"I will never forget my first surfing summer. Hanging at the old Kom “Block House” with the local surfers. I was such a newbie, clueless to the fact that surfers have their own dialect. Eager to fit in I nodded through conversation and laughed when everyone else did… not sure why but it was cool.
Two of my new surf buddies were chatting and one said “Dude, I left my fish in the dune for a week, I’m so stoked it’s still there!” Eager to contribute to the conversation I quickly added… but isn’t it rotten by now? There was a lot of laughter and I realized many surfing words don’t mean what we think they mean!
1. A Fish: What it means to a non-surfer: A limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins living wholly in water. What it means to a surfer: A surfboard typically shorter and wider than a regular short board.
2 Getting Pitted: What it means to a non-surfer: Fruit or vegetables with the stone removed (pitted olives). What it means to a surfer: When a surfer gets barreled. “Did you see that guy get pitted on his last wave”?
3. A sponge: What it means to a non-surfer: Soaking device containing a wiping side and a soaking side for cleaning dishes. What it means to a surfer: A body boarder.
4. A Gun: What it means to a non- surfer: A weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets are propelled by explosive force, typically making a characteristic loud, sharp noise. What it means to a surfer: A board about 9ft in length that's width is a lot narrower than normal boards. Designed to be ridden on larger waves.
5.Goofy: What it means to a non-surfer: A funny animal cartoon character created in 1932 by Walt Disney. What it means to a surfer: Surfing with your right foot forward. “Do you surf natural or goofy?”
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