surfing

surfing, sport of gliding toward the shore on a breaking wave. Surfers originally used long, cumbersome wooden boards but now ride lightweight synthetic boards that allow a greater degree of maneuverability. The surfer begins at the point where the waves begin to form, then, facing shore, paddles toward the beach with an oncoming wave. When the wave catches the board, the surfer stands up and glides along the wave's crest—or, in the case of a large wave, in the "tube" formed by its overhead curl. Although the origins of surfing are obscure, it is clear that it developed in Hawaii, where it was popular during the 19th cent. It spread to the California coast during the 1920s and became very popular with American youth in the 1960s. With lifestyles and regimens freer than those of most athletes, surfers comprise a unique sporting subcult. Though surfing is practiced in many other Pacific nations, its mecca remains Hawaii, where the international surfing championships are held annually.

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surfing

Sport of riding breaking waves toward the shore, especially with a surfboard. The sport originated prehistorically in the South Seas. In 1777 and 1778 Capt. James Cook first reported seeing surfers in Tahiti and on Oahu. In 1821 surfing was banned by missionaries who thought it immoral. It was revived in the 1920s by the Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968). Today surfing is enjoyed on beaches with breakers throughout the world, and several international championships are held. The goal is to maneuver on the unbroken face of the wave, preferably as far back toward the curl (“tube”) as possible. In addition to surfboards, surfers can use belly-boards, kneeboards, or kayaks, or they can bodysurf using no board at all.

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surfing

Examining online material, such as databases, news clips and forums to find some item of interest. It implies quickly moving from one item to another, like "TV channel surfing," the rapid changing of TV channels to find something of interest. See Web surfing.

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surfing

the sport of riding towards shore on the crest of a wave by standing or lying on a surfboard
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surfing - ("Internet surfing") Used by analogy to describe the ease with which an expert user can use the waves of information flowing around the Internet to get where he wants. The term became popular in the early 1990s as access to the Internet became more widespread and tools such as World-Wide Web browsers made its use simpler and more pleasant.