Since The 12th century, surfing has given people an avenue for expression.
History of Surfing
Humble Begginings
The first record of surfing was found in 12th century Polynesia. Cave paintings were discovered all throughout the area, displaying native people riding waves on wooden boards. Surfing was then brought to the Hawaiian islands where it absolutely exploded in popularity. Surfing wasn’t just a sport for Native Hawaiians, it became a form of religion and deeply ingrained itself in their culture. As time passed this sport has grown exponentially, giving cultures from all over the world a way to express themselves in the ocean.
TEsted by time
Early explorers traveled to the Hawaiian islands with one goal, to colonize and take land from the native people. These Christian missionaries tried to alter the native culture as well, but surfing persevered. In the years to come explorers continued to traverse these islands, writing about this odd activity. Writers such as Mark Twain and Jack London described surfing in their travel novels. This excited the world bringing the idea to other parts of the globe. Eventually Hawaii became the 51st state of the US, creating a tourist culture and introducing surfing to the masses.
Globalized Sport
Starting from humble beginnings, surviving the test of time, and now becoming a globally recognized sport, surfing has gone through a complete metamorphosis over the past 100 years. Going from a hippy’s hobby to an athletic form of expression, surfing has reached unbelievable cultural heights. This has brought many newcomers to the sport, creating a broad community of differing people. Many problems can arise from this fact, forming ignorance around the sport. Surfing was founded on respect and should remain this way in order for the culture to grow in a positive manner.