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The medical aspects of surfing include ear and eye injuries and sprains and strains of the lower back and neck, as well as skin cancer from exposure to the sun. Treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of these problems are discussed. Surfing is recommended as part of an exercise program for reasonably healthy people. (Author/MT)

Describes plastic surgery techniques used to irrigate, debride, and close lacerations caused by surfboards. Head lacerations and nose fractures are the most common injuries. According to a survey, lacerations may be deeper than expected from their surface appearance and wounds may contain surfboard fragments. Injury prevention is discussed. (SM)

Considers the social implications of the change in metaphors (drowning to surfing) describing the individuals' relationship to information. Argues that though a paradigm shift has not occurred, the significance of the change should not be minimized. Considers similarities and differences between drowning and surfing and questions arising from the similarities and differences. (PEN)

Purpose: To correlate speed and heat scores with anthropometric variables and lower-limb strength and power in professional surfers. Methods: A total of 19 men participated in simulated competitions on different days. All surfed waves were scored, and each athlete's best 2 were used for their total heat score. Speed values were extracted by global positioning system and adjusted by Z score. Squat jump, countermovement jump, and drop jump were executed. Anthropometric variables and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) in the half squat were measured. Pearson product–moment correlation was used to analyze the relationships. Results: Height had a significant (P <.05) inverse association with speed indicators (r = −.36 to −.68), and body mass index had a moderate association with maximum wave speed of the highest score. Significant correlations with moderate to large magnitudes were found between maximum speed and vertical jumps (r =.46 to.56), average speed and vertical jumps (r =.48 to.59), and both maximum and average speed with 1RM (r =.52–.53). Athletes' best score and total heat score showed moderate to large associations with vertical jumps and 1RM (r =.48–.64), whereas second scores were correlated with the reactive strength index of the drop jump (r =.48) and 1RM (r =.51). Conclusions: Shorter surfers with lower center of gravity and those with superior lower-limb strength and power achieved greater speed and higher scores. Accordingly, surf coaches may consider prescribing dynamic strength and balance training based on an athlete's profile to improve performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on surfing to consider the attractiveness of using the sublime to describe experiences and emotions in nature sports. The sublime is shown to be a red herring in scholarship as it fails to account for many of the valuable experiences available to nature sports enthusiasts. The article draws on the work of Genevieve Lloyd to propose that wonder is a more suitable concept that gets to the heart not only of the terror and awe that nature can inspire, but also to the orientation towards our finitude, difference, and the stimulation of growth and practical knowledge that nature sports also inspire (and that are not accounted for in the sublime). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surfers both cooperate and compete around a scarce natural resource – ocean waves suited for surfing – often with a fraught mix of motives and feelings, pro-social and anti-social. Much as surfers constantly adapt to a dynamic wave environment, their pro- and anti-social motives readily mix and shift, based on their interpretation of quickly changing context. What we learn from surfers is something materialistic focus on self-interest and realities of scarcity or abundance might de-emphasize or miss: a culture of interpretation and reasoning (e.g. 'localism') is as important in the formation of shifting pro- and anti-social attitudes as the material reality of wave scarcity or abundance itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daniel Brennan's book, "Surfing and the Philosophy of Sport," combines his research in political philosophy with his personal experience as a surfer to explore the philosophical aspects of surfing. The book delves into topics such as the aesthetic qualities of surfing, the distinction between recreational and competitive surfing, the lifestyle aspects of the sport, and the impact of technological advancements on surfing. Brennan also examines the inclusion of surfing in the Olympics and addresses issues of gender and motility in the sport. While the book offers a comprehensive exploration of surfing, there is room for further discussion on topics such as the negative aspects of surf culture and the hybrid nature of surfing in the Olympics. Overall, the book provides valuable insights for researchers and readers interested in the philosophy of sport and surf studies. