Paddle out for 120 questions about waves, boards, maneuvers, legendary breaks, and Olympic moments.
This set is all good vibes, with no actual sand hiding in your car afterward.
Surfing Basics
Q: What does a surfer ride toward shore?
A: A breaking wave.
Q: What is lying on a board and using the arms to move called?
A: Paddling.
Q: What quick movement takes a surfer from lying down to standing?
A: A pop-up.
Q: What stance places the left foot forward?
A: Regular stance.
Q: What stance places the right foot forward?
A: Goofy stance.
Q: What is the front end of a surfboard called?
A: The nose.
Q: What is the back end of a surfboard called?
A: The tail.
Q: What cord connects a surfer's ankle to the board?
A: A leash.
Q: What waxy product improves foot grip on a surfboard deck?
A: Surf wax.
Q: What skeg-like parts under a board provide control and stability?
A: Fins.
Q: What protective suit helps a surfer stay warm?
A: A wetsuit.
Q: What does it mean to wipe out?
A: Fall off the board.
Q: What is a group of surfers waiting for waves called?
A: The lineup.
Q: What is the act of entering the wave and beginning a ride?
A: Taking off.
Q: What does it mean to ride switch?
A: Surf with the opposite foot forward from one's normal stance.
Reading Waves and Water
Q: What raised line of water travels across the ocean before breaking?
A: A swell.
Q: What is the vertical distance between a wave's crest and trough?
A: Wave height.
Q: What is the time between successive wave crests called?
A: Wave period.
Q: What is the highest part of a wave called?
A: The crest.
Q: What is the lowest point between waves called?
A: The trough.
Q: What is the unbroken, rideable section of a wave called?
A: The face.
Q: What pitching top of a breaking wave is called the lip?
A: The falling crest.
Q: What hollow space forms inside a tubing wave?
A: The barrel.
Q: What is white, aerated water after a wave breaks called?
A: Whitewater.
Q: What point on a wave begins breaking first?
A: The peak.
Q: What wave breaks gradually along its length from one side?
A: A peeling wave.
Q: What wave breaks across most of its face at once?
A: A closeout.
Q: What current flows away from shore through the surf zone?
A: A rip current.
Q: What wind blows from land toward the ocean?
A: Offshore wind.
Q: Why do surfers often favor light offshore wind?
A: It can hold wave faces up and keep them cleaner.
Boards, Shapes, and Equipment
Q: What board type is usually under 7 feet and built for maneuverability?
A: A shortboard.
Q: What board type is traditionally at least 9 feet long?
A: A longboard.
Q: What wide, buoyant board is commonly recommended to beginners?
A: A soft-top surfboard.
Q: What short, wide board with a swallowtail is inspired by kneeboards?
A: A fish.
Q: What high-volume board bridges the gap between longboards and shortboards?
A: A funboard.
Q: What internal foam core gives most modern surfboards buoyancy?
A: The blank.
Q: What composite material commonly covers a foam surfboard blank?
A: Fiberglass and resin.
Q: What are the side edges of a surfboard called?
A: Rails.
Q: What lengthwise bottom curve of a board is called rocker?
A: The upward curve from nose to tail.
Q: What measurement describes a surfboard's buoyant capacity in liters?
A: Volume.
Q: What traction pad is commonly placed near a shortboard's tail?
A: A deck pad.
Q: What fin setup uses one large center fin?
A: A single-fin setup.
Q: What fin setup uses three fins?
A: A thruster.
Q: Who developed the influential three-fin thruster design around 1980?
A: Simon Anderson.
Q: What bag protects a surfboard during travel?
A: A board bag.
Turns, Tricks, and Style
Q: What first turn at the bottom of a wave sets up the next maneuver?
A: A bottom turn.
Q: What sweeping turn near the top of the wave redirects a surfer downward?
A: A cutback.
Q: What move sends spray as the board pivots sharply from its fins?
A: A snap.
Q: What maneuver sends the surfer above the lip and into the air?
A: An aerial.
Q: What is riding inside a hollow wave called?
A: Barrel riding.
Q: What longboard move places the surfer's toes over the nose?
A: A hang ten.
Q: How many toes hang over the nose during a hang five?
A: Five.
Q: What fluid walking movement along a longboard is called cross-stepping?
A: Crossing one foot over the other.
Q: What maneuver carries the board over a breaking section before rejoining the wave face?
A: A floater.
Q: What is a ride toward the surfer's chest side called?
A: Frontside.
Q: What is a ride with the surfer's back facing the wave called?
A: Backside.
Q: What board slide turns the fins free above the lip?
A: A tail slide.
Q: What is kicking out of a wave?
A: Exiting the wave over or through its shoulder.
Q: What does trimming mean on a surfboard?
A: Adjusting position to maintain speed along the wave.
Q: What term describes linking maneuvers smoothly with the wave?
A: Flow.
Etiquette and Safety
Q: Which surfer generally has right of way on a breaking wave?
A: The surfer closest to the peak.
Q: What is taking off in front of a surfer already riding called?
A: Dropping in.
Q: Why is dropping in dangerous?
A: It can cause a collision.
Q: Where should a paddling surfer avoid traveling when someone is riding?
A: Through the rider's path on the wave face.
Q: What maneuver pushes a shortboard beneath an approaching wave?
