Surfing is enriched with a chequered, exciting and rebellious history. It’s perceived by some as the sport of kings, whereas others view it as the pastime of drop outs and beach bums. The beauty of surfing is that its history allows for modern surfers to identify what surfing means to them. We have professional athletes on the world tour, The World Surfing League (WSL), who see surfing as a sport. We have the free surfers who travel the world discovering waves and seeking adventure and we have the weekend warriors who sneak in the occasional surf when time allows. All have their place in our mixed bag of cultures and all are referred to as surfers.
Surfing history in its most abbreviated form can be traced back to Ancient Polynesia where it is said that surfing was exclusively the sport of kings and only to be practiced by royalty. As with all good things, surfing eventually spread through the ranks and around the world with the help of legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku. In the late 50s, surfing experienced growing popularity and exposure through Hollywood movies, such as the 1959 film Gidget starring Sandra Dee. And with the 1960s came the emergence of actual surf movies, such as The Endless Summer in 1965 and the ‘70s hit movie Morning of the Earth.
People were quick to identify themselves as ‘surfers’. Beach culture, with surfers at the forefront became big business not just in the movie industry, but in the music industry with bands like The Beach Boys, in literature with books like Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon and also in the fashion industry with many brands emerging in the late 60s, such as O’Neill, Rip Curl and Quiksilver; all facilitating the spread of surfing into the world and the competitive sport that it is today.