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Surfing was being practiced by Carib watermen of the Lesser Antilles as early as the eighteenth century, when it was documented by an eyewitness account a French shipwreck survivor on the island of Tobago made just a few years before Captain James Cook and his crew brought back accounts of Polynesians surfing in the Pacific. This article looks at the development of surfing skills amongst the inhabitants of the Caribbean and what influences, if any, the people of Atlantic Africa or South America had on the development of the sport here, or whether it was an independent adaptation to local conditions found along the shores of the islands of the Lesser Antilles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate how the nature of activities users perform to interact with information delivered via smartphones (i.e., dimensions of smartphone use), along with gratifications sought and obtained, contribute to technostress in the context of digital content feeds. By applying qualitative research methods and analyzing data gathered through 30 semi-structured interviews, we identify five dimensions of smartphone use: instant, repeated, continuous, personalized, and versatile. Introducing the concept of smartphone use loop, we reveal the dynamic relationships between these dimensions, gratifications, and technostress, illustrating how different dimensions of use and underlying gratifications can lead to diverse technostress experiences (e.g., depending on whether the gratifications sought are obtained). Furthermore, we identify previously unexplored technostressors and strains, such as gratification mismatch and worsened boredom tolerance. By integrating uses and gratifications theory with technostress research, this study offers a novel framework for understanding the dual nature of smartphone use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surfer's neurapraxia is a rare surfing injury of the saphenous nerve secondary to persistent compression of the saphenous nerve along the medial thigh by the surfboard when paddling prone and while sitting upright on the board waiting for a wave. Symptoms may be nonspecific and consist of pain in the medial thigh with or without radiation along the saphenous nerve distribution (medial leg, medial ankle, medial arch of the foot). The saphenous nerve tension test can be utilized to reproduce the symptoms of surfer's neurapraxia. Treatment consists of conservative management while refractory cases may benefit from injection with local anesthetic. The authors propose the Obana Plan (WATER) for prevention of surfer's neurapraxia, consisting of Wetsuits, Abduction, Timing, Exercise, and Rest. Overall, surfer's neurapraxia is a benign condition that can be prevented and managed conservatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent rise in professionalisation and institutionalisation of competitive surfing has resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of alternative training modalities. These are often employed in an attempt to increase exposure to surf-like activities when appropriate ocean conditions are not available. It is commonly accepted that practice sessions should be grounded in theory, with training content informed by a clear scientific rationale. Despite this, research is yet to offer surfing coaches and surfers effective strategies to assist in implementing appropriate 'off water' training modalities. It is widely accepted that integrating a representative learning design is crucial towards the transfer of performance to competition environments. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to promote representative learning design (RLD) as a contemporary, principled framework that can underpin the creation of surfing training design and performance. Examples of constraints relevant to surfing are considered, and the efficacy and rationale of popular training methods are challenged. Finally, practical implications and coaching tools to underpin the implementation of representative learning design in surf training are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a sensorimotor training program on maximum ankle dorsiflexion (ankle DF), coordination, dynamic balance and postural control, and lower-limb muscle power, in competitive junior surfers, and its relation to parameters of sensorimotor control required to perform aerial maneuvers. Twelve junior competitive surfers followed a 7-week sensorimotor training program, being assessed pre- and post-program with the knee-to-wall test (KW), Y-Balance test—lower quarter (YBT-LQ), and the countermovement jump test (CMJ). Post-training assessment revealed positive effects on the KW (ankle DF) distance, which increased approximately 2 cm (p < 0.001) for both ankles, and all scores for the YTB-LQ (coordination, dynamic balance, and postural control) variables increased, being significant (p < 0.005) for some reach distances (YBT-LQ—Anterior Left, YBT-LQ—Postero-medial Left, and YTB-LQ Anterior Right). YBT-LQ Anterior Reach Asymmetry also improved by decreasing 1.62 cm (p < 0.001) and the CMJ height (lower limb muscle power) increased 2.89 cm (p < 0.001). The training program proved to effectively enhance parameters of physical performance for this sample, including ankle DF, coordination, dynamic balance, postural control, and lower limb muscle power. This tailored-made task approach can help to optimize surfing performance capabilities and contribute to reducing the risk of injuries while performing aerials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that populations of terrestrial predators sometimes contain "problem individuals" that repeatedly attack humans, yet this phenomenon has never been demonstrated in sharks. Here, we present photographic and genetic evidence of individuals in populations of tiger Galeocerdo cuvier and oceanic whitetip Carcharhinus longimanus sharks that (1) demonstrated atypical behavior compared to the rest of the population, (2) engaged in repeated agonistic behavior directed toward humans, and (3) bit, or attempted to bite humans in probable foraging attempts. These case studies provide some of the first evidence for the existence of "problem individuals" among sharks. The percentage of fatalities due to the same shark individual are not known, so we recommend systematic swabbing of shark bite victims wounds to better understand the importance of this phenomenon and the possibility of identifying these animals. Environmentally conscientious management options for problem