Surfing today is a worldwide cultural phenomenon. All around the world, surfers are able to share the spiritual bond that riding the oceans brings. This sport, however, has a rich history complete with roots in mythology, gender equality, and shameful colonialism. The origin story of surfing begins in the heart of the grandest of oceans, the Pacific.
Hawai’i was the hub of ancient surfing. Source: World History Encylopedia
The Pre-European Pastime
As long as there have been waves, there have been people eager to ride them. Ancient surfers have been recorded in Polynesia, West Africa, and the coast of Peru. However, the Hawaiian Islands is where surfing exploded in its advancement. For these Polynesians, surfing was more than a pastime, it was a fundamental part of society. Following Kapu, the social code of taboos and conduct, the native islanders took part in heʻe nalu, or “wave sliding” as a regular activity. Routine offerings were made to koa, breadfruit, and wiliwili trees before they were cut down for board shaping. Kahunas or expert priests frequently executed blessings to bring waves. Social status was intimately intertwined with surfing mastery, much like pro surfers today. Status in the water was equal to status out of the water
Heʻe nalu is often referred to as the “Sport of Kings” because the chiefs and warriors in the society were most advanced in skill. In reality, however, ancient surfing was quite inclusive beyond simply men in power. Members of all social classes and genders participated in this honoring of the ocean. The water belonged to all. Fishermen and surfers would switch off catching waves and catching fish. Truly an ideal work break. Holualoa Bay and Kahalu’u Bay were common spots among the surfers of the ancient era, just like they are today. Communities would share the waves and labor to live harmoniously with each other as much as possible. This lifestyle was preserved until a ship arrived on the horizon one day in 1777.
Cook and Colonialism
Things changed for the native Hawai’ians when that ship arrived in 1777. The Resolution captained by James Cook spotted the land mass and sailed its way. A naturalist onboard, William Anderson, was the first European to record surfing in Hawai’i in writing. His account claimed these amphibious individuals were sliding on oblong wooden boards. He witnessed the forefathers of surfing. The Christian priests onboard observed this communal, minimal-clothed, mixed-gender activity and claimed it to be a sin against their God. They did everything in their political toolbox to erase the sport from the native way of life.
Following contact between the two cultures, plagues occurred within the native communities, as more settlers from Europe came to the island. In addition to bringing devastating illness, they brought tourists and money-hungry businesses to the island, selling the myth of Hawaiian harmony while racial oppression was being utilized in full force. The native population was eradicated from 800,000 to 40,000 by the 1890s, a 95% drop in population. Americans took advantage of this genocide and overthrew the Hawai’ian monarchy in 1893, yet the native culture is not forgotten. Surfing persisted through the waves of outside oppression and within the shadows of colonial harm until the early 1900’s when the sport was boosted by new aquatic pioneers.
The Birth of Modern Surfing
Until now, Hawai’ians were the expert surfers. But as the introduction of white settlers to the island increased, so did the diversity within the sport. Americans and Australians were the next to be held captive to the magic of the waves. Three Hawai’ian princes studying at a military academy in San Mateo in 1885 brought the sport to the mainland, but the sport failed to catch on until the early 1900s. Two individuals from helped catapult surfing to the world stage in those years. They men were George Freeth and Duke Kahanamoku.
George Freeth
George Freeth was born in 1883 to an Irish father and a Hawai’ian mother. In 1907, an American rail baron saw George Freeth surfing and sponsored a trip for him to go to California to help sell rail tickets. While he was technically not the first to surf Californian waves, he was the poster child for it. He would perform in shows that showed off surfing tricks bringing fame to many south coast beaches. George was the first official lifeguard in the US, earning many medals for his courageous aquatic rescues. He continued to surf until he fell victim to influenza in 1919 at the age of 35. His legacy lives on as a bona fide waterman in the fullest sense of the term.
Duke Kahanamoku
As an Olympic swimmer and descendant from Hawai’ian royalty before the unjust transition of power, it seems Duke was destined to be a surfing legend. After winning the 100m freestyle in Stockholm in 1912 for the United States, Duke began performing surf exhibitions across the globe. Christmas Eve in 1914 is noted as a key event in the development of Australian surfing. Duke displayed surfing after shaping his own board own of pine he found at a local hardware store in the area. It still survives to this day. As an actor and sheriff later in life, Duke continued to give back to his community and the people for which he cared deeply until his death in 1968.
It is impossible to know how surfing would have evolved without these two men and the opportunities presented to them. As a result of these two, surfing spread like wildfire across the borders of the world’s oceans. To this day, surfing continues to progress to newer advancements brought by athletes, the media, and businesses. Yet, the sport has infinitely more to owe to the countless participants from the ancient days on small islands in the Pacific. They are the real pioneers of the sport that entice millions with a metaphysical connection with today.