Interesting fact of the month

By Stephen Tilbury

When Was Surfing First Done?

Surfing is actually quite old. It apparently originated in the Pacific islands hundreds of years ago. When Captain James Cook discovered Hawaii in 1788, surfing was already a very popular sport among the Hawaiians.

The Hawaiians held surfing contests and the winners who won prizes were acclaimed by the people. The islanders used boards 4 t 5 metres long which were about 68 kilograms in weight.

Around 1957 a big change took place in surfing that helped make it popular so then lightweight boards began to be used. Only 3 meters long and could weight as little as 10 kilograms which made it easier for women and children to surf.