The Daily Froth X Surfer’s Vocab!
Fulcrum exists in its most simplistic state, a surf school of the highest standard. Our curious clientele are in a constant pursuit for knowledge on all things surf! Whether that be the fundamentals behind a roundhouse cutback, popping up, or the delectable details about an exotic locale, our profession is to inform and inspire!
That is why for this edition of The Daily Froth, I will break down surfing’s secret language. You know the feeling, when an Aussie backpacker busts out confusing slang and terminology that sounds far from English.
Oi mate, you reckin you could lend me a springy for today’s session this arvo?
Translation: Good day friend, do you think it would be possible if I could borrow your spring suit for a surf this afternoon?
Feel confused? Good! I’ve got just the remedy. So without further divergence, here is Fulcrum’s Surfer’s Vocab first edition!
Let’s start off with the title of this article,
1. Froth (N), or Frothing (V) origin Australia:
Synonyms: Stoked, Excited, Inspired
You know the feeling when you wake up in the morning, pour your ceremonial cup of coffee and check Surfline and see that your local beach break is writhing with swell. Your heart beat accelerates due your caffeine beverage and your “froth” for life.
Frothing is the greatest of feeling, an emotion that every Fulcrum surf coach hopes to instill in their students. It is the child like state that good waves, a new surfboard, and beautiful turquoise barrels inspire.
2. Thruster (N) origin Australia:
Synonyms: Tri Fin, Standard Short board
In 1980 at the Ripcurl Bells Beach Pro, Simon Anderson brought down a new design that revolutionized the sport of kings. This new prototype? A rear fin in his surfboard. While many competitors laughed at ol’ Simon, he quickly displayed why the “Thruster” was the absolute zenith for surfboard design.
Before the inception of the thruster, surfer’s either rode “twinnies” (2 fins), or singles (one large fin), the thruster quickly replaced both designs as the rear third fin added stability and drive through a turn. Fast forward 35 years later, and if you stroll into any surf shop, you’ll see the majority of surfboards having three fins in them. All of our boards that we teach with at Fulcrum are thrusters; however we do appreciate the nostalgic feel of a 70’s single fin.
Here’s a great article that talks about the development of the thruster and its immediate implications it had on performance.
http://surf.transworld.net/1000111570/features/simon-anderson-talks-thurster/
3. Log(s) (N) Origin Northern California
Synonyms: Longboard, Mal (short for Malibu),
When “The Duke” (Hawaii’s prolific ambassador of surfing) visited the chilly waters off of Santa Cruz, he milled from the local redwood forest to create a 16 foot surfing plank. It was from this surfboard, which the name “log” developed. For a board to be considered a “log” it must at least 3 feet greater than the surfer’s height. Anything under is called a “fun board”, and are the intermediate step in-between a log and a thruster.
At Fulcrum, we use the Catch Surf “Odyssey Logs” for all of our lessons. These boards are buoyant enough for beginners, light enough for instructors, and feature a soft deck (top of the board) and fins that do minimal damage on contact. We’ve had excellent feedback from our clientele with these boards and because of this; we offer them for sale in our online retail store.
4. Kook (Adj) Origin North Shore of Oahu
Synonyms: Clueless, rookie, dangerous, in-the-way
Truth is, everyone at one point or another in their life is a kook. It’s inevitable; we all have to start somewhere. However, there are clear rules and etiquette in surfing that we at Fulcrum implement in our lessons and abide by in our own lives. Dropping in on someone is the equivalent to cutting a person off on the freeway, or leaving a baby inside a car on a hot summer’s day. Kooks are those whose actions put others in harm’s way.
In order to save yourself from being labeled a kook, follow these simple steps.
1. Just like crossing the street, when paddling for a wave, looks to your right and left for other surfers.
2. Don’t paddle around surfers who are sitting patiently and waiting their turn. Especially if you are surfing localized surf spots, it’s best to wait away from the main break
3. Don’t let go of your board if there are others surfers present.
For all other inquiries, follow @kook_of_the_day for a visual representation of how not to be.
5. Mushy (Adj) Origin Southern California
Synonyms: Weak, spilling wave, powerless, not conducive to high voltage shredding.
The biggest complaint you will hear from most surfers is that the waves are mushy. To the untrained ear, this may be a bit confusing. Are the waves really like a microwaved week old burrito? Kind of, slightly nourishing but not satisfying. Mushy waves are gutless and lack the power needed in order to perform turns, tubes, and other surfing maneuvers. Don’t like mushy waves? Then be sure to surf beach breaks on low to medium tide.
We hope you enjoyed the first installment of Surfing’s Vocab, be sure to check back later for clarity on more confusing terminology.
Peace.