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>> SPORTSFIGURE
PUT YOUR BRAIN IN THE GAME.
>> IF YOU WANT TO SURF,
YOU NEED A BOARD
AND MAYBE SOME COOL SHORTS,
AND SOME SHADEWOULD BE GOOD,
MAYBE A WET SUIT.
BUT MOST OF ALL, YOU NEED WAVES.
THAT'S WHY SURFERS ALWAYS GET
EXCITED WHEN THEY HEAR
THE WORDS "SURF'S UP, DUDES!"
YOU EVER TRY THIS?
WELL, IS IS PRETTY MUCH HOW
SURFING WORKS.
I'M NOT KIDDING.
THE NOVELIST JACK LONDON
ONCE DESCRIB SURFERS AS RISING
LIKE SEA GODS FROM THE WELTER
AND SPUME OF CHURNING WHITE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS,
BUT IT SOUNDS GOOD.
IF YOU STOP TO THINK ABO IT,
RIDING WAVES IS A PRETTY
WILD THING.
IT'SIKE RIDING WATER, DUDE!
WHAT THE HECK IS A WAVE ANYWAY?
WATER'S NATURAL STATE IS TO BE
TOTALLFLAT AND SMOOTH, RIGHT?
NO HILLS, NO VALLEYS.
I MEAN, YOU PUT WATER
INTO ANYTHING--A TUB, A GLAS
THE OCEAN, A POND.
AND WATER'S NATUL TENDENCY IS
TO LAY FLAT LIKE THIS.
THAT'S CALLED A STATE OF
EQUILIBRIUM.
NOW, TO GET WAVES, WE HAVE TO DO
SOMETHING TO DISTURB THAT
EQUILIBRIUM.
THAT'S CALLED DISTURBANCE.
YOU SEE, WHEN I HIT THE SIDE
OF THE TUB, IT TRANSFERRED
THE ENERGY TO THE WATER,
AND WE GOT WAVES.
NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER WAY
TO CAUSE A DISTURBANCE,
IF I DROP TH ROCK.
SEE? WAVES.
WHEN I LIFT THROCK,
I GIVE THE ROCK GRAVITATIONAL
POTENTIAL ENERGY, "GPE."
WHEN I DROPPED THE ROCK,
THE GPE WACONVERTED TO
KINETIC ENERGY, "KE."
NOW, WHEN THE ROCK HIT
THE WATER, THE KINETIC ENERGY
WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE WATER.
WE KNOW THAT IT WAS BEUSE
WE GOT WAVES.
AHH.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE RELAXING
THAN SITTING ON THE BEACH AND
WATCHING THE ENERGY ROLLING.
SEE, THAT'S ALL WAVES ARE--
ENERGY MOVING THROUGH THE WATER,
JUST LIKE THESE FLAMES A
ENERGY MOVING THROUGH THE AIR.
SO WHERE DOES ALL THIS ENERGY
COME FROM?
TO HELP US FIGURE IT OUT TODAY,
WE'VE GOT ROCHELLE BALLARD.
NOW, ROCHELLE HAS BEEN ON
THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR
FOR 11 YEARS.
SHE HOLDS THE RECORD FOR SCORING
2 PERFECT 10s IN A SINGLE HEAT.
SHE'S BEEN VOTED THE MOST
POPULAR SURFER THE LAS3 YEARS,
AND SHE WAS FEATURED IN
THMOVIE BLUE CRUSH.
SO I'D SAY SHE'S
UP ON HER WAVES.
SO, ROCHELLE, WHAT'S THE BEST
TIME OF YEAR FOR SURFING DOW
HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?
>> DURING THE WINTER.
>> THE WINTER?
BUT THAT'S THE COLDEST PART
OF THE YEAR.
>> THAT'S WHEN THE SWELLS
ARE GENERATED OUT IN
THE PACIFIC EAN.
>> THE SWELLS?
SO WHAT DO YOU MEAN, LIKE,
HOW FAR T?
>> WELL, THE STORMS GENERATE,
YOU KNOW, EVEN, LIKE, A THOUSAND
MILES AWAY AND HEAD
TOWARDS LAND.
>> THEN THE STORMS PUSH
THE WAVES IN TOWARDS SHORE?
>> EXACTLY.
>> BIG WINTER STOR OUT IN
THE PACIFIC PUT LOTS OF ENERGY
INTO THE WATER.
