tacking

When a sailboat switches back and forth, alternating which side of the boat is facing the wind. Tacking allows a boat to make progress in whichever direction the skipper wishes to go.

The catamaran tacked toward the sunset.

by zanny May 26, 2004

groovin'

A term used to describe how a person dances.

Everyone in the club was groovin' to the music.

by zanny May 24, 2004

heelside

A snowboarding term. It is when a snowboarder is going down the slope with his back to the mountain.

After a day of snowboarding my calves were killing me from boarding so much on my heelside.

by zanny May 26, 2004

stoked

When someone is really happy or excited about something.

When Billy got a shiny new bike for Christmas, he was stoked.

by zanny May 24, 2004

skipper

The person who steers a sailboat or is in charge of giving directions to the other people on the boat.

The skipper looked quite pleased as he directed his boat across the lake.

by zanny May 26, 2004

hiking out

This is a sailing term. When there is a steady wind, the wind passes over the boat and onto the sail. This causes the boat to tip to one side. To try and keep the boat as flat as possible and maximize speed, the crew leans back as far as s/he can over the side of the boat.

Winning the race depended upon Donna's ability to hike out as far as she could and to keep the boat flat.

by zanny May 26, 2004

pontoon

The part of a catameran that keeps it afloat on the water. A catameran has two pontoons that are shaped like canoes. They are connected by a platform that the person sailing the boat sits on.

Without pontoons, a catameran would not be able to sail.

by zanny May 26, 2004