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Hawaiian Surfer’s Paradise – The History of Surfing in Hawaii
July 25th, 2010 by admin
The warm tropical waters and perfectly breaking waves found in Hawaii truly are a Hawaiian surfer’s paradise. The history of surfing in Hawaii is a large part of the island’s culture. The ancient sport holds great meaning for Hawaiians and is deeply rooted in traditional Hawaiian culture.The First Hawaiian SurfersWhile no one knows exactly when and where surfing first originated, the popularity of modern surfing traces a direct route back to Hawaii.Captain Cook, who landed on the island of Hawaii in 1778 during an Surfers accommodation expedition, penned the earliest written records describing the act of surfing. However, the ancient Polynesians had been surfing for centuries before Captain Cook’s observance of the now popular water sport. Hawaiian hieroglyphics depicting men on surfboards date back to as early as 1500 AD. The Hawaiians call surfing he’e nalu, which when translated means ‘wave sliding’.While most modern-day surfers consider surfing a sport, ancient Hawaiian surfing was part religion, part sport, and a large part of the Hawaiian social culture.The Religious Aspects of Hawaiian SurfingTraditional Hawaiians believe that the sea has distinct moods and actions. Special priests, called Kahunas, would pray to the sea for the surfers. They also performed special dances and rituals intended to please the sea so she would reward the surfers with perfect waves. If surfers had good waves that day, the people gave the credit to the priests who successfully pleased the sea and were rewarded with powerful, perfect waves.Creating surfboards is also a religious ceremony in Hawaiian culture. Only three types of wood were suitable for crafting traditional surf boards. Surfers took special care in selecting a tree for use as a surfboard. Once a surfer selected the right tree, he recited special prayers and placed fish in a hole at the base of the tree. Only once these rituals were completed could the tree be cut down for use as a surfboard.Surfing in the Hawaiian CultureSurfing was not only a sport for Hawaiians, but it was also an integral part of their society. Surfing was part of the Kapu system of government on the islands. This system maintained a sense of order and societal classes. Surfboards were divided into classes according to the type of wood used and the length of the boards. The largest and heaviest of surfboards were reserved strictly for Hawaiian royalty.Surfing was used as a means to settle disputes among the people. Wealth, social standing, land holdings and even matters of the heart were all settled with a surfing contest. The chief of the island was by far the best surfer and he surfed regularly to maintain his standing in the community and keep up his strength and skill in the water.