by sinistapenguin » Wed May 26, 2004 4:14 pm
It is TRUE - the romans pioneered tow in surfing and dropping in.
Many people think that Hui Nalu means wave riding club in Hawaiian, but it is actually Anglo- Saxon for "Get off my wave, you invading scum!"
Unfortunately Gasoline/ Petrol has always been extortionate in the UK (just like today c. US$5.80 per gallon) and the romans love affair with Jet Skiing was short lived, going underground until it was rediscovered in the early 1980s.
The classic roman shield, made famous by the awesome 'tortoise tank' manoeuvre was discarded in the UK by legionnaires who favoured a new design made with high density foam and a slick plastic bottom. Thus was body boarding born.
The wetsuit was also not invented by Jack O'Neil (a common misconception) but by Ogar the Terrible in 12 A.D. who strapped pieces of leather to his bare skin and headed out to the lineup on a board carved from the stone pits of North Wales. Unfortunately Ogar died of hypothermia and waterlogging shortly thereafter!
This is how it really happened - trust me, I was there!
Cheers
Sinista
PS - The bit about the price of gasoline in the UK is NOT a joke!!