individuals range from prohibiting ocean activities (e.g., swimming and surfing) in their habitats to selectively removing the individual, although the latter would be challenging in the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The primary objective was to investigate the incidence of concussion and the associated mechanisms of injury in elite Australian surfers. The secondary objective was to investigate the current perspectives and behaviors related to experiencing concussion in surfing. Design: A cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive survey. Setting: Surfing Australia high-performance program. Participants: Forty nationally identified elite Australian surfing athletes. Intervention: A retrospective survey collected information pertaining to participant demographics, concussion history, potential concussive symptoms, such as headache, neck pain, dizziness, or unusual fatigue, following a wipeout, and participants' perspectives on concussion. Main Outcome Measures: Investigating concussion incidence among elite Australian surfers compared with potential undiagnosed concussive episodes. Results: Surfers with a history of diagnosed surfing-related concussion (DC) were compared with those with no history of a diagnosed surfing-related concussion (NDC). A total of 13 of 40 surfers had a DC, with "contact versus the water surface" identified as the primary mechanism. Both DC and NDC groups had a high frequency of concussive symptoms after a surfing wipeout with a total of 447 and 573 concussive symptom occurrences reported in the DC and NDC groups, respectively. Concern regarding the long-term impacts of concussion were reported in 25 of 40 surfers. Conclusions: The number of concussive symptoms reported by surfers who had not previously been diagnosed with concussion suggests that concussion may be underreported and underdiagnosed in elite surfing. This underscores the need for increased medical support, education, and improved safety protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The present study aimed to describe the main characteristics of Brazilian surfers and their injuries, and to analyze the probability of developing injuries according to skill level, experience in surfing, training volume, and age. Methods A total of 1829 Brazilian surfers answered an electronic survey about their characteristics and previous and current injuries. The association between participant characteristics and percentage of injuries was investigated using a chi-squared test. The statistical significance of the results was assumed at a p -value < 0.05. The prevalence ratio (PR) was also calculated to illustrate the probability of having injuries. Results Most surfers are men (84.2%), young adults (72.0%), with more than 2 years of experience in surfing (60.7%), with an intermediate level of skill (49.3%), recreational surfers (99.2%), and who practice surfing 1 to 2 days a week (79.7%) for 1 to 3 hours a day (65.9%). About 55.5% of the participants were already affected by an injury or had some surfing-related pain. In the last 12 months, 52.2% of surfers suffered injuries. For both, more than 50% of injuries occurred in the lower limbs. Brazilian surfers with higher skill levels, time of experience, hours per day of surf training, and age presented higher prevalence ratios of previous and current injuries. Conclusions In summary, Brazilian surfers are predominantly male, young adults, and non-competitive athletes. The most injured anatomical region in this group is the lower limbs. Contrary to expectation, higher experience and skill levels might not act as protective factors against injuries due to increased training volume.

Background: Surf therapy is gaining popularity for improving mental health. However, there is limited research evidence to substantiate these claims. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess randomized or non-randomized studies analyzing the efficacy of surf therapy in improving symptoms of mental illness compared to non-exercising controls and/or alternative intervention, and to identify evidential gaps to inform future research. Methods: PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines were followed. Eligibility criteria included participants of any age and sex, explicitly diagnosed with any mental health disorder, while exposed to surf therapy and compared to non-exercising controls and/or alternative interventions. The primary outcome consisted of changes in symptoms of mental illness scored from baseline to post-intervention. Any randomized or non-randomized trial design was considered. We searched Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science databases (December 7, 2023), without language or publication date restrictions and without filters. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2. A meta-analysis could not be conducted due to heterogeneity of the studies; therefore, a narrative synthesis of individual study results was performed. Results: Of 5,666 records, three randomized controlled studies were included in the review. Overall, the findings of the three studies suggest no robust consistent evidence of improvement in mental health symptoms when comparing surf therapy to wait-list control groups or other nature-based exercise interventions (hike therapy). Certainty of evidence should be considered very low, as it is based on three randomized controlled trials. Conclusion: Although we believe that surf therapy provides an interesting approach, robust evidence is scarce. Routes for future well-designed, controlled studies are discussed. Other: No funding to report. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021277060. