terminology
Board sports terminology – page about nomenclature of technical components, description, phrases, professional and non professional jargon. If you looking for some knowledge, you’re in the right place.
Kitesurfer pulled by a kite through the water without a board. Mostly used in early stage of learning kitesurfing and essential skill for recovering lost board when in the water.
Lines around the kite holding its shape.
The direction when wind is blowing from your back then your face is pointed downwind (leeward).
The area on the sky where the kite generate most power, generally 0°-60°.
To move kite aggressively up to power zone what causes lift of kitesurfer.
The direction from which wind is blowing.
Components made up of a hanger, damping and/or spring system, and axles which attach the wheels to the deck. They also have the mechanisms required to allow the board to turn.
Refers to the shape of the base of the board. It can significantly affects handling and carving.
The edges of the board, when you will look at the board from the top, you will see that the edges are symmetrically curved, the width of the tip (nose) and the tail is bigger than in the centre of the board.
Other words, flexibility of the board is affecting the handling and depends from rider’s weight. Harder flex of the board makes it harder to turn and perform tricks, the softer the flex the easier handling, but less stability in high speeds.
Snowboard boots are normally soft except those which are used in alpine snowboarding, these are much harder, similar to a ski boots, they must be used with a special bindings as well.
There are several types of bindings, strap-in, step-in and hybrid bindings. The main function of bindings is to hold rider boots in place and transfer his energy to the board.
Is the term for technical riding on non-standard surfaces, which usually includes performing tricks.
The core is the interior construction of the snowboard. It is typically made of laminated fiberglass around wood.
The bottom of the board that is in contact with the snow surface. It is generally made of a porous, plastic (polyethylene) material, that is saturated with a wax to create a very quick and smooth, hydrophobic surface.
A strip of metal, tuned normally to just less than 90-degrees, that runs the length of either side of the board. This sharp edge is necessary to be able to produce enough friction to ride on ice, and the radius of the edge directly affects the radius of carving turns, and in turn the responsiveness of the board.
The top of the board.
Soft antislip foam pad, covers the area where you stand on.
Only on inflatable SUP boards, where board can be pumped up, mostly located on the tail.
Attaches the SUP board to rider.
Front of the SUP board.
Back of the SUP board.
A stand up paddle is used to propel the surfer through the water while standing on a surfboard. The paddle is made of a three parts: blade, shaft and handle.
The surface of the board that rests on the water, usually concave but sometimes convex. Shapers may also put in channels.
The deck is the surface of the board that the surfer stands on.
The surfboards nose is the very tip of your board. Typically a pointed nose, or rounded depending on your board’s shape.
Surfboard tails drastically impact your board’s response. Each tail has its own advantages and disadvantages which have impact on speed, control, and manoeuvrability.
It’s a board central plane of reflection, down the middle of its deck and its keel. In construction, the stringer can have no special parts, or can embed a stiff, thin, vertical slat, usually of wood but sometimes of carbon fibre, running from nose to tail. Some boards have multiple stringers.
This refers to the vertical curve of the board between nose and tail. Rockers may be described as either heavy (steeply curved) or relaxed (less curved) and may be either continuous (a single curve between tip of nose and end of tail) or staged (distinct flat section in middle portion of board).
Is a leg rope which prevents you from unnecessary swimming, adding safety, and convenience. This is the part that connects to the back of your board, into the leash plug.
Found at the back end of the board, the simple pre fiberglass addon is very basic. It allows for connecting and disconnecting your leash.
The fins control speed, thrust, turns when you are surfing the waves.
The plugs where the fins are located. These need to be precision and put in the right place to allow correct water flow.
Natural and/or synthetic wax for application to the deck of a surfboard, to keep the surfer from slipping off the board when paddling out or riding a wave.