22:54
Faizan
Those unfamiliar with the origins of surfing likely think that the surfing surfboard was invented by an American sometime around the 1960s. However, this was simply the time period that surfing began its push into the mainstream, gaining the attention of the general public. The surfboard actually has a much older and more interesting origin.
History
There is no clear surfboard inventor. It is known, however, that surfing has deep roots in Polynesia going back to an estimate of 1000 AD. The first documentation of the practice came in the late 1760s and 70s when western explorers like Captain James Cook traveled to the islands and witnessed surfers in action in Tahiti and Hawaii. Hawaiians called the practice he'e nalu, which roughly translated means wave sliding. The sport was a religious and social practice deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture. The original surfboards were heavy, wood boards crafted from native trees like the koa, breadfruit and wiliwili.
Types
Two major types of surfboards were commonly used in ancient Hawaii. The alaia was the commoners board, thin, wide and short while the Olo was a thicker, longer narrower board used by the chiefs.
Time Frame
Though origin in Polynesia is largely agreed upon, some evidence has emerged that surfing was practiced earlier in Peru, dating back as far as 3000 B.C. Ancient pottery etchings from Peru have been found depicting a form of boat that was used as a surf board. Reed boats were used by fishermen to ride waves in a ritual similar to surfing. However, Hawaiian and Polynesian surfing is more closely associated with the surfing that we're familiar with today.
Features
Although there is no known inventor of the surfboard available, many figures have played an integral role in the development of the surfboard and sport of surfing. First of note was Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku who helped bring the sport back in Hawaii during the early years of the twentieth century, after it was largely eliminated by western missionaries. Kahanamoku crafted his own boards and traveled the world and helped spread the sport of surfing.
George Freeth, an Irish Hawaiian, brought the surfboard to southern California in 1907, where it earned its US roots.
On the mainland, Tom Blake developed hollow construction and also introduced the first fin on the bottom of the surfboard in the 1920s and 30s. Blake's hollow board was lighter and faster than traditional surfboards.
Bob Simmons has been credited as the "father of the modern surfboard". After studying at Cal Tech, Simmons revolutionized surfboard design by designing the rocker (curved construction) that is popular today, using fiberglass and resin in surfboard construction and developing the first styrofoam core. Prior to Simmons innovations, surfboards were still flat, heavy wood planks.
For more influential figures in surfboard design and development, follow the link below.
Significance
Although much of the introduction and development of the surfboard took place in the first half of the twentieth century, surfing really didn't become a popular mainstream activity until the second half. Dale Velzy, a California surfer and board shaper opened the first surf shop in 1950. His shop soon branched into a chain around southern California and Hawaii. Velzy also sponsored a surf team and had a keen instinct for marketing that helped to spread the sport of surfing. In the 1960s movies like Gidget and The Endless Summer took surfing to a national level and helped to spread awareness.
History
There is no clear surfboard inventor. It is known, however, that surfing has deep roots in Polynesia going back to an estimate of 1000 AD. The first documentation of the practice came in the late 1760s and 70s when western explorers like Captain James Cook traveled to the islands and witnessed surfers in action in Tahiti and Hawaii. Hawaiians called the practice he'e nalu, which roughly translated means wave sliding. The sport was a religious and social practice deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture. The original surfboards were heavy, wood boards crafted from native trees like the koa, breadfruit and wiliwili.
Types
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| Who Invented Surfing Surfboard |
Time Frame
Though origin in Polynesia is largely agreed upon, some evidence has emerged that surfing was practiced earlier in Peru, dating back as far as 3000 B.C. Ancient pottery etchings from Peru have been found depicting a form of boat that was used as a surf board. Reed boats were used by fishermen to ride waves in a ritual similar to surfing. However, Hawaiian and Polynesian surfing is more closely associated with the surfing that we're familiar with today.
Features
Although there is no known inventor of the surfboard available, many figures have played an integral role in the development of the surfboard and sport of surfing. First of note was Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku who helped bring the sport back in Hawaii during the early years of the twentieth century, after it was largely eliminated by western missionaries. Kahanamoku crafted his own boards and traveled the world and helped spread the sport of surfing.
George Freeth, an Irish Hawaiian, brought the surfboard to southern California in 1907, where it earned its US roots.
On the mainland, Tom Blake developed hollow construction and also introduced the first fin on the bottom of the surfboard in the 1920s and 30s. Blake's hollow board was lighter and faster than traditional surfboards.
Bob Simmons has been credited as the "father of the modern surfboard". After studying at Cal Tech, Simmons revolutionized surfboard design by designing the rocker (curved construction) that is popular today, using fiberglass and resin in surfboard construction and developing the first styrofoam core. Prior to Simmons innovations, surfboards were still flat, heavy wood planks.
For more influential figures in surfboard design and development, follow the link below.
Significance
Although much of the introduction and development of the surfboard took place in the first half of the twentieth century, surfing really didn't become a popular mainstream activity until the second half. Dale Velzy, a California surfer and board shaper opened the first surf shop in 1950. His shop soon branched into a chain around southern California and Hawaii. Velzy also sponsored a surf team and had a keen instinct for marketing that helped to spread the sport of surfing. In the 1960s movies like Gidget and The Endless Summer took surfing to a national level and helped to spread awareness.
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