The History of Surfing

Surfing has been a way of life for thousands of years among Pacific Islanders. In ancient times, surfing prowess earned you actual political power. In the early 1900s, surfing began to be recognized by international sporting agencies as a legitimate sport. Surfing's mainstream popularity peaked in the United States in the early 1960s, with music, movies, and television programs dedicated to the surfing lifestyle.

Surfing is still a popular sport at any beach where there are plenty of waves, and surfers are now pushing the boundaries, being towed into huge waves . The boards have gotten smaller and lighter and the surfing culture is more conservative than in the early days, but modern surfers still appreciate the ebb and flow of waiting for the perfect wave and riding it all the way to the sand.

The Ancient Polynesians

The first European encounter with surfing happened in 1767 off the coast of Tahiti. European sailors were intrigued by the Polynesians who could walk on water using long, heavy boards. For the Polynesians, surfing was a way to establish social rank and political power. The man who was the best surfer became chief of the tribe, and he was awarded a surfboard made from the best tree in the village. The social structure was established through surfing, with the best beaches and the best boards reserved for the upper class. Surfing skill was well respected throughout the community, however, and commoners could elevate their social status by proving their skills on the heavy inferior boards that they surfed with.

In the early 1800s the Hawaiian islands were visited by European missionaries who discouraged all forms of native culture, including surfing. The culture of Polynesian surfing dwindled until there were very few natives who still knew how to surf by the 1900s. The ancient art of building surfboards was also in danger of becoming obsolete by the turn of the century. Only a small handful of native Hawaiians continued to create boards and surf regularly.

Next we look at the Importance of Surfing in Ancient Hawaii