Ive been surfing a whole lot lately. Riding on the surface of a wave feels really great. I ride right up towards the shore.
I've never been able to surf. But I can use a boogie board.
That is somewhat similar to surfing. I have actually surfed on lakes and rivers before on the waves produced by a tidal bore.
I've never seen anyone surf on a lake or a river.
Surfers have to use artificial wake while on lakes and rivers. You can even use the wake of a boat.
That seems way more difficult then ocean surfing.
Its much different, true. Surfing means the act of riding a wave. It is a very general term regardless of stance with or without a board.
I can see that. When did surfing become a thing?
refers to the act of riding a wave with a board, regardless of the stance used. There are several types of boards. The native peoples of the Pacific, for instance, surfed waves on alaia, paipo, and other such craft, and did so on their belly and knees. The modern-day definition of surfing, however, most often refers to a surfer riding a wave standing up on a surfboard; this is also referred to as stand-up surfing.
Another prominent form of surfing is body
boarding, when a surfer rides a wave on a bodyboard, either lying on their belly, drop knee, or sometimes even standing up on a body board. Other types of surfing include knee boarding, surf matting (riding inflatable mats), and using foils. Body surfing, where the wave is surfed without a board, using the surfer's own body to catch and ride the wave, is very common and is considered by some to be the purest form of surfing.
Three major subdivisions within stand-up