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Located within feminist scholarship on sport, leisure and physical cultures, this article explores our attempts to understand what conducting 'research with responsibility' means as White, settler-coloniser, immigrant women researching surfing, place and community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Taking inspiration from Hamilton's 'intersectional reflexivity' and Māori feminist scholars' discussion of (de)colonizing methodologies, we discuss the development of our intersectional, collaborative methodology to understand our relationships to place, community and surfing. This co-ethnographic approach helped us navigate the ethics and challenges of knowledge production in Aotearoa New Zealand, and enabled us to be aware of, and open to, different worldviews and ways of knowing. We argue this methodology has value in developing better recognition of our own privileges; understanding of the intersectional politics-of-place we are part of as researchers, and as community members; and of the assumptions, motivations and values that inform our research practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surf breaks are increasingly recognized as socio‐environmental phenomena that provide opportunities for biodiversity conservation and sustained benefits for local communities. Here, we examine an additional benefit from improved conservation of the ecosystems that host and surround surf breaks—their coincidence with carbon dense coastal ecosystems. Using global spatial datasets of irrecoverable carbon (defined as carbon stocks that, if lost today, could not be recovered within 30 years' time), surf break locations, ecosystem types, protected areas, and Key Biodiversity Areas, we identified 88.3 million tonnes of irrecoverable carbon held in surf ecosystems. Of this total, 17.2 million tonnes are found in Key Biodiversity Areas without formal measures of protection. These results highlight surf conservation as a potential avenue to simultaneously mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable development in coastal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, no previous studies have explored return to surfing after hip arthroplasty. The objective of this study is to analyse return to a risky activity following hip arthroplasty. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all primary total hip arthroplasties (THA) and hip resurfacing arthroplasties (HRA) performed by the senior author from 2014 to 2021. Patients identified as surfers were contacted to complete a survey including surfing history and patient-reported outcomes. Results: 83 hips in 67 patients were contacted. There were 66 THAs and 17 HRAs. 81 hips were performed through a posterior approach and 2 through an anterior approach. At an average of 67 months, there were no dislocations and no patients reported hip pain while surfing. Time to resume surfing was a median of 16 (range 8–144) weeks. Among 13 patients who did not return to surfing, 8 cited new lifestyle restrictions, 4 attributed it to other arthritic joints, and only 1 patient attributed their limitation to the replaced hip. This group had taken significantly more time off from surfing prior to surgery. Conclusions: Return to surfing following THA and HRA is common and safe in our study population with no complications and specifically no dislocations. Patients with other sites of arthritis and patients who have more extensive time away from surfing prior to surgery are less likely to return to sport. While surfing is clearly not without risk, patients can generally expect a high rate of successful return to surfing after hip arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated a fatal case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis from an indoor surfing center in Taiwan. The case was detected through encephalitis syndromic surveillance. Of 56 environmental specimens, 1 was positive for Naegleria fowleri ameba. This report emphasizes the risk for N. fowleri infection from inadequately disinfected recreational waters, even indoors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Virtual Reality (VR) applications gain popularity, the need for a secure, usable, and memorable user authentication method becomes crucial. However, security and privacy in such VR applications are often ignored. Current methods are insufficient in preventing man-in-the-room (MITR) attacks, which allow attackers to observe user interactions in VR while remaining invisible, and inputted passwords can easily be stolen. In this study, we propose a dynamic combination of multi-attribute authentication methods for VR, where various 3D objects and their attributes can be created and displayed. Users must select combinations of 3D objects and their attributes provided by our designed principles for identity authentication. We explore the impact of method parameters on security and provide three specific parameter schemes to deploy the practical authentication system. We designed three user studies to evaluate the usability, security, and memorability of our authentication system. The results show that the proposed scheme can effectively resist both shoulder surfing and MITR attacks with unsuccessful attack rates of 100% and 95.83%, respectively. Furthermore, this research provides suggestions to secure VR applications while maintaining usability and enhancing the memorability of the authentication method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surfing is a growing, high-participation recreational and competitive activity. It is relatively unique, being performed on, in, and through water with a range of temperatures. In other sports, warm-up and heat retention have proved useful at augmenting performance and ameliorating injury risk. Little work has been carried out examining this in surfing. The purpose of this work was to measure thermal profiles in surfers with