Surfing

Surfing

The Sport of Kings People have been surfing for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. The first surfers may have been Polynesian fisherfolk who rode boards to help them move quickly through the waves. When Polynesians first settled in Hawaii around 1200 ce, they brought their love of surfing with them. They called it he'e nalu (HAY-ay NAHL-oo), which means " wave sliding. "

Surfing was more than a sport to the early Hawaiians. It was an important part of their culture. Hawaiians carved surfboards from the wood of special trees. Surfers prayed to their gods to protect them and bring them great waves. Hawaiian chiefs showed their skill and courage by riding huge wooden boards. The best beaches were kept only for royalty.

Surfing U. S. A. -and Beyond Europeans learned about surfing in the late 1700s. That's when British explorer Captain Cook and his crew spotted surfers around Tahiti and Hawaii. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes visited Santa Cruz, California. They rode surfboards off the beach. Soon, local boys were trying to copy them. Jack London, a world-famous author, visited Hawaii in 1907 and wrote stories about the surfers he saw there. One of those surfers, George Freeth, helped spread surfing across the mainland when he traveled to California and showed off his skills. He became known as “ the father of modern surfing. "

Duke Kahanamoku (kah-hah-nah- MOH-koo) was a Hawaiian-born champion swimmer who won medals at the 1912 and 1920 Olympic Games. He learned to surf as a boy in Hawaii and loved to share the sport. Kahanamoku traveled around the United States and became one of surfing's most important early stars. He took part in Australia's first surfing shows using a board he built himself. By the 1960s, surfing was hugely popular in California, Hawaii, and Australia. Hit songs, movies, magazines, and TV shows celebrated the fun and freedom of surfing. Even people who had never seen the sport in real life knew about the surfing lifestyle.

Boards Up until the early twentieth century, surfboards were still made of solid wood. They were heavy and difficult to steer. In 1926, surfer Tom Blake invented a hollow board that was much lighter and faster. He was also the first person to add fins to make boards easier to control. By the 1940s, surfboards were made of a light wood known as balsa. Modern materials, such as fiberglass, have helped make today's surfboards light, strong, and buoyant.