THE WIND MAKES CONTACT WITH
THE SURFACE OF THE WATER
AND DISTURBS IT.
IT TRANSFERS SOME OF ITSNERGY
TO THE WATER BY PUSHING.
THAT'S WHAT GETS
THE WAVES ING.
THE WIND'S ENERGY IS NOW
TRAVELING THROUGH THE WATER
IN WAVES.
NOW, THAT ENERGY CONTINUES UNTIL
IT'S TRANSRRED INTO SOMETHING
ELSE LIKE, UH...
HERE AT THE BEACH.
THAT ENERGY WAS PUT INTO
MOVING THE SAN
WINDS IN THE OCEAN CAN
MOVE PRETTY FAST.
THESE WAVES HERE PROBABLY
STARTED OUT IN A STORM
A THOUSAND KILOMETERS OUT
INHE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN
4 DAYS AGO AND TRAVELED
10 KILOMETERS PER HOUR
NIGHT AND DAY TO ARRIVE RE
RIGHT NOW.
PRETTY CRAZY, RIGHT?
SO DO YOU GUYS, LIKE, WATCH
WEATHER REPORTS,
FOLLOW WEATHER RORTS?
>> ACTUALLY WE DO.
A LOT OF TIMES THE NIGHT BEFORE,
YOU'LL CHECK OUT THE WEATHER AND
LISTEN TO BUOYS--
TUALLY THEY'RE BUOY READINGS,
AND WHAT IT IS--IT READS
THE HEIGHT AND THE SECDS
IN BETWEEN THE SWELL LINES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE NE MORNING
OR EVEN 6 HOURS LATER,
THE SWELL HITS AND YOU KNOW HOW
HIGH THE WAVES ARE GONNA BE,
AT WHAT SPEED, AND IT ACTUALLY
GIVES YOU A CLUE TO WHAT
DIRECTION AND EVERYTNG
THEY'RE COMING IN.
>> OK, MOST WAVES ARE CAUSED
BYHE WIND, BUT WHAT ABOUT
A DISTURBANCE LIKE THIS?
WHOO!
AN UNDERSEA EARTHQUAKE HAS A LOT
OF ENERGY AND CAN CREATE A MOR
DISTURBANCE IN THE WATER.
WAVES CAUSED BY EARTHQUAKES,
LANDSLIDES, METEOR IMPACTS
USED TO WRONGLY BE CALD
TIDAL WAVES, BUT NOW WE CALL
THEM TSUNAMIS.
LUCKILY TSUNAMIS DON'T HAPPEN
VERY OFTEN.
OK, SO WHAT CAN YOU GUYS TELL 
ABOUT WAVES?
>> A WAVE IS MADE UP OF
A CREST AND A TROUGH.
>> RIGHT, LI, IF THIS LINE
WAS THE WATER'S NORMAL SURFACE
EQUILIBRIUM...
>> THE CREST WOULD BE
THE HIGH POINT ABOVE
THE EQUILIBRIUM.
>> AND THE TROUGH WOULD 
THE LOW POINT BELOW
THE EQUILIBRIUM.
>> THE DISTANCE BETWEEN 2 CRESTS
IS THE WAVELENGTH--
LIKE THE WAVELENGTH OF THIS WAVE
IS ONE METER.
>> OK, COOL.
OCEAWAVES ARE TRAVELING WAVES
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE
GOING SOMEWHERE, BUT HERE'S
THE WILD THING.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE WATER IS
MOVING TOWARDS THE BEACH, RIGHT?
WELL, GUESS WHAT?
IT'S NOT.
WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN A BOAT
AND SITTING WITH THE ENGINE
TURNED OFF, THE BOAT BOBS UP
AND DOWN WH THE WAVES, RIGHT?
BUT THE BOAT ITSELF DOESN'T MOVE
TO THE BEACH.
WELL, IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME
WITH WATER.
IT MOVES UP AND DOWN AS A VE
PASSES THROUGH IT,
BUT THE WATER ITSELF DOESN'T
MOVE TO THE BEACH.
THE ENERGY PASSES THROUGH
THE WATER.
CHECK THIS OUT.
THE BOAT SHOWS US WHAT'S
HAPPENING TO THE WATER AS
THE ENERGY PASSES THROUGH IT.