and without warm-up and passive heat retention, and secondarily to assess any potential influence on free surfing. A repeated measures pre- and post- design was adopted whereby participants surfed in an artificial wave pool following an active warm-up combined with passive heat retention (experimental condition) and after no warm-up (control). Core body temperature was measured both occasions. Our results showed increases in core body temperature were greater for the experimental condition versus control (p = 0.006), and a time effect exists (p < 0.001)—in particular, a warm-up effect in the water itself was shown in both groups, possibly due to further activity (e.g., paddling) and wetsuit properties. Finally, performance trended to being superior following warm-up. We conclude that body warmth in surfers may be facilitated by an active warm-up and passive heat retention. In free surfing, this is associated with a trend towards better performance; it may also reduce injury risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-correlation algorithm to obtain the sub-aperture shifts that occur is a crucial aspect of scene-based SHWS (Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensing). However, when the sub-image is partially absent within the atmosphere, the traditional cross-correlation algorithm can easily obtain the wrong shift results. To overcome this drawback, we propose an algorithm based on SURFs (speeded-up-robust features) matching. In addition, to meet the speed required by wavefront sensing, CUDA parallel optimization of SURF matching is carried out using a GPU thread execution model and a programming model. The results show that the shift error can be reduced by more than two times, and the parallel algorithm can achieve nearly ten times the acceleration ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surf therapy combines physical activity with social support to provide a healing environment. Objective: This exploratory pre-to post-intervention study examined the effects of a novel surf therapy program for women who experienced abuse, trauma, and/or mental illness on emotional regulation, resilience, body acceptance, and gratitude. Methods: Twenty-seven women (ages 25 to 54; mean 36.32 + SD 7.79) participated in an 8-week Groundswell Surf Therapy Program held in four different coastal cities in California. Standardized self-report questionnaires were administered prior to and following the therapy program, including the Body Acceptance Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Affective Style Questionnaire, and the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form (GQ-6) in a pre-post study design. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Body acceptance [ P < 0.001; partial Eta squared = 0.472] and resilience were increased [ P = 0.005; partial Eta squared = 0.319] following the surf therapy intervention. Emotional regulation was examined according to three subscales, with the adjust [ P < 0.001; partial Eta squared = 0.397] and tolerate [ P < 0.001; partial Eta squared = 0.299] subscales increasing following the intervention, and the conceal subscale [ P = 0.459; partial Eta squared = 0.031] remaining unchanged. Gratitude scores were unchanged [ P = 0.425; partial Eta squared = 0.026]. Conclusion: A surf therapy program rooted in somatic and trauma-informed models was associated with improved resilience, emotional regulation, and body acceptance in at-risk women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLittle research has examined the aspects of PMs’ use among individuals who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) who face extra challenges while entering credentials, such as low typing rates, low typing accuracy, shoulder surfing attacks, and verification of the entered data. This paper explores how knowledgeable BVI individuals are of digital security threats; the status of accessibility in security software; awareness of PMs among BVI; and the factors that drive rejection or adoption of PMs. Our findings revealed that the self-reported knowledge of digital security threats is high; there are many accessibility shortcomings in various security software; and the awareness of PMs among BVI individuals is relatively high, although actual use is far less. About 1/4-th of the participants in the study who tried using PMs rejected them. We found that inaccessibility, cross-platform differences, and security concerns as the top rejection factors. By contrast, convenience, effort saving, and accuracy were the primary adoption factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scapular region has the highest incidence of acute injuries in surfing. However, little is known about the shoulder strength profile in surfers. The aim of this research was to establish the profile of internal and external rotation strength in a group of youth surfing athletes. Methods: Isometric shoulder internal and external rotation strength was measured using a portable dynamometer in 41 (19 boys e 22 girls) youth surfing athletes (13.3 ± 2.1 years, 49.3 ± 9.8 kg, and 157.4 ± 9.5 cm). Regardless of gender, no significant differences were found between shoulder internal and external rotation strength. However, internal rotation strength was bilateral greater than external rotation strength. When comparing boys and girls, statistically significant differences were only found for the left-arm internal rotation strength when adjusted for body mass. Boys exhibited more strength than girls in all situations. No differences were observed based on the surfer's stance. The data from this research provides valuable information for coaches and trainers working with young surfers, allowing a deeper understanding of the specific shoulder strength profile, for a more effective development of training programs.