Surfing
About:
History of Surfing
It is generally accepted that Polynesians from Tahiti and Hawaii were the first to enjoy the sensation of gliding across the face of an unbroken sea wave, standing proud on wooden surfboards crafted from the timber of sacred trees. Fifteenth century 'Meles' (Hawaiian chants sung by elders and passed down generation to generation) record the surfing activities of the great Royal families and other dignitaries of even earlier times. As most schoolchildren will be aware, Captain James Cook was the first 'civilised' western observer of this pastime in the early 1770s, closely followed by western missionaries, resulting in a suppression of the sport. It is commonly accepted that surfing at the time was outlawed as being an 'unchristian' activity. Some historians now believe however, that it was gambling that was actually outlawed causing the demise of surfing by removing the 'sport' from the activities of the noblemen who used to bet on the size of waves and length of ride. Either way, surfing disappeared to most of the world for many hundreds of years.