The History of Surfing in Hawaii: Hang Five Braddah!

Everyone knows what surfing is right? Riding the big waves! Getting in the tubes! Well, we know what is is like now with reknowned famous surfing championships at all the world's finest surfing spots. How about "way back in the day"?

As far back as 1779, there was documentation from Captain King (who wrote in his journal back in the day of Captain Cook's voyages) who proclaimed that the "natives" chose stormy swells to run out with their slim boards that were rounded at the ends. When they battled the waves to get out further they turned around and layed lengthwise on the boards. The object was to place themselves on the summit of the wave which them took them towards shore.

Captain King's journal entry is the first description of he'e nalu, the Hawaiian word for surfing that was ever recorded by the Western man. There was no written language at this time in Hawaii so King's journal entry is seemingly the earliest written account of this Hawaiian sport. The westerners must have really thought it looked odd as they did not even swim!

Of course with the arrival of the missionaries the sport was looked upon as "evil" and a waste of time so after much preaching by the year 1890 surfing was almost extinct until King Kalakaua (Remember him in the Hula article?) an advocate of sports dedicated his time to bringing back the sport.

So....along came the famous Duke Kahanamoku and the popularity of surfing began!

• Duke Kahanamoku was the living legend of surfers in Hawaii.
• Hanging out on the Waikiki beaches with his buddies as a teenager from 1905 they later created their own surfing club called "Hui Nalu" (In english called "The Club of the Waves.")
• Duke Kahanamoku also broke the world record in the 100-meter freestyle swimming event at the 1912 Olympic Games.
• He and his friends were known as the famous "Beach Boys of Waikiki" and they are surely the reason for surfing in Hawaii being reborn.
• Duke became known as a "Hawaiian Legend"and in 1966, Duke was the first person to be inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame.
• The yearly surfing contest, the Duke Kahanamoku International Surfing Championship Meet, is held in memory of this surfing legend.

For OLD HAWAIIAN FOOTAGE OF DUKE KAHANAMOKU

Aloha!