If you’ve spent enough time around surfers, chances are you’ve picked up a good deal of surf slang. Like it or not, surf slang is a distinctive feature of surfing culture. Depending on where you are, there are hundreds of surf slang words that may leave a non-surfer baffled and boggled. One example of a slang surf word is Kook!
What does a Kook mean in Surfing? Simply put, a “kook” is an amateur surfer who thinks they are far better at surfing than they ‘really are’. Experienced surfers aren’t usually big fans of kooks, but the word is usually used in a teasing way. In this article, I decided to look into the word kook and figure out exactly what a kook is!
What Makes Someone A Kook?
Being new to surfing doesn’t make you a kook. There’s nothing lame about learning a new skill or sport, and surfers are generally very accepting and encouraging of new surfers. Surfers tend to be very welcoming and sportsmanlike people! Just because the word kook exists in surfer slang doesn’t mean that surfers sit around teasing new surfers. It’s actually just the opposite.
Experienced surfers only get irritated at kooks because often if someone is acting like a kook while they’re surfing, they can end up getting in the way of experienced surfers or even put themselves or others at danger. More on this later.
A kook is someone who is an amateur surfer but may think or act as if they are far better at surfing than they are. A kook is to surfing as a poser is to skateboarding or other sports. It’s just a way of saying that someone is pretending to be better than they are. There are lots of different posts on Urban Dictionary defining what a “kook” is. Here are some of the top (and hilarious!) definitions.
1) “A kook is someone posing very hard as a surfer or skateboarder.”
2) “A kook is a poser who turns up in the beach car park wearing a top of the range wetsuit and carrying a spanking new surfboard checks the surf for an hour before actually going in, when it is so obviously pumping, then when he enters the water proceeds to splash around like a drowning rabbit.”
3) “A kook is a person posing as a surfer, or telling everyone that he can bust a snap, bottom turn, or barrel when they can’t. Does not know the proper surf terminology or vocab.
Non-kook: A person being honest about their surfing ability. Honestly expresses their surfing ability. Does NOT drop in on other surfers or snake them. Follows the rules of the lineup.
Example of kook used in a sentence from Urban Dictionary.com:
“Did you see that air? I was worried that I was going to break my board that time. But this kook dropped in on me and nearly took my head off. It’s all good but…”
More or less, a kook is someone who thinks and acts like they are a better surfer than they really are. When someone calls another surfer a kook, it’s not a complement! However, it’s also not a serious insult. Rather it’s usually said in a teasing way.
Are Surfers Irritated at Kooks?
Yes and no. Usually surfers just call people kooks in good fun. However, sometimes experienced surfers can get irritated at kooks because kooks can get in the way of experienced surfers or even put themselves or others at danger. Let’s break this down.
Kooks can be hazards! Let me explain what I mean by this. Surfing can be a very dangerous sport. If you’re not a strong and experienced surfer it can be very dangerous to surf. It is especially dangerous to surf during a big day in an expert zone with small boards meant for strong surfers. When someone is not a strong surfer but still does this, that makes them a kook! They’re acting like they’re a better surfer than they really are. This behavior is irritating to other surfers because in this scenario, the kook doing this is putting themselves at danger, other surfers at danger should the kook run into other surfers or need to be rescued, and is generally just a concern to all surfers nearby, and also puts
Kooks can also simply get in the way of other surfers! An inexperienced surfer who is surfing out of their level will most likely not have a strong understanding of surf ethics and will therefore interfere with other surfers. A kook will probably drop in on other surfers (very dangerous!), snake them, or break the rules of the lineup! There’s nothing more frustrating than being excited to catch a wave after you’ve waited your turn just to have a kook steal it from you and crash right away!
In this sense, a kook is also someone who diminishes the enjoyment of other surfers. Another definition on Urban Dictionary described this in the following words.
“A kook is NOT someone who is a bad surfer. Even if they aren’t that good, they still might not be a kook if they follow the right rules of the water and show for the other surfers. its not about how good you are, its about how much fun you’re having.
Another example of kook used in a sentence from Urban Dictionary.com:
Look at that guy, he gets in my way and has the nerve to start a fight with me. What’s with all the stickers on his board anyway? He’s not sponsored! What a kook!”
The moral of the story is, don’t be a kook! Take your time learning how to surf properly and understanding surf ethics. Always be respectful of those around you. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with being a beginner!
Related Questions:
What Does It Mean to be a “Newbie”
A newbie is someone who is new at something, or a beginner! It’s neither a positive or negative thing to call someone, it is entirely neutral. If you’re learning a new sport or skill, you’re a “newbie”!
What Does It Mean to be a “Poser”?
A poser is someone who is pretending to be something they’re not, or pretending to be better at something than they really are. Someone who is a poser is inauthentic. Usually, someone who is a poser is trying to fit in with a new crowd. For example, a kid who doesn’t know how to skate but still carries a skateboard around and talks about going to the skate park after school would be a poser.
What Does It Mean to “Wipe Out” in Surfing?
To “wipe out” in surfing means to fall or get knocked off a wave. For example “Woah! Did you see Tanya wipe out? She crashed so hard! Luckily, she’s ok and is already out catching another wave!”