There are common phrases and slang that surfers use distinctively to describe other surfers and their actions. If you've gotten a little taste of the surfing world, you will often hear the positive phrase "you rip" or "you shred," describing the exceptional surfing ability that one might have. But as for the surfer with no skill and no experience whatsoever, the most common word that surfers blab out in the water, is the word "kook".

Every time I hear the word kook, I recall the phrase "a chicken without its head." I can imagine a chicken running around frantically, bumping and crashing into other chickens and other objects. In the same way, a kook is like a chicken but in a surfing setting; a newbie fumbling around, banging into surfers and disrupting, what could've been, a great surfing session. Kook can best describe the inexperienced surfer. However, over-hearing it many times and serving it on a silver platter of negativity can have more serious consequences than being butted off your board. I feel that using the word "Kook" can demolish people's love for surfing.

Here are sentences that I hear when surfers "secretly" share amongst each other if one spots a kook:

"There are a bunch of kooks out in the water."

"That guy right there is a kook."

"Watch out for that stupid kook."

"I can't surf because that kook is always in the way."

"UGH, kooks."

As you can tell, the word kook is not a very nice word to say. It's not playful. It's a word that no beginner surfer wants to hear and if labeled a hazard to their fellow surfers, people dreams of surfing may be endanger of ending. To new surfers, "Kook" means, "Unwanted."

Although it is true that they can sometimes ruin the surf line up, drop into peoples waves, and sometimes hit you with their board. They are just learning and having a splendid time out in the water. They are enjoying the ocean like we do everyday single day.

It's unnecessary to ridicule someone who shares the same love of the water as you do and is itching to learn. We should savor the time we have in the water, all of us. We are all just surfers and no one should ever be ostracized. No one should ever feel unwanted. No one should ever be called the kook. Let's keep the water warm.