The sport of bodyboarding has its own lingo and terminology. The invention of the bodyboard by Tom Morey brought new terms, words, expressions, and tricks to the world of wave sports.
The bodyboarding glossary of terms used in the waves is useful to bodyboarders at all levels.
Discover the vocabulary of bodyboarding and learn new words:
Air Forward 360 - a trick in which the bodyboarder launches into the air off the top of a wave and completes a 360-degree spin out of the water;
Air Reverse 360 - a trick in which the bodyboarder launches into the air off the top of a wave and completes a 360-degree spin out of the water in reverse mode;
Air Reverse 720 - a trick in which the bodyboarder launches into the air off the top of a wave and completes a 720-degree spin out of the water;
Air Roll Spinner (ARS) - a trick that combines the el rollo with a 360-degree spin;
Backflip - an acrobatic aerial maneuver in which the bodyboarder hits the lip of a wave and rotates his body backward up in the air;
Bat Tail - a style of bodyboard tail that combines the clipped crescent tail and the square tail;
Booger - slang for bodyboarder;
Boogie Board - alternative name for a bodyboard;
Bumpers - nose and tail bumpers are applied to the core of the board to help protect delicate areas, repel water, and maximize seam strength;
Channels - the contour of the bottom side of the bodyboard that channels water during each ride;
Chine - the area of the deck that bends round to meet the rails on either side;
Crescent Tail - a semi "C"-shaped tail design for bodyboards; the standard and most common bodyboard tail;
Deck - the top of the bodyboard, where bodyboarders lie;
Devert - a trick that combines the Invert with a reverse el rollo;
Double Rollo - a trick in which the bodyboarder pulls two el rollos;
Drop-Knee - a bodyboarding discipline in which the bodyboarder rides the wave with his preferred fin forward on the front of the deck and the opposing knee on the bottom end of the board;
el rollo - a trick in which the bodyboarder hits the lip of the wave and uses its power to throw himself out with the lip in a perfect arc to complete a roll before landing on the flats or into the white water;
Foam - the core material used in bodyboards; polyethylene foam (PE) and polypropylene foam (PP) are the most popular foam cores;
Frontflip - a trick in which the bodyboarder completes a full rotation forward;
Gainer Flip - a trick in which the bodyboarder pulls a backflip jumping forward;
Gorf - a trick in which the bodyboarder pulls an inverted roll while doing a forward air spin;
Invert - a trick in which the bodyboarder projects skyward and makes a full body and board contortion with maximum air time;
Nose - the upper part of a bodyboard;
Prone - a bodyboarding discipline in which the bodyboarder rides the wave on his stomach;
Rails - the edges of the bodyboard that plane through the face of the wave;
Reverse Spin 360 - a trick in which the bodyboarder completes a 360-degree spin on the wave face in reverse mode;
Slab - a powerful wave breaking over a shallow reef or rocks;
Slick - the lightweight, durable, and water-resistant bottom region of a bodyboard;
Spin 360 - a trick in which the bodyboarder completes a 360-degree spin on the wave face;
Sponger - slang for bodyboarders;
Stand-Up - a bodyboarding discipline in which the bodyboarder rides the wave in the upright position;
Stringer - a composite material tube that runs down through the middle of the board, effectively giving it a spine; it adds strength to the core, providing near-instant recoil and increasing projection;
Swim Fins - rubber fins worn to increase propulsion and help to catch waves;
Wedge - the combined effect of a reflected wave and an incoming wave;
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