Surfing history

Surfing history

Is difficult to trace in relation to its origins, since there are no native written documents that attest. Despite this testimony from former European travelers observed the art of sliding on the water surface are preserved. With the emergence of modern surfing and its extension by the world and you can rebuild the contemporary history of surfing. Currently surfing is practiced in almost everyone, even the most buoyant industries tables and accessories are based in Australia , Southern Europe (mainly Spain and France ) and the United States .

The riding of waves has likely existed since humans began swimming in the ocean. In this sense, bodysurfing is the oldest type of wave-catching. Standing up on what is now called a surfboard is a relatively recent innovation developed by the Polynesians. The influences for modern surfing can be directly traced to the surfers of pre-contact Hawaii.

Hawaii’s early Polynesian settlers were among the first people to take to the ocean to master the art of he‘e nalu or “wave-sliding.” 

The art of surfing, called he'enalu in the Hawaiian language, was first described in 1779 by Joseph Banks on the HMS Endeavour during the third voyage of Captain James Cook. Surfing was a central part of ancient Polynesian culture and predates European contact. The chief (Ali'i) was the most skilled wave rider in the community with the best board made from the best tree. The ruling class had the best beaches and the best boards, and the commoners were not allowed on the same beaches, but they could gain prestige by their ability to ride the surf on their ratchet boards.

The sport was also recorded in print by Augustin Kramer and other European residents and visitors who wrote about and photographed Samoans surfing on planks and single canoe hulls; Samoans referred to surf riding as fa'ase'e or se'egalu. Edward Treager also confirmed Samoan terminology for surfing and surfboards in Samoa. Oral tradition confirms that surfing was also practiced in Tonga, where the late king Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was the foremost Tongan surfer of his time.

Hawaii

The Ancient Hawaiian people did not consider surfing a mere recreational activity, hobby, extreme sport, or career as it is viewed today. Rather, the Hawaiian people integrated surfing into their culture and made surfing more of an art than anything else. They referred to this art as heʻe nalu which translates into English as “wave sliding.” The art began before entering the mysterious ocean as the Hawaiians prayed to the gods for protection and strength to undertake the powerful mystifying ocean. If the ocean was tamed, frustrated surfers would call upon the kahuna (priest), who would aid them in a surfing prayer asking the gods to deliver great surf. Prior to entering the ocean, the priest would also aid the surfers (mainly of the upper class) in undertaking the spiritual ceremony of constructing a surfboard.

The sport the world now recognizes as surfing was especially popular with Hawaiian royalty, or alii. Their first plank boards were shaped from trees. The larger the waves you surfed, the more respect you would gain.

The Hawaiian even developed prayers to their Gods, hoping for good waves. Some disputes were settled by surfing contests. Surfing was less a recreational activity than an important part of the culture—a skilled art to master.

When European missionaries arrived in the 1820s, they forbade many Hawaiian cultural practices. One of these was surfing, which they considered a rowdy activity. Surfing remained a largely underground activity until 1905, when Hawaiians who lived near Waikiki began taking to the waves again. Worldwide interest in surfing began to take hold when Hawaii Olympian and avid surfer Duke Kahanamoku showcased the sport on his international travels.

Duke Kahanamoku

Hawaiians would carefully select one of three types of trees. The trees included the koa (Acacia koa), ʻulu (Artocarpus altilis), and wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) trees. Once selected, the surfer would dig the tree out and place fish in the hole as an offering to the gods. Selected craftsman of the community were then hired to shape, stain, and prepare the board for the surfer. There were three primary shapes: the ʻolo, kikoʻo, and the alaia. The ʻolo is thick in the middle and gradually gets thinner towards the edges. The kikoʻo ranges in length from 12–18 feet (3.7–5.5 m) and requires great skill to maneuver. The alaia board is around 9 feet (2.7 m) long and requires great skill to ride and master. Aside from the preparatory stages prior to entering the water, the most skilled surfers were often of the upper class and pastors including chiefs and warriors that surfed amongst the best waves on the island. These upper class Hawaiians gained respect through their enduring ability to master the waves and this art the Hawaiians referred to as surfing. Some ancient sites still popular today include Kahaluʻu Bay and Holualoa Bay.

boards of acacia koa