Catching a Wave

The ancient Hawaiian tradition of "wave-sliding" was more than a pastime. Hawaiians believed that the sea possessed human emotions. They relied on Kahunas, or priests, to chant and pray to please the sea to produce good waves for surfing.

In the 1700s, European explorers and traders showed no respect for Hawaiian culture. They stripped the spiritual elements from surfing. Natives lost touch with their ancient ways, and surfing declined. By the early 19th century, it was nearly extinct.

A renewed interest in surfing began in the early 1900s. Previously, people believed that only native Hawaiians had the ability to surf. This changed when a Hawaiian native of Irish-Hawaiian descent, George Freeth, moved to California and became the world's first promotional surfer. Surfing spread along the California coast.

Automobiles enabled surfers to scour the California coast for the best waves. This led to the days of Surfing Safaris: weekends spent travelling along the coast, surfing and partying.

Adding fins to surfboards made surfing easier to learn. Surfboard size was reduced from 10 feet to 6 feet. Post World War II technology produced lightweight, maneuverable Styrofoam and fiberglass surfboards. Wetsuits enabled surfers to remain in the water longer and surf year round.

In the 1950s and 1960s, movies, music, and magazines opened America's eyes to surfing. Surfer fashions and surfer jargon caught on. As surf culture invaded all aspects of life, it became a lucrative profession. Today, surfing is an established part of America's popular culture and has grown to be a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.









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