Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
SURF
I. noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1685
the swell of the sea that breaks upon the shore, the foam, splash, and sound of breaking waves,
II. verb
Date: 1917
intransitive verb to ride the surf (as on a surfboard), to scan a wide range of offerings for something of interest, transitive verb to scan the offerings of (as television or the Internet) for something of interest, surfer noun