SURFING ELOQUENCE PART 5
By Corky Carroll
I had no idea that this, what was meant to be short, series on surfing lingo was gonna get to be so long. But there is a whole world of surfular words out there and I guess if you wanna truly understand how to converse with your surfing friends you need to have at least a small working knowledge. So, in order to develop your surfucabulary here is yet another installment into how to speak surfeneese. We pick up at the letter I.
IMPACT ZONE: this is the area where the waves break the most intensely. It’s not a good idea to hang out in that area too long or you will get worked.
JETTY: a rock formation the sticks into the ocean sort of like a pier. These are usually found near entries into harbors or along beaches to help stop sand erosion. Jetties can form sandbars and make for good waves. They also can break your board up pretty good if you hit one.
KICK OUT: a maneuver used to get out of a wave. Also used to mean “leaving.” Kinda like, “this party sucks, I’m kickin’ out.”
KILLER: this is an term used to say that something is really good. “That wave was killer dude.”
KUK: term used to describe somebody who can’t surf but is attempting it. “
Whoa, look at that lame kuk going straight into the jetty.”
LAYBACK: this is a surfing move where the rider lays himself back onto the face of the wave, slowing his board down in the process. It’s kinda cool looking when done right but looks totally lame when overdone by some spazzmaster.
LEASH: the cord that surfers use to attach themselves to the surfboard. This keeps you from having to swim after your board when you fall off. There is good and bad about using the leash. It’s good that you don’t lose your board but bad if they get wrapped around your legs and trip you.
LINEUP: the is the place outside of the surf where surfers sit on their boards and wait for the sets to come in. There is a lot of subtle and not so subtle maneuvering that goes on in the lineup in order to better your position for takeoff when a good wave comes along. It’s also a place to chit chat about current events, such as the killer babe in the butt floss thong that just paddled out on the red board.
LIP: the top edge of a wave. There are many surfing moves that involve hitting your board off of the lip such as “smacking the lip.” When done correctly you can comment, “Wow Margaret, that was lip smackin’ good.”
LOCKED IN: to be tucked into the perfect position inside the curling part of the wave. Or being in jail.
LOG: another word for a longboard. “Ah man, here comes Mickey on that giant log again.” Why are all loggers named Mickey? A group of loggers create a logjam.