In today’s society there are numerous different language environments that we pass through everyday. For myself, the “different” language environment is in the water. I am a surfer, a northern California surfer at that.
In my second language environment lots of different words and phrases are used to describe our stokedness or enthusiasm, our past experiences, last session or just to convey our feelings toward other fellow waveriders, the dudes. We speak the romantic A typical outing out in the water can turn any bad day into an unbelievableconfidence booster. Catching the King Cong set or pulling into a hollow barrell is cause for hoots and hallers. Making the steepest, latest drop down the face of an overhead roller is a feeling that no ordinary barney can describe.
A barney being a person who is learning to surf or does not surf all together. It gets me so stoked to see my friends shredd the hell out of those waves,and when I’m down and out It always turns my spirits high. There’s Not a feeling like it in the world. When speaking of our last session getting wet you might hear such phrases as,” it was barrelling”,or ” the winds were howling out there. When the waves get windy we call it choppy and when the waves are really good we say its pumping or going off. During the Spring through Fall seasons the late afternoon at the beach is exceptionally beautiful and the winds are calm, we call this the afternoon glassoff.
Surfers gave this part of the day this name because the water has a clean and glassy When speaking to fellow surfers I use various different words to conversate with them. Hey dude, whats up buddy, and howdy barney are just a few that are used everyday at your local wave distributors. When you use known surfer slang surfers will tend to open up to you, maybe even tell you where there favorite surf spot is too. Throughout society there is a stereotype that surfers smoke marijuana-a.
k. a. chronic, bomb, dank, greens, they pufferellie, toke, have bong sessions. This is a folklore that is for the most part true, a lot of surfers smoke but not because they’re drug addicts. Most of them do it for wave inhancment. Making that steep drop stoned seems more enjoyable than it does sober, stone cold sober.
Being a wave thrasher in Northern California is one of a kind. The people up here are really down to earth and speak with a lot of respect and diligence. Every surfer in this area and every where I’ve ever been has been really involved with the environment and the laws pertaining to the ocean. The Northern California surfer is the coolest character known to these parts.Bibliography:
