The expressions, the terms, the jargon of surfing. "Hanging ten." "Toes on the nose." "Cut-back," "Walking the board," "Parallel stance," `'Trimming," "Grabbing a rail," "Over the falls," "Ho-dad," "Soup." What do they all mean?
To the non-surfer they are unintelligible but interesting. He would like to know what these strange terms mean. To many surfers the terms are vague. They do not really know what they mean.
How many riders in Durban know exactly what is meant by "trimming!" How many can explain why, how and when one "hangs ten?" So many surfers think they know what "rimming" is. So many profess to be good surfers - they are called "kooks."
Trimming" is what makes surfboard riding an art. It is to surfing what ball control is to football. It involves just about everything in surfing. Almost every manoeuvre is done to "trim" the board.
The "parallel stance" is fairly new to Durban surfers. Maxie Wetteland, who was one of the first to use it in South Africa, learnt much more about it when he was in Australia. Now he is "stoked" on it - he likes it very much. But not all surfers agree with him.
It is a head-on stance, facing down the board with your feet apart near each rail. Your bodyacts as a pivot allowing pressure to bear on the tail or the nose. This allows you to correct mistakes in your "trimming" more easily than if you were standing conventionally - that is, side on. However, many surfers do not agree with this.
EFFECTIVE
Some riders fine the "parallel stance" effective for crashing through" the "soup" (broken part of the wave). Others prefer to use it in a "hot curl".
After "taking off" on this wave Maxie Wetteland adopts a "parallel stance" (left) and "trims" his board through a section. Further on (right) he finds that to keep his board "trimmed" he must move forward, and he "trims" by "walking"
Maxie Is 'Stolked' On
The Parallel Stance
The important thing to remember is that the stance depends entirely on the wave and the rider's position in it. It is a functional movement.Sometimes it will be necessary and other times it will serve no purpose. "Toes on the nose." To spectators this is one of the most fascinating surfing movements. Mention to them "hanging five" and "hanging ten" and they are intrigued.
FUNCTIONAL
They think these are tricks - and so do many surfers. They are not. Properly used they are functional movements to keep the board "trimmed." Generally, in a "hot section," the further forward on the board you are, the faster the board moves. At other times if you are too far forward the board will slow down. When a rider moves forward on his board it is called "walking the board." When he reaches the nose it is "toes on the nose." One would think that this is the ultimate position for maximum "trim". It is not.
"Hanging five" with five toes over the nose, puts more weight forward and speed is sometimes increased: The ultimate is when both feet are over the nose- "Hanging ten".
The Jargon of Surfing
A Glossary for the Landlubber
"Gremmie"- a beginner.
"Hodad"- a ducktail type who effects surfing speech and customs but does not surf himself.
"Wipeout." "Take Gas." - fall of the board unintentionally.
'Over the falls." "Down the elevator shaft." - a bad "wipeout" where the surfer falls down the fact of the wave.
"Broadie" - angling the surfboard across the wave, or the peeling off of a breaking wave.
"Backie" - a big wave forming further out than the normal "take-off" area.
"Stokie" - a surfer who is "stoked" on surfing.
"Stoked" - a great liking for anything to do with surfing.
"Hot curl" - A very fast unbroken section of a wave.
"Soup" - the broken white water of a wave.
"Cut out." "Kick out." - manoeuvre used to get out on a wave by pushing the board out over the top.
"Plough" - when the nose of the board dips under the water.
"Skeg" -the keel or fin at the tail of the board which acts as a kind of rudder.
"Close-out" - when a section of a wave is unridable or describing waves that pound so hard that they are impossible to ride.
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