Surfing, act of riding on waves as they break over a shallow shoreline surface, such as a reef, sand bar, or some other submerged surface. People can surf with just their body, this is called body surfing, or by lying, kneeling, or standing on a surfboard.Equipment Used - The SurfboardModern surfboards are constructed of a plastic foam core that can be shaped by hand or machine, then covered with a shell of fiberglass and resin. Personal boards can vary in dimensions. The high performance surfboards used by top professional competitors are about 6 to 6.5 feet long, and 18.5 inches wide, less than 2.5 inches thick, and weigh about 6 pounds. These boards are called shortboards. Most longboards are 9 feet long, 20 to 22 inches wide and about the same thickness as shortboards. On the bottom of the board there can be one to five fins near the tail, but three is the standard. These fins provide the board with directional stability and enhance performance by providing additional power and forward drive. Both boards can be used for professional or recreational contexts, however the shortboard is better for speed and aerial maneuvers. FundamentalsWhen a wave reaches the shallow shoreline of an ocean or other large body of water, the upper portion of the wave pitches forward and the wave begins to break, a motion often indicated by crests of foam called whitecaps. The basic ides of surfing is to ride the unbroken part of a wave for as long as possible, using a variety of maneuvers to speed up, slow down, and maneuver around the breaking portion of the wave. Good surfers continue to ride the wave until the entire wave has broken and become white water. CompetitionsSurfing competitions can take place anywhere that waves can be ridden, from the winter surf in Hawaii to artificial indoor wave-pools. In competition, surfers are judged using a subjective system that awards points based on the size of the wave ridden, the distance ridden, a...
