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One of the greatest things about the sport of surfing is that you need only three things: your body, a surf-board, and a wave.
NAIMA GREEN, Surfing: Rules, Tips, Strategy, and Safety
Surfing is a very popular water sport, where the surfer attempts to ‘ride' waves using a board. It is thought to have originated in Hawaii. The first written account of surfing was by Lieutenant James King in 1778. Captain James Cook had been killed by the Hawaiians and James King continued his diary.
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For Hawaiians, surfing wasn't just a sport, but an integral part of their way of life. The chief of the village was always the best surfer and they're society was divided up so that royalty had the best surfing spots in the water. They also based their religion around surfing: they worshipped the surf gods, had board construction rites and special surf chants to make sure the surf was good and wouldn't put the surfers in danger.
Once Hawaii was colonised by haole (white-skinned people), much of Hawaii's surf culture was repressed and lost. However some surfers have recreated a similar way of life based on surfing. They travel the globe searching for big waves and have a strong sense of community with their own language, clothing and general laid back attitude to life. Above all, surfers respect the power of water at all times.
Surfing is very much like making love. It always feels good, no matter how many times you've done it.
PAUL STRAUCH, Leonard Lueras' Surfing Hawaii
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