A: A duck dive.
Q: What maneuver rolls a longboard upside down beneath whitewater?
A: A turtle roll.
Q: Why should surfers protect the head during a wipeout?
A: The board or seafloor may be nearby.
Q: What should a surfer do first when caught in a rip current?
A: Stay calm and conserve energy.
Q: In which direction can a surfer paddle to escape a narrow rip?
A: Parallel to shore.
Q: Why should beginners surf near a lifeguard when possible?
A: Conditions are monitored and help is available.
Q: What does localism mean in surfing?
A: Territorial behavior by some surfers at a break.
Q: Why should a surfer inspect the bottom and entry route before paddling out?
A: To identify rocks, reefs, currents, and other hazards.
Q: What sun protection is designed to stay effective in water?
A: Water-resistant sunscreen.
Q: Why should a surfer not wrap a leash around a hand?
A: A pulling board can injure the fingers or wrist.
Q: What should a surfer do if thunder is heard?
A: Leave the water and seek safe shelter.
How Surf Contests Work
Q: What is a timed group of surfers competing in the water called?
A: A heat.
Q: In common elite shortboard scoring, what is the maximum score for one wave?
A: 10 points.
Q: How many wave scores commonly count toward a surfer's heat total?
A: Two.
Q: What is the usual maximum two-wave heat total?
A: 20 points.
Q: What system determines who has first choice of an incoming wave?
A: Priority.
Q: What penalty can result from interfering with the priority surfer?
A: An interference penalty.
Q: What do judges reward besides difficulty?
A: Commitment, variety, combination, speed, power, and flow.
Q: Does a surfer receive the same score merely for completing the same maneuver?
A: No, execution and wave context matter.
Q: What score does a surfer need to overtake the leader late in a heat?
A: The required score.
Q: What colored jersey distinguishes each competitor in a heat?
A: A competition jersey.
Q: What organization governs surfing at the Olympic level?
A: The International Surfing Association.
Q: What does ISA stand for?
A: International Surfing Association.
Q: What does WSL stand for?
A: World Surf League.
Q: What WSL tour features the world's leading professional shortboard surfers?
A: The Championship Tour.
Q: Why can a surf contest have a waiting period?
A: Organizers need suitable wave conditions.
Olympic Surfing
Q: At which Games did surfing make its Olympic debut?
A: Tokyo 2020.
Q: In what year were the postponed Tokyo 2020 surfing events actually held?
A: 2021.
Q: What board discipline was contested at surfing's Olympic debut?
A: Shortboard.
Q: What Japanese beach hosted the first Olympic surfing competition?
A: Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.
Q: Who won the first Olympic men's surfing gold medal?
A: Italo Ferreira.
Q: Who won the first Olympic women's surfing gold medal?
A: Carissa Moore.
Q: Which country did Italo Ferreira represent at Tokyo 2020?
A: Brazil.
Q: Which nation did Carissa Moore represent?
A: The United States.
Q: Where were the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing events held?
A: Teahupo'o, Tahiti.
Q: Why was Olympic surfing held far from Paris in 2024?
A: Tahiti offered a world-class ocean venue in French Polynesia.
Q: Who won the men's Olympic surfing title at Paris 2024?
A: Kauli Vaast.
Q: Who won the women's Olympic surfing title at Paris 2024?
A: Caroline Marks.
Q: Which territory did Kauli Vaast grow up surfing?
A: Tahiti.
Q: What natural factor can force Olympic surf schedules to change?
A: Wave and weather conditions.
Q: Which Olympic edition is scheduled to feature surfing next after Paris 2024?
A: Los Angeles 2028.
Legends, History, and Famous Breaks
Q: Which Hawaiian Olympic swimmer helped popularize surfing internationally?
A: Duke Kahanamoku.
Q: Which Hawaiian monarch was known to surf and write music?
A: Queen Liliʻuokalani.
Q: What Polynesian island chain is central to surfing's history?
A: Hawaii.
Q: Who had won a record 11 men's world surfing titles through September 21, 2026?
A: Kelly Slater.
Q: Which Australian had won eight women's world titles through September 21, 2026?
A: Stephanie Gilmore.
Q: Which Australian won six straight women's world titles from 1998 through 2003, then a seventh in 2006?
A: Layne Beachley.
Q: Which Hawaiian surfer became the first woman to win Olympic surfing gold?
A: Carissa Moore.
Q: Which Brazilian surfer won his first world title in 2014?
A: Gabriel Medina.
Q: What California break is famous for a right-hand point wave and a classic longboarding culture?
A: Malibu.
Q: What Hawaiian break on Oahu's North Shore is famous for hollow waves over a shallow reef?
A: Pipeline.
Q: What big-wave break off Maui is also called Peʻahi?
A: Jaws.
Q: What Portuguese town is famous for giant waves at Praia do Norte?
A: Nazaré.
Q: What Indonesian island is famous for breaks around Uluwatu?
A: Bali.
Q: Which Australian beach hosts the Bells Beach surfing event?
A: Bells Beach in Victoria.
Q: What wooden Hawaiian board type was traditionally long and narrow?
A: An olo board.
You Rode That One All the Way In
If you carved through all 120, your trivia session was glassy. Paddle into our sports trivia and Olympics trivia next.
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