About
Surfing originated in Polynesia over 3,000 years ago and was a central part of Hawaiian culture — chiefs rode on longer, heavier boards as a demonstration of prestige and skill. European explorers first observed surfing in Tahiti in 1767 and Hawaii in 1778. Christian missionaries nearly extinguished the sport in the 19th century; it was revived by Duke Kahanamoku in the early 20th century.
Surfing was added to the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. The sport's culture — from music (Beach Boys, Dick Dale) to fashion (Billabong, Quiksilver) to language ('gnarly,' 'stoked,' 'wipeout') — has had enormous cultural influence. Big wave surfing at Nazaré, Portugal, where waves can exceed 30 meters, represents the sport's most extreme frontier.
# Top 10 Surfing facts
- 1Surfing was central to Hawaiian chiefly culture — chiefs had their own reserved breaks and the finest boards
- 2Duke Kahanamoku, the 'father of modern surfing,' was also a five-time Olympic swimming medalist
- 3The biggest wave ever surfed was approximately 26 meters at Nazaré, Portugal in 2017
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Surfing was central to Hawaiian chiefly culture — chiefs had their own reserved breaks and the finest boards
- ◆Duke Kahanamoku, the 'father of modern surfing,' was also a five-time Olympic swimming medalist
- ◆The biggest wave ever surfed was approximately 26 meters at Nazaré, Portugal in 2017
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