Shortboarding

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The act or practice of riding a smaller or shorter board in a sport such as surfing or skateboarding; performing maneuvers or tricks using a compact board designed for agility and speed; engaging in a variation of boarding activities characterized by a reduced board length
2. Engaging in a style of riding that involves shorter boards for enhanced maneuverability in water or on surfaces; executing movements that capitalize on the compact size of the equipment; participating in a form of boarding distinguished by its abbreviated board dimensions
3. The sport or activity involving the use of shorter boards to navigate waves or surfaces with greater control and quickness; undertaking tricks or riding techniques suited to the smaller scale of the board; practicing a boarding discipline marked by its use of minimized board length for dynamic performance

Etymology: Shortboarding is a plain compound: "shortboard" (a surfboard noticeably shorter than the longboards that dominated earlier surfing) with the suffix "-ing" turning it into the name of the activity. The shape of the word follows the equipment. Once surfers began riding boards of about six feet or less, the sport needed a name that set it apart from longboarding, and the existing noun for the board was simply extended into a noun for the activity. The verb sense works the same way. To shortboard is to ride these boards, and the term describes both the sport as a whole and the particular manoeuvres suited to a smaller board, which turns more quickly and responds to sharp, tight movements on a wave face. The same pattern produced related terms in other board sports, where the length of the equipment names the discipline.

Synonyms: surfing