Who Are They?
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sunshine-surfing
Ever been interested in some big surfing names? Maybe you've just taken up the sport or are interested in watching it on TV, here is some background on current surf celebrities.
Take this young feisty and talented Hawaiian native Carissa Moore. She's stolen the spotlight with her daring and determined skill at surfing. At only 18 years of age, she won the 2011 ASP championship title in Sydney, Australia and recently participated as the only woman in a male championship in the familiar waters of Hawaii. She is definitely a surfer to follow if you hope to see something new and impressive.
Another skilled and well known female surfer is Sofia Mulanovich, who was born in Peru and is of Croatian descent. She has what it takes, as made evident by her induction to the Surfers Hall of Fame in July of 2007. She is the 1st South American to win this title and if that doesn't tell you that she's worth watching, then reading up on her will definitely convince you that this girl is a winner.
A famous and courageous adventure athlete who loves a challenge is Mark Visser. He is daring and brave, recently completing a daring stunt of surfing the giant waves of Jaws, Maui, at night! From this stunt he has earned the fitting nickname of “Night Rider!” His goals in his own words are “to push myself to greater limits and turn all my dreams into reality!” And so far he's proven himself capable of doing just that.
Kelly Slater is an experienced pro surfer and a fan favourite. He's been competing and winning over more than 16 years in the ASP and has broken many surf records. He has retired before, but keeps coming back and is worth watching. Anyone with the nickname “King” as they often call Kelly, well, they have to be quite something!
Tags: Surfers, Slatter, Moore, Mulanovich, Vissar
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What Does That Mean?
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sunshine-surfing
Surf lingo is practically a whole new language in itself. If you plan on surfing the waves and fitting in as a “beach bum”, take some time to learn to walk the walk and talk the talk. Here is some “surfology” to get you started. • Awesome! Granted, this word is used by all kinds of people, but it should be credited to surfers who use it to say: great! If you’ve had a fantastic day out on the water, it’s definitely fitting to use this word to describe it. • Bummer: The opposite of the above mentioned word. A drag or to say too bad. • Coffin: This word describes the position of lying stiffly on one’s back on the board with arms crossed. You can see where it got its name. • Did you change your mind at the last minute when approaching a wave? In surfing lingo, you just bailed out. • Brah. No, it’s not a misspelling of a woman’s brassiere. It’s what you call your good friend down at the beach. Short for the Hawaiian word bruddah, which means brother. • Gnarly. Use this word to describe a very large, dangerous or intense wave. • Honey. If you’re a surfer and have yourself a fine lady, this name is just for her. It’s also used for female surfers. • Stoked. Most surfers are stoked (excited, content are happy) about large waves. • Eat it. Not so fun, you use it when you fall of the surf board. • Do you want to take it a step further to express your glee and excitement about something? Gnarlatious! • Dude is used by many people the world over, but surfers use it for a male surfing enthusiast. • Anglin’: Turning left or right on a wave. • Fer sure: Yeah, you got it. The surfers pronunciation of: for sure.
Tags: Lingo, Surfology, Bail Out, Brah, Gnarly
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Different Kinds of Surfboards
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sunshine-surfing
Surfing is a beloved pastime in many parts of the world. From the shores of Norway to the islands of the South Pacific, there are surfers and surf enthusiasts worldwide. Though the sport of surfing is fairly simplistic in its basic form, there are many different forms of surfboards. The construction of these largely depends on the preferences of the surfers, and the designs of the boards come about as a result of that. This article will, in no particular order explain some of the different types of surfboards. 1) Longboard This is the classic surfboard, and was the favourite during the early days of surfing popularity in the 1950s and 60s. It consists of a length of balsa wood that is anywhere between 9 and 12 foot boards. They are preferred because of their stability and the ease with which it catches waves. The design is an ancient one, having been used by the native Hawaiian people for centuries. 2) Shortboard It is the most common kind of board in use today. This board was first designed by Gordon Clark in the mid-1960s, and has been extremely popular ever since. It has a common length of 6 or 7 feet, and is composed of a sort of urethane foam. People favour the board because of its manoeuvrability and its light weight. Thanks to its design, however, it is less buoyant than the longboard. 3) Fish Board A type of variation on the knee board, this board can be constructed out of balsa wood or synthetic materials. It has a sort of v-shaped tail, and is usually used to ride on smaller waves. Many other kinds of boards can have the same tail shape, but they lack certain of the characteristics that describe a conventional fish board.
