The history of Hawaiian Surfing dates back to 4 th century A.D. when the Polynesians started to move towards the islands of Hawaii from Tahiti and Marquesas. Along with them, they brought their traditions, including surfing on the ocean waters using belly (Paipo) boards. The art of surfing, he'enalu as it is called in Hawaiian, while standing upright on the long boards was subsequently developed here. In 1779, the Commander of the "Discovery", Lieutenant James King, recorded the first sightings in his ship's logs.

The history of Hawaiian Surfing is verified in the reciting of several ancient chants praying Gods to produce bigger waves and provide courage and power to the men who rode them. The earlier Hawaiian societies were governed by different taboos (Kapu) that regulated their daily life, including how to craft a surfboard and how to please the Gods to conquer the waves successfully. Royals (Ali'i) were given certain defined privileges over the commoners. There were specific beaches that only royals could use to surf on boards that were up to 24 feet in length. The commoners used different beaches and were only allowed to use 12 feet surf boards. Quite a lot of chiefs of Hawaii including Kamehameha I and Kaumali' I were famous for their surfing skills.

After the arrival of the famous explorer Captain Cook and the establishment of Calvinistic Christian Missionaries that arrived from England in 1820, the Polynesians were preached to follow one God (Jesus). They were forced to wear clothes, learn English and made to work more. The Missionaries discouraged surfing as it was considered as a complete waste of time and hindrance in increasing productivity.

By the beginning of the 20th century, surfing was almost extinct in Hawaii. The white man (h'aole) took control of all the things that were Hawaiian including their ways of living and entertaining. The only region where some still surfed was South Oahu. Ironically, three white men and one native were credited for the revival of this traditional Hawaiian sport later.

Three white men, Jack London (famous British author), Alexander Ford Hume (journalist), George Freeth (famous Irish-Hawaiian beach boy) got together during their visit to "The Waikiki Swimming Club"; in 1907. They were keen enthusiasts of surfing, "The Sport of Kings" and worked relentlessly for reviving the sport. Jack London's work about surfing was published in 1907. It was re-printed by many leading magazines of the time until 1911. Their efforts restored the dying art of surfing and changed the course of Hawaiian surfing.

Henry Huntington, real estate and railroad tycoon, after reading the Jack London's article in 1907 decided to invite George to California to showcase his surfing skills during the inauguration of the Los Angeles to Redondo rail road. George became the first man to surf in California. In their effort to promote and revive surfing, Ford requested Queen Emma's Estate to grant a piece of land near Waikiki Beach. Their petition was accepted in 1908, and they launched "Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Club" on May 1st of the same year. The club provided changing rooms and surfboard storage facility for aspiring surfers on the beach.

Duke Paoa Kahanomoku along with some other Hawaiian natives launched their own club "Hui Nalu" (The Surf Club). It was during this time in the history of Hawaiian surfing when the first friendly competitions between the two clubs were organized. By 1912, Duke Paoa Kahanomoku had already established himself as a world renowned swimmer and surfer. He developed the flutter kick and was the world record holder in the 100 meter freestyle. His demonstrations of surfing skills at Corona Del Mar and Santa Monica in 1912 caught the eye of the world. He won Olympic gold medals in Stockholm (1912) and Antwerp (1916). He traveled extensively throughout the world showcasing his surfing abilities and promoting the sport. He was also featured in many Hollywood films. Many celebrities learned and enjoyed surfing with him during their weekends.

In 1915, Jack London returned to Waikiki and was surprised to find that there were about 1200 members in the "Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Club" and many more on the waiting list. Waikiki once again became the favorite surfing beach in the world. In the 1940's, US soldiers posted at Pearl Harbor took to the sport. The interest in surfing grew tremendously with many people visiting beaches such as Waimea, Sunset, and Makaha to catch the big waves. By the end of 1950's, an increasing number of filmmakers and photographers showcased their works on the sport to the world, contributing greatly to the growing popularity of the sport.

In 1959 when Hawaii became a state, many more people visited the island to learn surfing in Waikiki. Americans and Australians traveled to the beautiful beaches on Oahu to fulfill their dreams of surfing the challenging waves. In the 1960's, the popularity of the sport continued to soar with the release of movies based on surfing such as Gidget Goes Hawaiian and Beach Party.

At present, surfing is a very popular sport in throughout the world including Hawaii.

You might also be interested in these other Hawaiian history articles:
Hawaiian Islands | Birth of Hawaiian Society | Ancient Hawaiians | History of Ancient Polynesian Tattoo | Hawaiian Religion | Ancient Hawaiian Temples | Polynesian Mythology | Polynesian Tiki | Hawaiian Petroglyphs | History of Hawaiian Fishponds | Ancient Polynesian Navigation | Hawaiian Outrigger Canoes | Ancient Hawaiian Astronomy | Colonialism in Hawaii | History of Hawaiian Volcanoes | Hawaiian Hula Dance | Traditional Hawaiian Music | Story of the Ukulele | History of Hawaiian Pineapple | History of Hawaiian Coffee | History of Hawaiian Sugar Cane | History of Hawaiian Noni | History of Polynesian Breadfruit

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