Shoulder hoppers do not take off on the critical part of the wave where there is a need for a high level of skill, but take off further down the line.^[1] They are often regarded as annoying by more experienced surfers because shoulder hoppers will sometimes drop in on a surfer already riding the wave – which breaches surfing etiquette of "first on wave (or, closest to the curl) has right of way". Southern California early eighties band the Surf Punks performed a song called Shoulder Hopper for their album My Beach.^[2]

• Shoulder hopping