Tags: Surfboards, Types, Long, Short, Fish board
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Surfing Exercises
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sunshine-surfing
As any surfer will tell you, the sport of surfing is one of the most enjoyable around. There is something about floating on the ocean and riding a wave that attracts virtually anyone who has ever tried it. However, being a surfer requires certain things, and being in shape is one of them. The reason for this is probably twofold: no one wants to look flabby when their shirt is off for most of the day, and there is a considerable amount of strength necessary for being an effective surfer. Following are some tips that can help you achieve the level of physical fitness that any surfer should possess. One of the most important elements of any work out is a cardiovascular routine. It gets the blood pumping and the heart rate rising, and is one of the best ways to lose weight and cut down your body/fat ratio. For any surfer, this type of exercise has some rather obvious benefits. It increases your endurance, which is a necessary prerequisite if you want to spend hours out on the waves. One of the best exercises for this purpose is swimming, as it serves the double purpose of being a good cardiovascular workout and being immediately applicable to the sport you’re training for. Another important area of exercise for anyone doing water-related sports is the upper body. Working your upper body muscles will enhance your swimming abilities quite a bit, and will make it a good deal easier to paddle out. For this purpose, there are quite a few exercises that will work well. Push ups, for example, do an admirable job of strengthening the pectorals and triceps. In addition, it is usually a good idea to do body weight exercises – such as push ups, squats and pull-ups – because of the strengthening effect they have on the muscles, as opposed to the type of exercise that is strictly for bulking up.
Tags: Exercises, Floating, Riding a Wave, Tips, Fitness
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Surfing Etiquette
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sunshine-surfing
As anyone who has ever joined a club or started playing a sport, there is a certain code of conduct that the participants must follow, even if it is unspoken. In football, for instance, there are the rules of the game and the code of conduct known as “fair play”. Though the latter may not always be enforced, it is certainly an obligation of the players to abide by it. The same principle holds true in surfing: though there are not any set rules to speak of, there is a certain code of conduct that most surfers follow, in order to ensure the maximum experience for all people involved.
For example, there is a rule known as “right of way” that governs who can or cannot take any given wave. The “right of way” principle has many different permutations throughout different disciplines, and surfing is one of those. The concept behind this little rule is a relatively simple one. Basically, whoever is the closest to the peak of the wave – the little crest at which the wave starts to foam – takes the wave. This is to ensure that none of the involved parties gets hurt. However, if the closest person indicates, two or more people may share the wave simultaneously. The obvious exception, of course, is if the wave is breaking inwards; in which case the people involved need to take great care.
Another important consideration is your board. Though this may sound like a rather obvious point, don't just dismiss it as such. Though your board is certainly something that you wouldn't want to replace, you need to realise that losing won't just affect you. If you lose your board while out on the waves, it can be extremely hazardous to the other people on the waves. Getting into a runaway board while on the waves can be a serious problem, so you shouldn't put people in that position.
Tags: Conduct Code, Rules, Surfers, Sport, Right of Way
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Surf Tips for Beginners
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sunshine-surfing
If you’ve recently become interested in surfing, congratulations! It is a sport that is simultaneously a good deal of fun and a good deal of exercise. It combines bodily exertion with the thrill of riding something that you don’t have much of control over. However, if you indeed are a beginner, there are a few things that you should probably be aware of, for your own good and personal safety. First of all, you can’t surf at just any beach. Of course, you can surf on most beaches, even if these do not have especially good waves. The problem arises when you try to surf on beaches that either don’t have safety ratings or have rather dangerous ones. This is not the time for bragging or for showing off, especially since you don’t have a lot of experience. After all, you probably want to live to become a better surfer, so why waste the opportunity by doing something rather life-threatening? As with virtually any other sport, one of the smartest things that any surfing beginner can do is listen to the veterans of that sport. After all, these people have been surfing for far longer than you; therefore, it’s good to remember that you can learn a lot from these people. And, as much as you should listen to what they tell you to do, you should also listen to what they tell you not to do. If you’re doing something that they say is not a good idea, then chances are that it’s not a good idea. If you’re a beginning surfer, it also pays to have the right board for your purposes. As far as boards go, the ideal one for a beginner is a longboard. This is due to both the board’s enhanced stability and capacity for flotation. These two factors make the longboard a perfect choice for the surfing beginner.
Tags: Beginner, Exercise, Safety, Sport, Listen
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Surf on a Starry Night
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sunshine-surfing
We’ve all seen pictures and watched clips of surfers riding the waves on a sunny day, with the sun’s rays illuminating the waves with sparkles and shine; but not often reported, or seen, is night surfing. But just because you haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Some people do it because of their hectic schedules that don’t permit them to go out during the day, others do it because they love to push themselves a little further to try something different, and others like Mark Visser prefer the thrill of a real challenge. Mark Visser planned, practiced and trembled over a span of months to be able to face large waves that are daunting even on a bright sun-filled day, in Jaws, Maui. During his months of preparation he was instructed to paddle his board through shark infested waters and was taught how he could react and cope if something went wrong. For his experiment of night surfing, his board and body were lit in different places helping him to see the waves in just the right places, but in the end he had to depend mainly on his “feeling” to guide him and completed his self-proposed challenge successfully. Mark isn’t the only surfer who rides the waves at night, although a risky endeavour such as his stunt at Jaws is not something many attempt. Many amateur surfers enjoy their favourite sport at night as well, albeit in calmer settings. It is often suggested to not use artificial light but rather go out at nights under a full moon or in a well-lit area. Avoid looking towards the light but rather focus on the waves and the reflection in the water. Using artificial lighting on your body only attracts fish or other unwelcomed creatures, so many avoid using them. The good thing is that after a few minutes, your eyes normally adjust to the darkness and the fact you’re depending on your “feeling” enhances your daytime surfing as well. Practice makes perfect.
