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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)

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]

ABSTRACT 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]

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]

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.

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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]

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]

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]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in skin temperature under graphene-infused fleece and traditional polyester fleece materials in the interior of a wetsuit. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 48 participants surfed for a minimum of 40 min in a custom wetsuit with a torso lined with graphene-infused fleece on one half and traditional polyester fleece on the other. Eight iButton thermistors were used to record skin temperatures bilaterally at the upper back, chest, abdomen and lower back every minute for the entire surf session. After surfing, participants responded to questions associated with their perception of warmth and comfort and their knowledge of fleece materials. Findings: Skin temperatures did not differ between the two types of fleece at the upper back, chest and abdomen locations. Skin temperatures in the lower back were significantly warmer under the traditional polyester fleece compared to graphene-infused fleece. Participant responses associated with warmth were consistent with skin temperature measurements. Practical implications: The results of this study indicate that a graphene-infused nylon fleece interior does not clearly influence skin temperature in surfers when compared to a traditional polyester fleece interior. While skin temperatures were significantly lower under the graphene-infused nylon fleece at the low back, the other three anatomical locations did not exhibit significant differences. Originality/value: Thermoregulation is an important consideration for the safety and performance of surfers in the ocean. Evidence suggests that the inner lining of a wetsuit may impact thermoregulation while surfing; however, no prior studies have compared interior materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently there have been advancements in the understanding of the physiological demands of surfing and the benefits of land-based training. However, little research has investigated the training habits of surfers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and current training habits of surfers. 413 surfers (270 male) participated in this cross-sectional study via an online questionnaire. Over 80% of participants believed surfing was the best way to train (significantly more [p <0.05] males [87%] than females [76%], and advanced surfers [90%] than novice [75%] and intermediate [79%]). 90% of participants believed training for surfing important, with 70% of participants performing surf training. There was no significant difference in the length (p= 0.3) or frequency of training sessions (p= 0.2) between genders. However, advanced female surfers did perform significantly more (p= 0.02) training sessions than novice female surfers. Two trains of thought were found regarding surfers' training habits -- 'surfing is the best way to train' and 'great surfing requires out-of-water training'. The main motivators for those who train were to improve their performance and consequent enjoyment and to ensure longevity in the sport. Those who were not motivated to train for surfing thought time spent surfing most important. Surfers' knowledge of the demands of surfing was moderate, with 44% of the participants correctly answering knowledge-based questions. These findings suggest many surfers have a positive attitude and knowledge of training and support the need for more surf specific training research and resources to ensure surfers are training appropriately for surfing. [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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We make a unique contribution to the field of sport and social issues with a place-based case study of one SurfCam fixed to a private residence overlooking the world famous and iconic Bells Beach Surfing Recreation Reserve on the Surf Coast of Victoria, Australia. This case study offers a paradigm example of corporate extractivism that occurs through the surveillance of public space by a private company, which contributes to a range of social and environmental issues and has impacts on the culture of surfing. We argue that SurfCams reconfigure our understanding of surveillance and the governance of open spaces where recreational or competitive nature sports take place. We consider impacts of SurfCams for individual rights, as well as the environment, and surfing culture. We examine deficiencies in existing regulatory governance and highlight tensions between local community interests, corporate extractivism, and the neoliberalization of contemporary sport facilitated by surveillance technology. Our analysis shows these developments occur in a context where several intersecting governance modes are, at present, incapable of regulating the SurfCam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of surfing has increased exponentially, reaching its recent debut in the Olympic Games. However, surfing suffers from a relative immature technological market, while in other sports some technologies such as global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) have become an essential work material for strength and conditioning and head coaches. This article aims to systematically review surfers' time–motion demands based on GNSSs. A systematic review of relevant articles was carried out using five main databases (PubMed, ProQuest Central, SCOPUS, SPORTDiscus, and FECYT (Web of Sciences, CCC, CIDW, KJD, MEDLINE, RSCI, and SCIELO)) until 23 March 2024. From the 238 studies initially found, 9 were included in the qualitative synthesis. In these, GNSS devices were employed with male (n = 143) and female (n = 28) surfers from different levels during competition and training situations. The studies show that the intermittent nature of the sport is evident, with substantial periods spent paddling and waiting punctuated by relatively brief high-intensity efforts when riding waves at high speeds. Notable differences emerged between competition and training demands, suggesting potential mismatches in how athletes currently prepare compared to event requirements. These novel insights allow quantifying surfing's harsh physiological requirements and could guide conditioning practices to better meet the sport's unique characteristics across populations. Therefore, training should emulate the lengthy aerobic capabilities needed for the paddling volumes observed, while also targeting the anaerobic systems to meet the repeated high-intensity surf riding efforts. However, inconsistencies in methods and reporting practices limit direct comparisons and comprehensive profiling of the sport's physical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the subcultural politics of Irish surf films, focusing on Dark Side of the Lens and Beyond the Noise. Irish surf films emerged in the early 2000s and have since become a successful genre. The article first discusses the concept of cultural politics and its importance in understanding the political economy of Irish surf films, highlighting the tensions between the professional world of surfing as a sport, and those who regard surfing as a cultural practice. It then examines both films in order to show how Ireland is understood as an 'alternative' surf destination in the transnational world of surfing, and how the island is imagined as a place of 'escape'. The article shows how, whilst appearing to oppose commercialisation, surf films unintentionally contribute to the commodification of the West of Ireland and align with Tourism Ireland's marketing campaigns for the 'Wild Atlantic Way'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surfing is a high participation sport, yet little sport science research exists regarding competitive performance in surfing. Given surfing's inclusion as an Olympic sport from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics onwards, an examination of performance would seem useful. In numerous land-based sports, and in swimming, the importance of a warm-up and muscle heat is well documented. However, surfing is a unique sport in that it is undertaken both above and below water. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a warm-up in terms of readiness to perform in surfing. We discuss this in the context of thermal regulation, hormone profile change, and the subsequent expression of “power” on waves—a key criteria that surfers are scored for. Nineteen advanced level surfers (i.e., competitive at just below national level in Australia; n = 15 males and n = 4 females) with mean (±SD) age, height, and weight of 24.5 ± 11.6 years, 174.7 ± 9.1 cm, and 67.7 ± 10.2 kg, respectively, were recruited. We adopted a repeated measures pre- and post-design whereby participants engaged in several simulated surfing competitions in an artificial wave pool; once after an active warm-up combined with a passive heat retention strategy (i.e., wrapping themselves in survival blankets—treatment), and once after no warm-up (control). Saliva samples were collected pre- and post-active warm-up, or at equivalent times under control conditions, for the measurement of testosterone and cortisol. Increases in these hormones have previously been associated with an enhanced readiness to compete. Our results demonstrate a clear thermoregulatory benefit from the treatment, with the participants’ core body temperatures typically higher from the end of the warm-up to the end of the surf session following treatment (p ≤ 0.03), and a magnitude of increase in core body temperature once in the water that is greater following treatment (p = 0.01). A small magnitude upward change in testosterone (p = 0.01) and cortisol (p ≤ 0.001) following warm-up was also observed. Finally, warm-up was associated with an improved wave performance compared with the control, with a 20% increase in the performance score typically observed (p ≤ 0.01). We argue that the improved thermal profile may have influenced power and, as such, surfing performance was enhanced.