The Language of Surfing
You overhear a conversation between two surfers and it goes something like this: “Man, that was a pitching chest-plus barreling wave that was spitting with lip that was standing up! I smacked it, threw chunks and landed a floater.” You say to yourself, “What language were those two guys speaking?” Every sport has its own lingo and surfing is no different. The way that surfers describe wave characteristics is a mix of local linguistics, surf knowledge and of course, knowing the secret password to the surf club.
Let’s start with wave height. Surfers in different parts of the world measure wave height in different ways. In Hawaii, the surf prognosticators describe wave height from the back of the wave. Meaning a 3-foot wave in Hawaii would probably be a 6-foot wave anywhere else. On the Outer Banks, wave height can be measured in feet, but it can also be measured in body parts.
For example:
Ankle slapper = less than 1 foot
Knee Cap = 1 foot plus
Thigh High = 2 feet
Waist High = less than 3 feet
Waist Plus = 3 feet
Chest = 4 feet
Neck High = 4 feet plus
Head High = 5 feet
Over Head = 6 feet plus
Double Over Head = anything over 12 feet
The quality of the wave is a characteristic that is truly in the eye of the beholder (or the surfer). A wave will hold its shape and form if the wind is blowing lightly off (from) the shore, hence the description Off-Shore Wind.
When the wind is coming off (from) the ocean and blowing onto (toward) the shore, then the wind is described as an On-Shore Wind. If the wind is blowing parallel to the beach, it is described as a Side-Shore Wind. If the wind is blowing so hard that the wind speed is almost equal to or greater than Gale Force (which is 32mph plus) local OBX surfers will call that a Honking Wind.
The Face, Section or Wall is that part of the wave that is created just before the wave breaks. This is the most rideable part of the wave and the place surfers start to generate speed. The White Water or the Soup is the foaming part that occurs once the wave has collapsed. If the wind is off-shore, is light, and wave height is bigger than thigh-high, there is the chance that the wave will Barrel or Tube. If a surfer catches a wave, then disappears in the barrel but then reappears out the front of the wave, that is called Getting Barreled and coming out the Front Door. If the surfer comes out the back of a barrel, that is called the Back Door. If the wave collapses but a mist of water is shot out of the tube, that effect is called Spitting. If a surfer is on a section of wave, makes an abrupt turn and creates a fan of water off the back of his board, that effect is called Throwing Chunks. (This sounds like you’re at a fraternity party but you’re not.) It actually takes a great deal of skill to complete this maneuver and then resume speed. A Floater is a maneuver that occurs when the surfer goes back on the very top of the wave (or the Lip) and then allows the board to drop back down over the section, thus giving the impression or illusion that he/she is floating down the wave without really touching the water.
A surfer can complete any of these maneuvers in less than two seconds. The challenge is not only learning the lingo but applying it to what is happening on the water. The good news is that Throwing Spray is not a wind shield wiper gone array but the secret password to the surf club. Now go throw some chunks!
For daily surf reports on the Outer Banks:
Radio Surf Reports:
99.1 FM, The Sound at 7:45am: Mickey McCarthy’s In-Town Surf Report
(Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head)
99.1 FM, The Sound at 8:15am: Corolla Surf Report (For the Northern Beaches)
On-Line Surf Reports and Information:
www.avalonpier.com • www.frf.usace.army.mil
www.obxsurfinfo.com
www.corollasurfshop.com • www.pitsurf.com
www.duckvillageoutfitters.net
www.whalebonesurfshop.com
Outer Banks Skating
The atmosphere is electric. Skaters are hooting, hollering, flying and grinding. There is sweat, probably blood, and certainly, exhilaration. Skaters push each other higher and faster, with each run a progression. This is the daily scene in the now numerous Outer Banks skateparks.
Barney’s Concrete Curl was the first skatepark on the Outer Banks. Located in Kill Devil Hills, it operated throughout the 1970s. The skate scene then went underground in the 80s and 90s. In 2002, Outer Banks skate legend Marc Corbett and his buddies built the famous Wanchese Bowl. This ten-foot-deep, wooden beauty rejuvenated the local skate scene.
Next, the City of Nags Head and the Outer Banks Family YMCA put together the funds to build the Y Park in 2003. This 15,000-sq.-feet park features a concrete bowl from four to ten feet deep and a large street course. Contact 252-449-8897 or go to Ypark.org for more details. A large concrete public park is now open on the Currituck mainland.
An exciting new addition to the skate scene is the Island Revolution Skatepark in Corolla. Located in the Corolla Light Town Center, this 5,000-sq. ft. masterpiece of efficiency and design was built by Marc Corbett and Anchor Skateparks. It features all-concrete construction, dual bowls, half pipes and a street course. Call 252-453-9484, or log onto islandrevolution.com for Corolla skate news.
With so many new options, the Outer Banks is quickly becoming a must stop for any traveling skater on the East Coast. The enthusiasm and passion of the skaters themselves, combined with fantastic facilities, make the Outer Banks a world-class skate destination. |
