Surfing Trivia Quiz Questions With Answers

Trivia quiz questions with answers about surfing.

Surfing Trivia Quiz Questions With Answers

What is Surfing?
A: Surfing is a surface water sport in which the wave rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or deep face of a moving wave, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore.

Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found where?
A: In the ocean, but can also be found in lakes or rivers in the form of a standing wave or tidal bore.

However, surfers can also utilize artificial waves such as those from what?
A: Boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools.

The term surfing refers to the act of what?
A: Riding a wave, regardless of whether the wave is ridden with a board or without a board, and regardless of the stance used.

The native peoples of the Pacific, for instance, surfed waves on alaia, paipo, and other such craft, and did so on what?
A: On their belly and knees.

The modern-day definition of surfing, however, most often refers to a surfer riding a wave in what position?
A: Standing up on a surfboard; this is also referred to as stand-up surfing.

Another prominent form of surfing is what?
A: Body boarding, when a surfer rides a wave on a body board, either lying on their belly, drop knee, or sometimes even standing up on a body board.

Other types of surfing include what?
A: Knee boarding, surf matting (riding inflatable mats), and using foils.

Body surfing, where the wave is surfed without a board, using the surfer's own body to catch and ride the wave, is very common and is considered by some to be what?
A: The purest form of surfing.

What are the three major subdivisions within stand-up surfing?
A: They are stand-up paddling, long boarding and short boarding with several major differences including the board design and length, the riding style, and the kind of wave that is ridden.

In tow-in surfing (most often, but not exclusively, associated with big wave surfing), a motorized water vehicle, such as a personal watercraft does what?
A: Tows the surfer into the wave front, helping the surfer match a large wave's speed, which is generally a higher speed than a self-propelled surfer can produce.

Surfing-related sports such as paddle boarding and sea kayaking do not require what?
A: Waves, and other derivative sports such as kite surfing 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 does what has emerged?
A: Surfs on the wake of a boat.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognized a 78 foot (23.8 m) wave ride by Garrett McNamara at Nazaré, Portugal as the what?
A: The largest wave ever surfed.

For hundreds of years, surfing was a central part of what culture?
A: Ancient Polynesian culture.

Surfing may have first been observed by whom?
A: British explorers at Tahiti in 1767.

Another candidate is the botanist Joseph Banks being part of what?
A: The first voyage of James Cook on HMS Endeavour, who arrived on Tahiti on 10 April 1769.

In 1907, the eclectic interests of the land baron Henry E. Huntington brought the ancient art of surfing to where?
A: The California coast.

While on vacation, Huntington had seen what?
A: Hawaiian boys surfing the island waves.

Looking for a way to entice visitors to the area of Redondo Beach, where he had heavily invested in real estate, he did what?
A: He hired a young Hawaiian to ride surfboards.

George Freeth decided to revive the art of surfing, but had little success with what?
A: The huge 16-foot hardwood boards that were popular at that time.

When he cut them in half to make them more manageable, he created what?
A: The original "Long board", which made him the talk of the islands.

To the delight of visitors, Freeth exhibited his surfing skills where twice a day?
A: In front of the Hotel Redondo.

Another native Hawaiian, Duke Kahanamoku, spread surfing to both the U.S. and Australia, riding the waves after displaying what?
A: The swimming prowess that won him Olympic gold medals in 1912 and 1920.

What started in 1975?
A: Professional contests started.

That year who became the first female professional surfer?
A: Margo Oberg.

The size of a swell is determined by what?
A: The strength of the wind and the length of its fetch and duration.

Because of this, surf tends to be larger and more prevalent on coastlines exposed to what?
A: Large expanses of ocean traversed by intense low pressure systems.

Local wind conditions affect wave quality since the surface of a wave can become what in blustery conditions?
A: Choppy.

Waves are Left handed and Right handed depending upon what?
A: The breaking formation of the wave.

Waves are generally recognized by what?
A: The surfaces over which they break.

What are three types of breaks?
A: Beach breaks, Reef breaks and Point breaks.

What is the most important influence on wave shape?
A: The topography of the seabed directly behind and immediately beneath the breaking wave.

At beach breaks, sandbanks change from week to week?
A: Shape.

Surf forecasting is aided by advances in what?
A: Information technology.

Mathematical modeling graphically depicts the size and direction of what?
A: Of swells around the globe.

During winter where are heavy swells generated?
A: In the mid-latitudes, when the North and South polar fronts shift toward the Equator.

The predominantly Westerly winds generate swells that advance Eastward, so when do waves tend to be largest on West coasts?
A: During winter months.

However, an endless train of mid-latitude cyclones cause the isobars to become undulated, redirecting swells at regular intervals toward what?
A: The tropics.

The availability of free model data from the NOAA has allowed the creation of what?
A: Several surf forecasting websites.

The value of good surf in attracting surf tourism has prompted the construction of what?
A: Artificial reefs and sand bars.

Artificial surfing reefs can be built with what?
A: Durable sandbags or concrete, and resemble a submerged breakwater.

These artificial reefs not only provide a surfing location, but also do what?
A: Dissipate wave energy and shelter the coastline from erosion.

Where was an artificial reef known as Chevron Reef constructed?
A: In El Segundo, California in hopes of creating a new surfing area.

However, the reef failed to produce what?
A: Any quality waves and was removed in 2008.

In Kovalam, South West India, an artificial reef has, however, successfully provided the local community with what?
A: A quality lefthander, stabilized coastal soil erosion, and provided good habitat for marine life.

Most wave pools generate waves that are what?
A: Too small and lack the power necessary to surf.

The Seagaia Ocean Dome, located in Miyazaki, Japan, was an example of a what?
A: A surfable wave pool.

Able to generate waves with up to 10-foot faces, the specialized pump held water in what?
A: 20 vertical tanks positioned along the back edge of the pool.

Lefts, Rights, and A-frames could be directed from this pump design providing for what?
A: Rippable surf and barrel rides.

The Ocean Dome cost about how much to build?
A: $2 billion, and was expensive to maintain.

When was the Ocean Dome closed?
A: In 2007.

Some people practice surfing as a recreational activity while others make it what?
A: The central focus of their lives.

Surfing culture is most dominant where?
A: In Hawaii and California because these two states offer the best surfing conditions.