Tags: Night Surfing, Waves,Visser, Maui, Experiment
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Nutrition of a Surfer
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sunshine-surfing
If you have ever tried surfing, then you know that it’s a sport that involves being half-unclothed for much of the time. When not unclothed, you are dressed in an outfit so tight-fitting that you might as well be stark naked. This is a little embarrassing if you haven’t been getting to the gym very often. It’s also a sport that takes great strength and stamina which takes plenty of training for. And, let’s face it; many of us don’t have time for that these days. However, if you do want to take up surfing as a hobby or favoured sport, then you might want to make the time, as well as several adjustments to your diet and lifestyle. First, you need to make sure that you are eating right. If you’re already a bit on the thin side and exercise from time to time, then you won’t worry too much about your diet. However, looking good is not the only factor to consider when out surfing. You need to make sure that your diet is balanced in such a way that your energy levels are at a high mark when you are out on the waves. A good portion of foods with non-saturated fats and complex, whole-grain carbohydrates will help with the energy. However, there are other things you will want to monitor, such as reduced sugar intake and increased vegetable intake. When you actually do attend the gym, make sure that you are doing the appropriate amount and kind of exercise: when surfing, balance is paramount. Therefore, while having a strong upper body is key, you don’t want to be weighed down with an excess of muscle. Also, it is probably a good idea to get in a fair amount of cardiovascular exercise. After all, a lot of the work done while out surfing involves swimming. Consequently, you don’t want to be out there paddling and give out from exhaustion when halfway out.
Tags: Nutrition, Gym, Diet, Lifestyle, Exercise
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Films for Surfing Fanatics - Part 1
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sunshine-surfing
Surfing has taken on a mystique of its own in the past five or six decades. Whenever we think of a free-spirited, devil-may-care sort of person who is also a fun-lover, our minds converge on the image of someone surfing a wave with a gigantic smile plastered on their face. Well, maybe you don't. But you should. Anyway, one of the great things about this image is that it lends an endless amount of possibilities to filmmakers who want to make a surfing film. And there are actually quite a few good ones out there, as well as documentaries.
One of the most well-known surfing films (possibly the most well-known) is The Endless Summer, from 1966. This film chronicles the adventures of surf fanatics Mike Hynson and Robert August as they tour the world, searching for the best surf spots therein. The movie depicts the pair's journey in a style rather more like a journal than a film – in actuality, the film is more of a documentary. Whether you are a surfing aficionado or not, there is no denying the beauty of the cinematography and scenery. After all, these two are travelling to some of the most remote beaches on Earth in search of the “perfect wave”. You'd expect the locations to be pristine and magnificent, and they most certainly are.
If you're looking for a movie that is focused (sort of) on surfing and is yet a whole lot of fun, you could also watch Surf's Up. This animated film – yes, animated film; they aren't just for kids – is in a mockumentary/regular film mash-up style, and is sufficiently eccentric to be appealing to an audience not exclusively comprised of children. Ah yes; the movie also stars penguins and different avian folk as the main protagonists. This delightful blend of enchanting animation and goofiness is a charming one, and is definitely worth a watch by anyone with an hour and a half to spend on a light, entertaining film.
Tags: Films, Mash-Up, The Endless Summer, Surf’s Up, Fun
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Films for Surfing Fanatics - Part 2
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sunshine-surfing
Ok, admit it. If you love a sport, you dream the sport, you practice the sport, you talk about the sport, you breathe the sport, you sing the sport and you most likely watch films about the sport. Which film to enjoy more about your favourite sport? Here are some ideas of favourite films about surfing and surfers.
• The Endless Summer is a favourite as not only does it show some awesome waves, but it also shows a side of surfing that people don't often notice: the surfer's lifestyle. An interesting titbit about this film is that the waves filmed in Cape Saint Francis in South Africa, no longer break like they used to because of scale developments in nearby dunes.
• Momentum is worth a watch with surfer favourite, Kelly Slater appearing in this film about New School surfers back in 1992. A low budget film, with a punk sound track still is a must see for people who want to watch some good tail-slides, air and Kelly's early talent.
• Blue Horizon was filmed over a span of two years by Jack McCoy and follows the talent and lifestyles of surfing greats Andy Irons and David “Rasta” Rastovich. It definitely shows a side to the love of the sport and life of a surfer due to Andy and David's participation and the great cinematography and incredible water photography.
• Have you heard much about Irish surfers? Wave Riders tells an interesting story of surfing pioneers linked to Ireland and showcases some top Irish surfers atop gigantic Irish swells.
• An interesting film that reveals another side of surfing culture. The quality of the film is somewhat lacking, but the content will entertain you and gives you a look at how solace can be found in this sport. Bra Boys is worth a watch.
Tags: Films, Bra Boys, Momentum, Blue Horizon, Surfing
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