In 1777, British explorer Captain James Cook observed islanders surfing at Matavai Point in Tahiti. He explained this happening by writing, “[they] place themselves on the summit of the largest surf by which they are driven along with amazing rapidity toward the shore.” Cook also noticed people surfing when he visited the Sandwich Islands in 1778. In 1821, surfing was almost completely eliminated by European Christian missionaries, who considered it an immoral form of amusement and suppressed it along with much else in the Hawaiian culture. By the time surfing was revived around the turn of the century, there were only a few Hawaiian surfers left.

The beginning of the sport as we know it was introduced in North America by Duke Kahanamoku, a native Hawaiian, who surfed Santa Cruz in Northern California in 1885. Kahanamoku is generally known as the ambassador of the sport of surfing.

One day after a long day of surfing I came to the shore and ran across some older men talking about guys and there boards. One of the men said, “boards are like chicks, they have nice curves, and they move so smooth, but when you treat them wrong they’ll let you know.” This, in my mind is one of the most hilarious things I have ever heard said about a surfboard but it really is true. A real surfer that knows the ocean and there board know how to respect the two but as soon as you step out of line the real power of the waves and your board shine through.

A surfers relationship with their home break is much like the relationship between the rider and their board. Boards are a precious commodity in the surfing world. Not just because of the cost involved in buying one, but finding the right one to fit the waves a person may ride and the riding style of the surfer. Once this find has been achieved it is almost impossible to part a surfer from their board. Some surfers even name the boards they ride. “When Sam disappeared the honest truth is I felt unsure on other surfboards. I really believed he was magic and I just couldn’t surf anything else. I built boards with exactly the same outline and vital statistics but they just didn’t work like Sam had.”(Young 160) My quiver of boards and I are very close. I treat them in some ways better than a brother. I try to keep them in the best shape but often that is difficult with my powerful and unruly style of surfing.

This was the start of the shortboard revolution. Surfing was due for a change, and this looked to be it. Boards turned from 150 pound wood planks that ha rounded noses and tails to little 30 to 50 pound rockets that had pointed noses and square tails. Many different types of short boards began to appear. Boards such as the 'fish', a split tailed, twin fin short board was invented by David Nuuhiwa and Steve Lis. Another early short board big wave design, the pocket rocket was developed by Reno Albelara in Hawaii. The balsa version of the "Pocket Rocket" built by Bruce Gabrielson and LaRoy Dennis was a board which could handle big waves but was built out of balsa for better stability.

Some topics in this essay:
Troy Australia, David Nuuhiwawho, Tom Blake, Bob Simmonds, LaRoy Dennis, European Christian, Matavai Tahiti, , Beach California, Northern California, short board, home break, boards ride, surfing world, short boards, people surfing, board surfers, pocket rocket, surf clubs,