Definition and Etymology of the Word ‘YEWWW’

Brent Thomas | | Post Tag for BrainsBrains
powder turn, yewww,
How do you express stoke? Credit: Tamarack Resort

If you are in the adventure sports community, you’ve probably heard of the word Yew. Or Yeww. Or Yewww. It is undecided how many Ws to put in the word, but the meaning remains the same.

Yew is pronounced “yoo,” just like when someone refers to the person or people that they are addressing.

Definition

It is defined as an exclamation of stoke towards others or yourself.

I’m sure you have yelled it before, either to encourage someone else or as your release of joy and excitement. You might yell it out because you see someone getting face shots under the chairlift, and you want to spread the enthusiasm. Or maybe you are getting bottomless turns, and you can’t help it, and it comes out from pure exhilaration.

powder
YEWWW!!! Credit: Tim Fater – Jay Peak Resort

As for how it should be spelled, there are a few options. Yew, yeww, and yewww are the most common. Social media seems to prefer the triple-dub spelling. Maybe the more Ws there are, the more stoke there is?

Origin

The word Yew can be traced back to surf culture. Surfing has been known for having its own dialect. Words like “dude”, “radical”, “gnarly”, “hella”, “stoked”, and “tight” can all claim this association.

“YEW!” was often yelled when a large wave had been spotted. However, it is mainly shouted while a surfer is catching or has recently finished riding a gnarly wave. Today, it seems “yew” is a universally accepted slang term used in everyday living.

stoked, yewww,
Surf culture in California has created a plethora of slang terms. Credit: 48hourslogo.com

The mountain community shares an overwhelming passion for riding. We all want to be filled with stoke, and everyone finds it in their way. The joy of the mountains is magical like that. SnowBrains hopes you get all the stoke you can handle this season.

snow basin, sun valley
The Yewww is high here. Credit: Sun Valley Resort

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