IF WE TRACE THE BOAT'S MOVEMENT,
WE SEE THAT IT'S RLLY MOVING
IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN LIKE THIS.
WELL, THE WATER IS MOVIN
EXTLY THE SAME WAY.
THE DISTURBANCE FORMS A CIRCULAR
PATTN IN THE WATER LIKE THIS
AT THE SURFACE.
BELOW THE SURFACE,
THE DISTURBANCE IS LESS STNG
THE DEEPER YOU GO.
NOW, HERE'S SOMETHG COOL.
THE DEPTH OF THE DISTURBANCE IS
EQUAL TO THE WAVELENGTH
OF THE WAVE, THE DISTANCE
FROM ONE CREST TO THE NEXT.
IF YOU WT TO AVOID ANY
DISTURBANCE IN THE WAVE,
YOU HAVE TO DIVE AS DEEP
AS THE WAVELENGTH.
NOW, IF YOU'VE EVER DUCKED UNDER
A WAVE...
YOU FELT THAT CIRCUL MOTION.
THAT CIRCULAR MOTION IS WHY
WAVES BREAK AND WHWE CAN SURF
THEM.
UH, WHAT ABOUT STAYING
IN SHAPE FOR SURFING?
I MEAN, DO YOU DO SPECIFIC--
>> YEAH, I DO.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS
THAT YOU CAN DO FOR SURFING IS
TO BE ABLE TO KEEP...
AN ENDURANCE GOING AND STAMINA
AND,H, YOU KNOW, KEEPING NICE
AND LOOSE FOR TECHNIQUE,
SO USUALLY SWIM, RUN, AND
STRETCH, LIKE, I DO A LOT
OF YOGA.
>> SO IT'S CARDIO AND STRENGTH?
YOU NEED BOTH?
>> FOR SURE, 'CAUSE THERE'S
TIMES OUT IN THE OCEAN WHEN
A BIG SET COMES THROUGH AND YOU
BREAK YOUR BOA OR YOUR LEASH
BREAKS OFF, AND, UH, YOU'RE
STUCK OUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE OCEAN AND YOU HAVE TO
FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO LAND
WITHOUT A SURFBOARD.
>> WHAT ABOUT NUTRITION?
DO YOU WATCH WHAT YOU EAT OR
DO YOU EAT A LOT
OF DBLE CHEESEBURGERS?
>> HA HA!
FROM TIME TO TIME, I DO.
BUT I ACTUALLY TRY AND WATCH
WHAT I EAT, AND I TRY AND EAT
LOTS OF VEGETABLES AND,
YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT PROTEINS
AND EVERYTHING.
>> SURE.
OK, SO WE KNOW THAT THE WAS
ARE CAUSED BY A DISTURBANCE.
ENERGY FROM THE WIND IS
TRANSFERRED TO THE WATER,
AND THAT ENERGY PUSHES THROUGH
THE WATER IN WAVES.
>> THE ENERGY MOVES THROUGH
THE WATER BY GRAVITATIONAL
POTENTIAL ENERGY, "GPE."
>> AND KINETIC ENERGY, "KE."
>> SEE, THE WATER THAT'S AT
THE CREST ABOUT THE LEVEL
OF EQUILIBRIUM HASGPE."
IT ACCELERATES DOWN BECAUSE
OF GRAVI.
>> THAT GIVES THE WATER "KE,"
MOVING ENERGY.
THIS ENERGY PUSHES THE WER
PAST THE EQUILIBRIUM AND FORMS
A TROUGH.
>> SEE, WAVEARE A CONSTANT
TRANSFER BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN "GPE" AND "KE,"
JUST LIKE A SKATEBOARDER
ON A HALFPIPE.
SEE,S THE SKATEBOARDER COMES
DOWN ONE SIDE, THE "GPE" IS
CONVERTED TO "KE."
GOING UP THETHER SIDE,
THE "KE" IS CONVERTED BACK
TO "GPE."
OUT IN THE OCEAN, WAVES VE
ALONG AS GENTLY ROLLING SWELLS.
SO WHAT CAUS THEM TO PILE UP
INTO MASSIVE BREAKERS?
REMEMBER THAT CIRCULAR MOTION
WEALKED ABOUT?
WELL, THAT'S WHY A WAVE BREAKS.
CHECK IT OUT.
THE WAR IN A WAVE IS MOVING
IN A CIRCULAR MOTION.
