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Outside magazine, June 2001

Surf Slang
Hey brah, if someone in the lineup calls your girfriend filthy, should you smack him? Have no clue why you can't surf a mysto break? Don't know the difference between a kook and a grommet? Fear not. Get fluent in surfspeak with our glossary.
Compiled by Ki Bassett

A-Frame /ay'-fraym/ n.: A wave with a clearly defined, central peak that offers both a right and left takeoff. "Hey brah, the A-frames were firing up and down Jalama Beach."

Barreled /bare' uld/ v. to be: The highly desirable state of tucking inside a wave and riding underneath the lip for an extended period of time before emerging back onto the open face. Synonyms: shacked; pitted

Benny /beh'-nee / n.: (Archaic) A tanless tourist on the beach. Long ago, doctors believed the sun's rays were 'beneficial' to ones health, thus the term 'benny' was born. Synonyms: shoobie; fudgie. Origin: the Jersey Shore

Bomb /bahm/ n.: A wave that is surprisingly large and rare for the session. "Brah, you snagged the bomb of the day." Synonym: macker

Dropping in /drawp'ping in/ v.: The act of standing up and taking off down the face of a wave.

Filth or filthy /fil'-thee/ adj.: As in sickeningly good. "Brah, check out that filth cutie," or "That chick is filthy." Origin: Australia

Going Richter /rik'-ter/ adj.: Short for "off the Richter Scale"-when the waves are as good as they get. Usually used in relation to pro surfing events. "Brah, by late afternoon, Pipeline was going Richter." Synonym: firing

Goofy foot /goo'fee fut/ n.: A rider who surfs with his/her right foot as the lead foot.

Green room /green'-room/ n.: A somewhat dated term for the hollow interior of a wave. "Where was I? Green room, brah, green room." Synonym: barrel

Grom /grom/ n.: Australian term for a young surfer under the age of 14; short for 'grommet.' "Brah, we're surrounded by groms."

Hemo-ed /hee'-moad/ v. : (Archaic) When something has been hemo-ed, it has been smashed, creamed, totaled and otherwise destroyed.

Hiddie /hih'-dee/ adj.: Short for 'hideous'; used to describe anything from a wipeout to a surfer's girlfriend or boyfriend. "Your boyfriend is totally hiddie." Synonym: ugly

Kooks /kooks/ n.: A derogative term for novice surfers. "Let's go, brah, before the kooks get here and spoil our day." Synonym: barney. Origin: Hawaii

Landshark /land'-shark/ n.: People who don't surf, but say they do.

Localism /lo'-ka-li-zum/ n.: A term denoting the presence of senior members of a specific surf community or locale in the lineup. Pecking order is based on talent, how long someone has surfed a particular break, and the person's dedication to surfing.

Momboosa /mam'-boo-sah/ adj.: (Archaic) Monstrous, gargantuan, huge, massive; used to describe a wave.

Monster /mahn' stir/ adj.: A frighteningly large overhead swell. "Brah, that monster nearly drilled me." Synonym: huge

Morning Glass /mor'-ning glass/ n.: The occurrence of calm surface wave conditions during early morning hours due to lower temperatures and lighter winds. "Brah, get up. We gotta catch us some morning glass." Synonyms: glassy, sheet of glass, oil glass. Origin: East Coast

Mysto Break /mis'-to braik/ n.: As in "mysterious". Any elusive break that only fires on rare occasions under specific conditions. Also referred to as a 'secret surf spot.' A mysto break is not considered an actual surfing spot. "You missed a filthy mysto break at Hatteras this morning, brah."

Shralping /shral' ping/ v.: (Archaic) The act of excellent surfing. The term arose during the shortboard era in the mid-1960's. Synonyms: ripping, shredding

Smashed /smasht/ v. to be.: When a critical wave slams you to the ocean bottom; a hiddie wipeout. "I dropped in on that left-hander and promptly got smashed, brah." Synonyms: drilled, creamed

Snake /snayk/ v.: The act of stealing another person's wave by paddling around them, cutting them off, and dropping in on the wave face before they can do so. Regarded as bad form. "Watch your back, brah, we almost got snaked by that kook." Synonym: burn

Terrorize /ter'-ir-eyes/ v.: If a surfer is dominating a particular surf spot and ripping it to shreds, he or she is said to be terrorizing the surf spot.

Troll /trole/ n.: Full-time surfers who aren't necessarily poor but whose Zen-like dedication to the sport forces them to live out of their cars or in dirt-cheap beach shacks while they search for the perfect wave. "Hey brah, forget the troll life, let's rent a house with cable." Synonym: surf bum; old-timer

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Photo Credit: John Goodman

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