Quiz on Surfing

What is the rolling, moving part of water that a surfer rides?

• The wave ✓ (Correct answer)
• The tide
• The current
• The foam

Source: Tides and currents move water around, but it's the breaking wave's energy that a surfer actually rides.

What body part does a surfer use to steer once standing on the board?

• Their feet ✓ (Correct answer)
• Their elbows
• Their chin
• Their knees

Source: Surfers carve turns by shifting weight through their feet, not by paddling or leaning their arms.

Which ocean state must exist for surfing to happen at all?

• Breaking waves ✓ (Correct answer)
• Flat calm
• Frozen water
• Low tide only

Source: No swell, no surf — flat days send even pros home, which is why forecasting waves is a whole science.

Which U.S. state is most famous as the cradle of modern surfing?

• Hawaii ✓ (Correct answer)
• Florida
• California
• Texas

Source: Surfing was central to ancient Hawaiian culture long before it spread to California's beaches.

What cord keeps a surfboard tethered to the rider's ankle?

• Leash ✓ (Correct answer)
• Lanyard
• Tether rope
• Bungee

Source: The ankle leash, invented in the early 1970s, stops your board from becoming a runaway projectile after a wipeout.

What do surfers rub on a board's deck for grip?

• Surf wax ✓ (Correct answer)
• Sunscreen
• Resin
• Board oil

Source: Surf wax creates grip so feet don't slide off the slick fiberglass deck — sunscreen would do the opposite.

What is the act of falling off the board commonly called?

• Wipeout ✓ (Correct answer)
• Drop-in
• Cutback
• Bail-in

Source: A 'wipeout' is the fall; a 'drop-in' actually means dropping down a wave's face, often someone else's.

What piece on a board's underside aids steering and control?

• Fin ✓ (Correct answer)
• Rail
• Stringer
• Nose

Source: Fins (or 'skegs') stop the tail from sliding sideways — early boards had none and were nearly impossible to steer.

Lying down and pulling water with the arms to catch a wave is called?

• Paddling ✓ (Correct answer)
• Rowing
• Trimming
• Duck-diving

Source: Surfers spend far more time paddling than riding — it's the unglamorous engine behind every wave caught.

The hollow, tube-shaped part inside a breaking wave is called the?

• Barrel ✓ (Correct answer)
• Lip
• Trough
• Shoulder

Source: Riding inside the spinning 'barrel' or tube is considered the ultimate thrill in surfing.

Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku was also an Olympic champion in what sport?

• Swimming ✓ (Correct answer)
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Diving

Source: Duke won Olympic gold in swimming, then used his fame to spread surfing across the world.

What does a surfer do when they 'duck-dive' a board?

• Push under a wave ✓ (Correct answer)
• Spin a full circle
• Jump off the lip
• Ride backwards

Source: Duck-diving sinks the board under an oncoming wave so you can paddle out past the break.

A longboard is generally distinguished from a shortboard by being?

• Longer and more stable ✓ (Correct answer)
• Lighter and finless
• Wider but shorter
• Made only of foam

Source: Longboards' extra length makes catching small waves and noseriding far easier than on a twitchy shortboard.

Catching giant waves behind a jet-ski is known as what?

• Tow-in surfing ✓ (Correct answer)
• Big-air surfing
• Reef riding
• Drag surfing

Source: Tow-in surfing let riders catch waves too fast and huge to paddle into, opening up monster big-wave breaks.

The famous Pipeline surf break is located on which Hawaiian island?

• Oahu ✓ (Correct answer)
• Maui
• Kauai
• Big Island

Source: Oahu's North Shore Pipeline breaks over shallow reef, making it as deadly as it is iconic.

Which world-tour surfer earned the nickname for an unmatched 11 titles?

• Kelly Slater ✓ (Correct answer)
• Mick Fanning
• Andy Irons
• Laird Hamilton

Source: Kelly Slater won 11 world titles and was still winning events in his 40s, redefining surfing's age limits.

'Goofy foot' describes a surfer who rides with which foot forward?

• Right foot ✓ (Correct answer)
• Left foot
• Either foot
• Both even

Source: Goofy-footers lead with the right foot — the opposite of the more common 'regular' stance.

Which surfboard shape change most revolutionized 1960s–70s surfing?

• The shortboard ✓ (Correct answer)
• The twin fin
• The soft top
• The wider nose

Source: The late-'60s 'shortboard revolution' slashed board length, making radical vertical maneuvers suddenly possible.

At Portugal's Nazaré, what underwater feature creates record waves?

• A deep canyon ✓ (Correct answer)
• A coral reef
• A sandbar
• A shipwreck

Source: Nazaré's giant submarine canyon funnels and amplifies swell into the largest waves ever surfed.

What ancient Hawaiian term referred to surfing as an art form?

• He'e nalu ✓ (Correct answer)
• Aloha kai
• Pa'a wai
• Lua moana

Source: 'He'e nalu' means 'wave sliding' — chiefs once reserved the best breaks and boards for royalty alone.