Who Is A Kook Surfer?
All sports carry a set of specific vocabulary. So does surfing. According to the literal meaning of the word, kook implies an individual who is trying to fit in or pretending to do so. So, if you see a surfer who is maybe a learner or a beginner but is pretending to be the most experienced one, the individual is called a kook.
When newly taking up surfing, the fear of being called a kook often persists in beginners. However, it is important to understand what it means to be a kook.
Being a Kook: Why is it Intolerable?
Being a Kook can often lead one down in front of others. When over-exaggerations and boasting follow up with kooks, they can often become intolerable and a subject of jokes, inviting unkind comments and glares.
Surfing is a sport where all the surfers share the same spot and waves while surfing. They happen to be responsible for their safety and that of their co-surfers while enjoying their own experience. However, a kook can disrupt this experience for others because of the lack of required skills, endangering other surfers who come their way.
Such a behaviour characteristic of a kook is not limited to beginners but can also be found in intermediate learners and experienced surfers. Their overconfident attitude often makes them boast about their skills. With wrong techniques and positions, the kooks often cause disruptions and obstruct other surfers.
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It is important for surfers to understand that pretending to have skills they lack does not benefit them in the real world. An individual, learning or learned, should always be humble, open to being approached, polite and respectful not only towards the sport they are involved in but also for those participating in the same around them. Overconfidence in no way equates to experience. So, instead of showing off, it is always better to seek expert advice in order not to be labeled as a kook.
If you are a surfer planning for your next surfing experience or wish to take up the sport, this is the opportunity; get in touch with Surf and Friends today!