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windsurf

American  
[wind-surf] / ˈwɪndˌsɜrf /

verb (used without object)

  • windsurfs,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • windsurfed,
    past participle,  past
  • windsurfing
    present participle
  1. to engage in windsurfing.


windsurf British  
/ ˈwɪndˌsɜːf /

verb

  1. (intr) to take part in the sport of windsurfing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of windsurf

First recorded in 1965–70; wind 1 + surf


Explanation

To windsurf is to stand on a sailboard, riding the waves while being propelled by the breeze. Most people windsurf for fun, although it's also an Olympic sport. A sailboard is a cross between a surfboard and a small sailboat, and windsurfers incorporate the best of both surfing and sailing into their sport. Most windsurfers credit an American inventor, Newman Darby, with the creation of the first sailboard in 1964. He and his wife Naomi became the first windsurfers when they tested the board on Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River. Windsurfers first competed in the Olympics in 1984.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

If you’re looking to get active on the water, the Yacht Club of Saint-Tropez offers kayak, windsurf and paddleboard rentals, from around $23 per hour.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Paddle, sail, swim, water ski, row, wakeboard, scuba dive, whitewater kayak, windsurf, kiteboard.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2023

"My terrifying 37 hours on a windsurf in deadly seas."

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2022

Its programs teach people of all abilities to sail, paddle and windsurf on the Charles River — and encourage volunteerism.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 9, 2022

We put the body on the windsurf board.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin

"I never was and never will be a Nordic skier," says Svindal, who also cycles, windsurfs and follows motor sports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2014

Sarah Perkins, from Cardiff, has been an SUP racer for eight years, having windsurfed before then.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2024

As we began to try the steps, shifting to a new partner with every song as an extra skill-builder, I felt pulled by famous dancer Fuller, and pushed by the windsurfed whitecaps of the Columbia.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 17, 2017

To show his youthful athletic prowess, Mr. Kerry skated in hockey games and windsurfed off Nantucket.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 2, 2015

Laird was a windsurfing champion, and all the windsurfers on Mau'i where he windsurfed sometimes were already out riding Jaws.

From Time Magazine Archive

Great for windsurfing, as well as human or canine jogs, Guincho is so wild and natural it is hard to believe it is so close to an urban center and seafood restaurants galore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

He pulled a couple of windsurfing boards from the back of a pickup and began explaining the finer points of a northward versus a westward wind.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2025

The 60-year-old wrote an influential guide to windsurfing and founded the O'Shea surfing and windsurfing brand, which was based in Pwllheli.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2024

You can hire top-flight trainers, buy yourself a Peloton or a Tonal smart gym, and then splurge on bikes, kayaks and windsurfing gear.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2024

It seemed as if the whole city was on vacation, with people riding around on their bikes and walking along the lakes and feeding the ducks and eating and canoeing and windsurfing.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech

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