IN THE OPEN WATER,HERE'S
NOTHING TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
BUT AS THE WAVE APPROACHES
ORE, THE WATER BECOMES
SHALLOW.
LOOK WHAT HAPPENS.
THE DEPTH OF T DISTURBANCE IS
THE SAME AS THE WAVELENGTH.
WHEN THE WAVE TS INTO WATER
SHALLOWER THAN ITS WAVELENGTH,
THE LOWER PART OF
THE DISTURBANCE STARTS TO
ENCOUNTER THE BOTTOM,
AND THAT SLOWS DOWN THE WATER
 THE LOWER PART OF
THE DISTURBANCE, BUT THE WATER
UP AT THE CREST IS STILL MOVG
AT THE SAME SPEED.
THIS MAKES THE CIRCULAR PATTERN
DISTORT INTO AN ELPSE
LIKE THIS.
THE CREST STARTS TO CATCH UP
TO THE TROUGH AND BUNCH UP.
SO INSTEAD OF A GENTLE SLOPE
FROM CREST TO TROUGH,
WE END UP WI A STEEP,
SHEER FACE.
THAT'S WHAT FORMS A SURF LINE
ATHE BEACH.
THE POINT WHERE THE WAVE BREAKS
IS WHERE THE WATER IS TOO
SHALLOW TO FORM THE WHOLE WAVE,
SO IT TURNS OVER AND BREAKS.
NOW, THERE'S A FORMULA FOR THAT.
THAT'S THE POINT WHERE...
YOU CAN SEE THE WATER'S CIRCULAR
MOTION REALLY CLEARLY WITH THIS
ND OF WAVE.
IT'S A CIRCULAR MOTION THAT
MAKES THE TUBE.
ROCHELLE, COULD YOU TELL ME
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE "TUBE"?
>> SURE.
THE TUBE'S KIND OF THE NUCLEUS
OF THE WAVE WHERE, YOU KNO
THE ENERGY FORCE OF THE WAVE IS
AND SO, YOU KNOW, NATURALLY
IT'S GONNA, KE, KIND OF PUT
YOU IN THIS AWE STATE, AND
IT'S LIKE A PLACE WHERYOU FEEL
LIKE THE SECONDS ARE LONGER THAN
THEY REALLY ARE, AND YOU'RE
LIKE--YOUR EYES ARE WIDE OPEN,
YOUR MOUTH'S WIDE OPEN, AND
YOU'RE JUST, LIKE, FROZEN
IN THE MOMENT.
>> SOUNDS VERY ZEN.
>> IT IS. IT'S GREAT.
>> IT'S THE SLOPE OF THE OCEAN
BOTTOM AS IT APPROACHES
THE SHORE THAT DETERMINES HOW
A WAVE WILL BREAK.
IN A VERY SHALLOSLOPE,
THE WAVES ARE CALLED
SPILLING BREAKERS.
TH BREAK FOR A LONG TIME,
BUT YOU DON'T GET MUCH FACE.
WITH A REALLY STEEP
BOTTOM SLOPE, THE WAVES DON'T
REALLYREAK, THEY ROLL ONTO
THE STEEP BEACH AND CAUSE A LOT
OF DAMAGE.
THEYE CALLED
SURGING BREAKERS.
A BOTTOM SLOPE SOMEWHERE IN
BETWEEN LETS THE WAVES PILE UP
AND CURVE OVER THEMSELVES.
PLUNGINGREAKERS ARE THOSE
NICE TUBES THAT SURFERS LOVE.
OK, SO NOW WE KNOW HOW A WE
WORKS, BUT...
HOW DO YOU SURF IT?
SURFING IS NO DIERENT THAN
SKATEBOARDING, SKIING,
OR SNOWBOARDING DOWN A HILL.
IF YOU WERE TO FEZE A WAVE
IN MOTION...
IT WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS--
A RAMP FOR YOU TO SURF DOWN.
GRAVITY JUST PULLS YOU DOWN.
THAT'S WHYHE TIMING OF
CATCHING A WAVE IS
SO IMPORTANT.
BEFORE A WAVE EAKS, THE FACE
ISN'T STEEP ENOUGH TO RIDE.
YOU WANT TO CATCH IT JUST AS
THE RAMP FORMS.
IF THE WAVE WERE FROZEN,
YOU WOULD JUST SURF DOWN TO
THE TTOM OF IT, AND THAT
WOULD BE IT.
THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE WAVE IS
THAT THE WATER IS RUSHING UP
THE FACE OF THE WAVE, AND THAT
CHANGES EVERYTHING.
SO AS THE SURFER MOVES DOWN,
THE WATER IS PUSHING BACK UP.
THAT UPWARD FORCE WORKS AGAINST
GRAVITY SO THAT THE SURFER
DOESN'T SLIDE DOWN TO THE BOTTOM
ALL AT ONC
IT'S PRETTY COOL, HUH?
SURFING IS JUST LIKE WALKING
DOWN AN UP-ESCALOR.
SEE, AS I WALK DOWN,
THE STAI KEEP MOVING UP,
SO I STAY IN THE SAME PLACE.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> SURFERS DON'T ACTUAY RIDE
DOWN THE FACE OF THE WAVE
BECAUSE YOU WOULD END UP LOSING
UR MOMENTUM, AND THE WAVE
WOULD JUST PASS YOU BY.
BY CUTTING ACROSS THE FACE OF
THE WAVE, YOU CAN SLOW YR
DESCENT DOWNHILL.
CUTTING ACROSS BASICALLY MAKES
E HILL LESS STEEP SO YOU
HAVE LESS DOWNHILL FORCE.
THAT MEANS THAT THE WATER'S
UP-FORCE CAN KEEP YOU AT
THE CREST MUCH LONGER.
AND SO YOU'RE BASICALLY USING
EVERY PART OF THE WAVE POSSIBLE.
YOU'RE DRAWING YOUR LINES OFF OF
THE WAVE AT THE BOOM OF
THE SURFE, YOU'RE USING
THE TOP OF THE LIP,
YOU'RE RIDING THE LIP,
D YOU CAN EVEN USE
THE LIP TO AIR OFF OF IT
AND DOHAT'S CALLED AERIALS
OR TRICKS.
>> OHH...
AHH...
OH, YEAH. WHEW.
HA HA HA!
SEE, A WAVE IS REALLY ERGY
MOVING THROUGH THE WATER,
SO A SURFER IS REALLY
SURFING ENERGY.
SO UNLIKE A HILL, YOU NEVER
HAVE TO REACH THE BOTTOM
AS LONG AS THE ENERGY KEEPS
GOING.
THANKS TO WAVE MACHINES LIKE
THIS, YOU CAN SURF AWHERE.
SO, ROCHELLE, THE SPORT
KEEPS CHANGING.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THEATEST
INNOVATIONS IN SURFING?
>> BASICALLY YOU HAVE SOMETHING
LIKE T SURFING THAT'S PRETTY
AMAZING ACTUALLY.
WHAT IT IS IS YOU HAVE, LIKE,
JET SKIS THAT TAKE YOU OUT,
LIKE, ON THE OER REEFS,
AND YOU GET MORE SPEED THAT WAY
SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY
TAKE OFF ON THE WAVE BEFOR
THE WAVE BREAKS.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY RIDING SWELL...
>> RIG.
>> BEFE IT BECOMES
AN ACTUAL WAVE.
>> OK, YOU GUYS, SO WHAT HAVE
WE LEARNED?
>> WATER'S NORMALLY FLAT,
 EQUILIBRIUM,
UNLESS DISTURBED.
>> DISRBANCE ADDS ENERGY
TO WATER, AND THAT'S WHAT
WAVES ARE: MOVING ENERGY.
>> MOST OCEAN WAVES ARE CAUSED
BY WIND ENERGY.
>> THE ENERGY MOVES THROUGH
THE WATER IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN.
>> UNLESS THE WATER IS TOO
SHALLOW FOR THE DIURBANCE
TO MAKE A CIRCLE.
THAT'S WHEN PEAKS FORM
AND THE WAVE BREAKS.
>> AND THAT'S WHEN WE N
SURF THEM.
>> I DON'T KNOW, THE WATER
LOOKS PRETTY GOOD, GUYS.
SURF'S UP! LET'S GO!
>> WHOO!
>> THAT'S IT!
I'D LIKE TO THANK
ROCHELLE BALLARD AND
OUR STUDENTS MEREDITH, BRIAN,
MELISSA, AND RYAN
FOR HELPING US OUT TODAY.
ON ESPN SPORTSFIGURES,
SURFING SCIENCE!
