Skurfing

A person skurfing

Skurfing as a water sport has two common uses: "surf-water-skiing" and "surf-skateboarding".

Surfboard Water-skiing

This usage is a portmanteau of skiing (as in water skiing) and surfing, and is used to describe a popular surface water sport in which the participant is towed on a surfboard behind a boat with a ski rope. Incorrectly thought to be originally created by a surfer named Tony Finn in the mid 1980's 'Skurfing' was actually created in New Zealand by surfboard shaper Allan Byrne and friends such as Kevin Jarrett. Allan Byrne lent a 'Skurf board' to Jeff Darby and friends in Queensland Australia who started to make their own and who later came in contact with Tony Finn who was to later produce their brand 'Skurfer' under royalty.

Many years prior to Tony Finn and the 'Skurfer', Australian surfboard shaper and inventor Bruce McKee along with associate Mitchell Ross, launched in Australia, the world's first mass-produced plastic, roto-moulded construction 'Skurfboard' named the 'Mcski', later 'SSS' skiboard and later 'Wake-snake'. The board had adjustable rubber foot-straps, concave tunnel bottom and a keel fin. Two smaller side fins were later added for greater hold and more maneuverability.

Bruce McKee and associate Mitchell Ross negotiated with USA's Medalist Waterskis and the first American production was launched. The launch of the product, American version being named the 'Surf-Ski' was in 1984 at Chicagos 'IMTEC'show. At the show McKee also met Tony Finn who would be the proposed Californian representative. Tony Finn, went on to do his own negotiations with Darby and company from Australia and the result as mentioned above were the US boards later launched under the 'Skurfer' brand name. [[1]]

Skurfing is highly popular in the state of Western Australia in Australia and in many other places in the world. Unlike most other water sports where the participant is towed, skurfing is not a professional sport and has no official competitions; it is a freestyle sport with highly individualistic style and form. There are no defined styles or conventions rather it is about personal style.

Skurfing is considered by many to be a precursor to wakeboarding, as the skurfboards evolved in the late 1980s into compression-molded skurfers (aka "skiboards") then eventually into the twin-tipped Wakeboard.

Styles

There are two main styles of skurfing, the noseriding style, mostly used by people who surf on a longboard. The alternative is with cutbacks, carves and other turns. Some skurfers even get air over the wake.

A new style of skurfing has recently emerged in the sport where the fins are removed from the bottom of the board. This finless style requires more balance and finesse than having the fins attached. Not having fins limits cutbacks and carving, but allows the rider to spin the board around in a 360-degree rotation.

Surfers Skateboarders

This usage is a contraction of Skateboarding and Surfing.

Focusing heavily on spins, slides, "stance" changes, carves, and while deterring (but not excluding) and all the many recent advancements of the freestyle paradigm. It is the melding of many elements of skateboarding with the technical and practically applicable skills gained from slalom, downhill, or any other high control discipline. There are no set rules, tricks, or techniques. There is a heavy emphasis on a fluid and surf-like execution of a course. The usual terrain is a mix of steep grade roads, driveways, concrete banks, and ditches.

References

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2009)

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2009)

External links

• CBC Archives — 1965 News report featuring an interview with a young skateboarder wherein she explains the meaning of "skurfing" to a young Lloyd Robertson
• Skurfing at ukboardsports.com Information, classifieds and discussion forums for UK boardsports fanatics

This water sports-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e