Surfing

Surfing is a sport that consists of sliding on waves while standing on a board, directing it through one or more keels located in the rear of the board.

This sport can be risky due to physical exertion and possible injuries caused by not taking the necessary precautions, such as always looking before making a wave or giving a wave to someone who is closer to the surf. That being stated, there are a large number of injuries to surfers (with the notable exception of Bethany Hamilton), and the use of “invention” prevents the boards whose owners have fallen from hitting other surfers.

It is good to note that this sport requires qualities such as balance, skill, agility and coordination.

History and evolution

There is evidence of the presence of surfing for over 500 years in the islands of Polynesia. The English explorer James Cook reached the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. Upon contact, the indigenous cultures were met, who went surfing for relaxation. James Cook was later killed by the natives.

In the twentieth century, interest in surfing recovered because of the tourists and U.S. military in Hawaii, and because of the fame of the Olympic Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku. Surfing began to become popular on the coasts of California and Australia. This created the seeds of a subculture in the environments in which it was practiced, which then spread to other countries.

This was in the ’50s and ’60s. Then, the boards were large solid wood objects, and surfing was a simple practice. Later it became more difficult thanks to the courage of pioneers like Oscar Rodriguez, patriarch of modern big wave surfing. There was also an evolution in the stunts and movements, while research into new designs and materials in boards allowed other expressions.