The Origins of Surfing
A surfer approaches the beach on a perfect morning. The orange sun is just rising over the horizon. The gentle breeze stirs around the scent of salt and the water looks like glass. The man goes into the ocean and maneuvers among the large waves successfully, skillfully cutting and slashing on the face of the swell. Stoked, the man would never stop to think, “Who was the first person to ever do that?” Surfing is one of the oldest sports today. It is a combination of sensitivity to the environment and pure athleticism. But how has surfing gotten to where it is today?The art of riding a board on an ocean swell was first done by the ancient Polynesians more than three thousand years ago. The migration of the Polynesians to the Hawaiian Islands started in about 2000 B.C. and lasted through the fourteenth century. They started in what is now Indonesia and traveled to Hawaii. The pioneers’ voyage was nearly three thousand miles in fierce ocean currents and prevailing winds. The Polynesians made it to Hawaii in double-hulled canoes, which were well equipped for the journey ahead of them. Relying on their knowledge of traditional sea and wind patterns, the seamen successfully completed the passage acr
Yet surfing was not limited to the Polynesian Triangle. Surfing also got a big start from West Africa and South America. Peru was a leading country for South America in the surfing rise. Surfers were spotted of the coast riding reed boards made of papyrus. These boards were shaped very similar to modern surfboards. These practices are not related to ancient Polynesian surfing, but they are influential to the origination of surfing. In addition, there were three types of surfboards that the ancient Hawaiians used, ranging from eight feet to twenty-four feet. The longest boards were the most difficult to handle and were reserved for royalty. Similar boards were found in New Zealand and Tahiti. These were the only places where boards longer than five feet were found. The similarities between Hawaii and Tahiti surfing are not a coincidence, but a connection. Many surf legends made trips to both countries and brought along their surf culture to infuse the two. Hawaii is the Washington D.C. of board surfing. The origin of board surfing started as canoe riding in the waves after a day of fishing. After that came body surfing, a practice in which an individual simply glides into the shore with the waves. Then came a basic surfing form with a small board known to many as body boarding. And last, surfing in Hawaii reached its peak with the development of board surfing. Just as the dinosaurs developed into today’s reptiles, ancient surfing practices have molded into today’s surfing. Actually, the beginning of catching waves for fun was done in Polynesia in the late 1700s. The Europeans saw the Polynesians surfing while on expeditions in Tahiti. The sport
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Approximate Word count = 1126
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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