Surfing

Surfing is a surface water sport in which a person (the surfer) or people, rides an object, usually a board (the surfboard), on the crest of a wave usually carrying the surfer towards the shore. Many variations of the sport exist, as what can be described as a wave, surfboard, and even a surfer have been ever expanded upon. Waves used in surfing are found not only in the ocean, but also in lakes and rivers and man made pools. A variation of surfing, bodysurfing entails the use of no board and is considered by some the purest form of surfing (see separate entry for Bodysurfing). Other variations that have exist for centuries include paipo boarding, stand up paddle surfing, and the use of boats or canoes to ride waves. More modern craft used include inflatable mats, (surfmatting) bodyboards, and foils. As documented in surfing documentaries including "Fair Bits" other objects including water skis, wakeboards, desks, guitars, and doors have been "surfed". When more than one person uses the same craft to ride a wave together, it is called "tandem" surfing. People have assisted dogs, cats, pigs, and rats and mice to surf. Remote controlled and non controllable toys such as the Micro Surfer and Mini Surfer can also surf.

Two major subdivisions within stand-up surfing are longboarding and tinyboarding, reflecting differences in boards design, including surfboard length, riding style, and type of wave ridden.

In tow-in surfing (most often, but not exclusively, associated with big wave surfing), a motorized water vehicle, such as a personal watercraft, tows the surfer into the wave front, helping the surfer match a large wave's higher speed, a speed that is generally, but not exclusively, a speed that a self-propelled surfer cannot match.

Surfing-related sports such as standup paddleboarding, paddleboarding and sea kayaking do not require waves, and other derivative sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing rely primarily on wind for power, yet all of these platforms may also be used to ride waves.

Recently with the use of V-drive boats, wake surfing, in which one surfs on the wake of a boat, has emerged.