Inglés para adolescentes: 10 amazing facts about surfing

Te invitamos a leer 10 datos asombrosos sobre el surf en inglés: 10 amazing facts about surfing. Una lectura muy entretenida, elaborada por la redacción de la revista para aprender inglés I Love English, basado en el contenido que pueden leer en el número 334 de la revista (julio - agosto 2021). Esta lectura en inglés para adolescentes ayudará a los niños entre 12 y 15 años a mejorar su nivel de inglés y además, aprenderán un montón de curiosidades sobre uno de los deportes de agua más divertidos: el surf. 

10 amazing facts about surf: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre el surf

1. Although professional surfing arose in the 20th century, this sport has probably existed since humans began swimming the oceans. Ancient cultures of Peru already surfed on water vessels made of reef both for fishing and recreation. The innovation of standing up on a surfboard was developed by Polynesians, who surfed the same spots -Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti- that modern surfers do now. 

2. Margo Oberg from Pennsylvania (USA) was the first female professional surfer in the world. She won her first competition at the age of 11 and won her first world title when she was 15. Some of the top female professional surfers nowadays are Carissa Moore (American), Stephanie Gilmore (Australian) and Sally Fitzgibbons (Australian). Although surfing has been dominated by men, women are also extremely talented. 

3. Some of the best surf destinations which every experienced surfer would love to go to are: Popoyo, located in Nicaragua, a dreamscape for surfers; Nosara, in Costa Rica, also known for yoga and as wildlife rescue; Uluwatu, in Bali, known for its world-famous 11th-century Hindu temple; and Cloudbreak, in Fiji, known for its most challenging waves in the world.

4. For the first time in History, surfing is taking part in the Olympic Games. There are around 25 million active surfers in the world and the number of fans and enthusiasts of this sport grows every day, so surfing is a perfect addition to the Olympics. Specifically, the male and female surfers participating in the event will show their talent at Tsurigasaki Beach, about 100 km from Tokyo. 

5. The record for the longest ever surf ride is 3 hours 55 minutes! This record is held by Gary Saavedra (Panama), who surfed the Panama Canal (in Panama City) on 19 March 2011 in a 57-km wave created by a power boat. He has also been national Panamanian surfing champion 13 times. The previous record was held by Steve King (UK), who surfed for 1 hour 6 minutes.

6. The record for most people standing on one surfboard is 66! In June 2015, 66 people were packed like sardines on a large surfboard (around 13 m long, 3.5 m wide and 0.4 m thick) and rode a wave for 12 seconds. A crane was required to get the surfboard on the water. The event drew thousands of spectators to Huntington Beach, California, where it took place. A special team worked for months to ensure the board could perform. 

7. Abbie Girl, a dog, surfed the longest wave ever in open water in 2011 at Ocean Beach in San Diego, California, USA, reaching a distance of 60 metres. The minimum distance surfed until then was 27.4 metres. Abbie Girl is a Kelpie, an Australian dog breed with excellent balancing skills, exactly what is needed for surfing. Good job, Abbie Girl.

8. American Donald Dettloff is famous for owning the largest collection of surfboards in the world. He loves surfboards so much that he has been collecting them for over 15 years. He owns 647 different surfboards, displayed as a surfboard fence around his house in Haiku (Hawaii, USA). He started creating this fence back in 1990.

9. Bodyboarding is the act of riding the waves while lying down. Another way to ride a bodyboard other than lying down is by kneeling or through the so-called "Drop Knee" technique. Drop Knee is done by bodyboarders all over the world. Some have dedicated their lives to it. A tip: practice the Drop Knee position on the beach before riding the waves and make sure you use the bodyboard leash on the back foot side! 

10. Surfing has its own slang. An inexperienced surfer, or someone who?s no good at surfing, is called "Barney". A "bomb" is a particularly large wave. The term "cooking" refers to very good surf conditions. "Drilling" is what big waves do to you after you fall off! "Goofy foot" is when you stand with your right foot forward on the surfboard. On the contrary, if you surf with your left foot as your front foot you are a "regular footer".10 amazing facts about surfing.