Surfing Essay, Research Paper

Surfing Surfing is a water sport that originated in what is now Hawaii. People in Hawaii were surfing before explorer Christopher Colombus sailed to the New World in 1942. Today, surfing is popular in many countries, including Australia, Brazil, France, Indonesia, Japan, Portugal, Peru, South Africa, and the United States. Ancient Hawaiians surfed on wooden boards that were up to 18ft. Long. With the development of lighter boards, however, surfing became a popular sport. By the 1930 s the solid wooden planks had been replaced by plywood and balsa boards with fins for steering. Today s surfers use boards that are made of a strong, lightweight plastic called polyurethane foam wrapped in fiberglass sealed with resins. The modern day surfboard measures 7 ft and under for a shortboard and anything over 7ft is called a longboard. Shortboards are more popular today. Once the sufing industry took off, so did the organizations. The Outrigger Canoe Club in Waikiki, Hawaii was founded in 1907, and the introduction of surfing at Redondo Beach, California in 1908. The American Surfing Association was established in 1976. There were many other organizations that came along after these set the trends.

There are a lot of ways to surf. To prepare for a shortboard ride, the standup surfer lies facedown on the board. On a longboard, the surfer usually kneels on the board. Then the surfer paddles out beyond where the waves begin to break called the outside. When a wave, ideally at least 3-ft. high, starts to move toward the shore, the surfer paddles the board just ahead of the wave. The surfer stands just as the wave begins to lift the board and carry it toward the shore. The surfer shifts weight to steer the board across the face of the wave. The face of the wave is the front smooth wall of water just below the crest. The surfer may also skim along the wave s crest.Expert surfers tend to stand at the front of the board. Less experienced surfers tend to stand in the center of the board to maintain better control of the board. Skilled surfers may perform such difficult maneuvers as 360 (complete circle turn into the face of the wave), aerials (flying out of the water above the wave), and roller coasters (riding up and down the face of the wave).