It all began in the Pacific Ocean. In the 12th century, cave paintings showing people riding waves were found in Polynesia, which suggests that surfing might be an ancient practice. The first account written about surfing was found in James Cook’s diary. Apparently, everyone in Hawaii surfed — women, men and children of all backgrounds. Surfing was not only a pastime, but part of the natives’ religion, as some rituals were practised during the board-making process. Back then, surfing boards were long and very heavy (about 45 kilos). Accounts of Western explorers praised the skills of Hawaiian surfers, but the Christian missionaries assigned there disliked the fact that men and women enjoyed surfing together, and the practise ended up being banned. However, it never vanished altogether.
BEACH BOYS
As Hawaii became a tourist destination in the early 20th century, surfing underwent a revival, with Hawaiian surfers such as George Freeth and Duke Kahanamoku being promoted in America and Australia in the writings of celebrity author and journalist Jack London. In the 1930s, American surfer Tom Blake created a hollow board that was lighter, faster, and more manoeuvrable. In the 1940s, new materials such as fibreglass further improved board design and gave way to a new type of board known as ‘malibus’, named after the Californian beach where those boards were popularised. Surfing culture bloomed in the 1960s with its own language and dress code, which inspired a music genre and dozens of films.
THE SURFER’S DILEMMA
The free-spirited surfing philosophy was seen by some as indolent and narcissistic. However, official surfing competitions helped counter this negative image and win social respectability for surfing. Today, professional surfers earn money from prizes, and women surfers are gaining more and more attention. Still, competition is rejected by part of the surfer movement as it is seen as contrary to the surfers’ independent lifestyle.