Kahanamoku, an Olympic athlete and one of the most successful surfers in history, traveled to Australia and brought surfing with him, showing the sport off in Sydney.
Much of surfing’s rise to fame can be attributed to just two people: Native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku and American George Freeth. There were attempts to turn surfing into a tourist attraction in Hawaii, but because of the exorbitant costs of traveling to the islands, surfing became more successful as a cultural export. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that surfing really spread throughout the world.
And the hand symbol that is often interpreted as “hang loose” - a fist from which the pinky and thumb are extended - is actually the Hawaiian shaka, a traditional form of greeting. Other Hawaiian words, like aloha (a greeting) or mahalo (“thank you”), are also sometimes roped into the surfing world. Wahine, for example, is a Hawaiian word for a Maori or Polynesian woman, but it is also used in English to refer to a female surfer. And while the Hawaiian language does not have a massive influence on modern surfer slang, it’s not entirely absent. The earliest surfing language, then, wasn’t English at all, but Hawaiian. Ancient Hawaiians regularly practiced surfing as an art form for a very long time, and it was recorded by Captain James Cook when he first visited the island in 1778, which was the first contact between Hawaiians and the Western world. Historians currently believe that surfing in some form existed in many places in the tropics, but it was Hawaii where it first came into its own. And thanks to this pop-culture saturation, you probably have heard a decent amount of surfer slang before, and might even have your own surfer impression sprinkled with abundant “gnarly”s and “far out”s.Īre surfers really still out there yelling “cowabunga!” and talking about “hanging ten,” though? In this Jargon Watch, we look at the history of surfer slang, as well as the sport itself. It’s a pretty small sport in the country - after all, most people don’t live near a surfing beach - but it has spawned countless movies, songs and summer romances. Just " Hang ten, dude," and scream out loud: " So stoked! Gnarly!"įinally, a true classic: " You should have been here yesterday."Īlso, take a look at the best surfing quotes of all time.Surfing holds a special spot in American culture. In Apocalypse Now, Colonel Kilgore says, " Charlie, don't surf," but never mind. That means, " The best surfer out in the water is the one having the most fun." Once you're " Shooting the curl," don't forget: " A bad day surfing is better than a good day working." When " Surf's up," you'll simply " Drop in, pull in, kick out." " I surf because." I believe, " Surfing is life the rest is details." Surfing has several rules, too. On big days, " Eddie would go," and he would certainly keep saying, " Just one more." It also pays to remember that, " If it swells, ride it." On crowded surfing days, " If in doubt, paddle out." That might be the only wave available.
One popular notion holds that " Work is for people that don't surf." We might agree. Someone once said, " Only a surfer knows the feeling." Then we heard, " No waves, no glory," and, " Drugs? No thanks, I'm a surfer."įor some, " Life's a beach," for others, " Life's a wave." Some words, when put together, stay in our salted brains forever.īut which one's your favorite surf catchphrase? Fortunately, there are catchphrases born in surf culture that capture some of the essence of surfing.Ĭall them mottos, sentences, quotes, phrases, or guiding principles. It's always hard to express how we feel when we ride a wave. Each decade since the birth of surfing, trends, developments, and new frontiers have been developed.
#PIDGEON SURF LINGO FULL#
The history of surfing is full of memories, surfers, moments, travels, and unforgettable waves.
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