History of Surf

Origins.

It seems impossible to fix the exact date for the first time that a man standing slided on a wave, there is no knowledge of the existence of such records ... However, there are 2 main theories about the early surf:

The cultures of Micronesia and other Pacific Islands (Maori, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti ...) had from the beginning a life and culture intimately linked to the sea. Through local legends and stories passed down orally from Western expeditions in the seventeenth century, are some reports of the existence of the activity of gliding over waves. They did it in their canoes and fishing boats.

On the other hand in northern Peru, local cultures left traces that show men going up on waves. The Huacos are Pre-Inca ceramic and one of them apparently shows a man on a tree or something similar in attitude to ride on a wave. This would indicate that it all began in South America ...
But it was the Polynesians in their continued crossings between islands which, some centuries later, would lead the habit of sliding waves to places like Hawaii.

The Era of Surf Classic in Hawaii.

It was the era before the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands by the famous navigator and explorer Captain James Cook. On approaching the coast of what is now the island of Hawaii (Big Island), the captain was welcomed by the locals who approached the boat in floating objects using their arms.

It was in these meetings that produced the first contact of a Western man with the Surf. The testimony of Captain Cook and his crew dating from 1778:''the courage and skill with which he saw complicated and dangerous maneuvers was completely amazing and hard to believe,''He wrote to Lt. King in the log-book after seeing how the locals went back and moved over the waves.

Hawaiian society back then consisted of a family line of kings and chiefs (the Ali'i) governing the commons or town (Maka'Ainana).
The two social classes practiced surfing, but they could not do it with the same boards.
The board type distinguished the royal blood from the rest. At the time Surf was used for a way for two persons show their courage: instead of dueling, the competition was to see who could do more risky maneuvers and who showed more skill and courage in the big waves.

The Modern Era Surf.

With the arrival of Westerners from the hand of Captain Cook, came the end to the era of Classic Surfing in Hawaii.
The local population was Westernized, they changed their customs and religion. Affliction Western diseases that were unknown to them, smallpox and other epidemics, caused the decrease of the population of the islands in a few years. The surf was banned by the Church as immoral, because the bodies were almost "naked" according to the social standards of the time...

For a few years there was no surfing in Hawaii ...

Until a handful of descendants of former Hawaiian kings got together and resumed their old habit of ascending waves on wooden boards. It was at Waikiki Beach, on the southern coast of the island of Oahu. They were a group of about 10 people, among whom was the famous Duke Kahanamoku, now known as the''Father of Modern Surfing.''
Duke was a "All Around Water Man'', Olympic champion swimmer, lifeguard and great canoe paddler. He had a great personality and Aloha spirit that made him welcomed and received as ambassador in the countries he visited. He was a friend of Cinema and Hollywood celebrities of the era, even having some parts in some movies.

In his travels around the world he made some surf exhibitions and demonstrations and that's how the sport began timidly to make themselves known around the world by 1914 ... It took the Surf to places like Australia, California and Europe. Without the Surf Duke had never been known worldwide as is today. To think that today surf is practiced almost everywhere possessing sea coast, and all thanks to the actions of one man.

Then, with input from California and Australia a new technology was evolving for building surf boards. Lighter materials were discovered that gradually replaced the wood in the construction of the boards. Resins, fiberglass and polyurethane foam currently used were scientific findings made during World War II a by scientists seeking to develop new materials for weapons purposes.

Over-came the Longboard Era and the Hot Doggers, The Age of Revolution and Short Board, the invention of modern Thruster by Simon Anderson in the early 80s (boards with 3 keels) and finally what we have today, all types of surfers living together in an ocean.

Article Source: http://www.globetrekkerarticles.com

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