with Bahamas Out-Island Adventures!
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The Look
Surf clothing,skate wear and urban brands on The Look, clothing styles with an urban edge
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X-treamTeam
All about Windsurfing with reports and pics
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Costa Rica Surf Adventures
Our 7 day/6-night surf adventures are complete with amenities: beachfront accommodations, hot water, air conditioning, swimming pool, and 3 healthy meals per day. Activities include: daily surf and yoga instruction, salsa and Spanish lesson, one-hour private massage, nature hikes, snorkeling, and outings that introduce you to the local culture. We combine surfing and culture for a complete Costa Rican pura vida experience.
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Peru Surf Guides
Surf in Peru. Surf trips, guided surf trips. Personalised surf guides in Peru. North Peru, Central and South Peru surfing coverage
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XTR Epoxy Surfboards
XTR surfboards are unlike any other surfboard. XTR can improve your surfing faster than any other surfboard.
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Pr Surfing Canary surf school.
We are a Surfing School. We provide Surfing classes tothe tourists over here, that they can enjoy the best waves on the amazing beaches of Gran canaria.We also provide packages packages which includes stay and surfing classes on the islands. We also do provide services for other water sports like kite surfing, windsurfing, jetski etc. Our school is open for students from 6 to 60 years.
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fashion services & consultances
specializing in the study of apparel lines, colors, fibers, trends and consumer preferences.
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Surf Session Report ( Hawaii Surf Session Report )
SURFING and all watersports action from all around Hawaii and the North Shore mixed with good music and packaged like a surf video. Hawaii Surf Session Report is the first and the best video surf podcast. HSSR, focuses on the best waves and the best surfers of the day, from all parts of the islands year round. Daily video of the surf and surfers, watermen sports, the variety of people on the beach, the lifestyles and the scene in Hawaii,are captured and packaged into a mini-surf movie, post surf session review. Visit our website for free photos, daily updates, slideshows and giveaways.
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Argantel - a Sanctuary in St Agnes Cornwall
Delightful self-catering holiday accommodation nestling in a peaceful wooded Cornish valley reaching down to the sea
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Extremehorizon-Online surf shop
Extremehorizon surf shop stocking essential surf equipment, accessories and home to keypod car key safes and Lockjaw surfboard security systems
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Algarve Freeride Sagres Surfcamp- Portugal
Portugal’s ultimate Surfcamp and Surf School. Surf’s paradise located in the beautiful village of Sagres. The FreerideSurfcamp & School offers accommodation and breakfast at the Surfcamp, surf safaris, surf lessons for beginners and advanced surf lessons for intermediate, surf tours, surf guidance,rentals boards and wetsuits. The new camp is located in a beautiful villa facing the ocean, in front of the main beach in Sagres and keeps the skate ramp for after surfing. Sagres offers night live, shopping and cheap restaurants. Surf in a wild nature environment with the help of Portuguese Pro surfers and Surf Federation qualified instructors. For more info and bookings contact: João Mealha Portuguese Telf: (+351) 916089005 / 919396964 Email:info@freeridesurfcamp.com
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Surfing the Net with Kids
Fabulous archive of web site reviews on subjects such as butterflies, Houdini, online encylopedias, crossword puzzles and the Wright brothers. From nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, Barbara J. Feldman.
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Anonymizer.Com
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