Surfing is a sport greatly enjoyed by people all around the globe and many surfing competitions and events are held every year. The history behind surfing can be tracked back thousands of years to when people didn’t have the luxury of wearing a men’s or ladies wetsuit.
It is thought that during ancient times Pacific Islanders used surfing as a vital part of their daily routines. Surfing only began to be recognised as an official sport during the early 1900s. Interest grew in the US during the 1960s when television programmes, films and music were dedicated to the surfing lifestyle.
The first recorded European instance of surfing happened just off the coast of Tahiti in 1767. Polynesians fascinated European sailors by appearing to have the ability of walking on water by using long and heavy boards.
Legend has it that the Polynesians used surfing as a way to establish social rank and political authority. The man who was most skilled at surfing was made chief of the tribe and his trophy was a surfboard crafted from the best quality tree in the village.
Researchers believe that Polynesians used surfing to define their social hierarchy, with the best beaches and highest quality surf boards reserved only for the upper class. Commoners could climb up social ranks by displaying their skills on their inferior surfing boards.
European missionaries visited the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s and discouraged the native culture, including surfing, as they believed it to be barbaric. By the 1900s very few natives knew how to surf or knew the skills of the ancient art of building a surfboard.
It was then that Hawaiian born Duke Kahanamoku stepped in – he is now possibly the most famous surfer in the world. Duke reintroduced everyone to the sport, travelling from country to country to share his talent with the crowds.
He then settled in Southern California where he helped production teams with surfing films and was a contributing factor to the rise of surfing popularity throughout the US. Under Duke’s influence, the Australians similarly embraced surfing culture and a statue of him has been erected near the location of his first Australian surfing exhibit.
Today, surfing is a highly popular sport enjoyed and celebrated by both male and female participants of all sorts of different nationalities.
Buying a wetsuit for surfing from ocean24seven
If you are getting ready to be part of this great sport’s history and you’re searching for a surfing wetsuit, ocean24seven could be just the place for you. We offer huge discounts on a wide range of wetsuits and we take customer satisfaction very seriously.
Whether you are searching for a ladies wetsuit, man or child’s wetsuit, a winter or summer wetsuit, or even a specific product such as the Billabong Revolution wetsuit, our website could have exactly what you are looking for.
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