Swim trunks have come a long way—literally—and if you need proof, consider these two examples, separated by a generation of, er, boss surfers and a world of fashion design.
THEN
MAKER: Campus
YEAR MADE: 1960s
MODEL: Surf a' Go-Go
SIZE: Boy's 16/waist 28
FIT: Legally binding
LENGTH: Crotch-level
CLOSURE: Zipper/tie
FINISH: All cotton all the time
VIBE: “What's with the Curious George pants?”
SURF NICKNAME: Payasito(in Spanish: “little clown”)
RETURN POLICY: “For sanitary reasons, this garment is not returnable.”
NOW
MAKER: O'Neill
YEAR MADE: 2005
MODEL: SuperFreak
SIZE: Men's 30
FIT: Room to roam
LENGTH: Below the knee
CLOSURE: Zipper/drawstring
FINISH: Forgiving “Psychostretch” fabric
VIBE: “The lasttime I got towed in at Mavericks, it wasn't so choppy.”
SURF NICKNAME: Brandon
RETURN POLICY: If it's damaged within a week, some stores will accept a return.
Unlike surfwear, surf-speak hasn't changed much at all over the past 30 years. In the 1960s, Campus' Surf a' Go-Go hang-tag offered a glossary inside—presumably for reference inside the tube, or else to be memorized on the car ride to the beach. These should sound familiar:
Curl: The breaking part of the wave, spilling over and creating a space between the main body of the wave and the spilling crest.
Paraffin: The wax rubbed on the deck of the surfboard to make it less slippery.
Stick: A surfboard.
Wipe-out: A loss of your surfboard; usually caused by the breaking wave.
Boss: Great, superlative.
Gremmie: An immature surfer, one who gives surfing a bad name.
Stoked: Excited or jazzed.
Wahine: A girl, usually one who surfs.
