Once the sport of Kings
Lieutenant James King was made First Lieutenant of the HMS Discovery and was given the task of completing the narrative portion of Captain James Cook's journals, after Cook's death in 1779. Before the ships Discovery and Resolution returned to England, Lt. King devoted two full pages to a description of surfboard riding, as practiced by the locals at Kealakekua Bay on the Kona coast of the Big Island. His following entry is the earliest written account of surfing:
"But a diversion the most common is upon the Water, where there is a very great Sea, and surf breaking on the Shore. The Men sometimes 20 or 30 go without the Swell of the Surf and lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plan about their Size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, & their Arms are us'd to guide the plank, thye wait the time of the greatest Swell that sets on Shore, & altogether push forward with their Arms to keep on its top, it sends them in with a most astonishing Velocity, & the great art is to guide the plan so as always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell, & as it alters its direct. If the Swell drives him close to the rocks before he is overtaken by its break, he is much prais'd.
On first seeing this very dangerous diversion I did not conceive it possible but that some of them must be dashed to mummy against the sharp rocks, but jus before they reach the shore, if they are very near, they quit their plank, & dive under till the Surf is broke, when the piece of plank is sent many yards by the force of the Surf from the beach. The greatest number are generally overtaken by the break of the swell, the force of which they avoid, diving and swimming under the water out of its impulse. By such like excercises, these men may be said to be almost amphibious. The Women could swim off to the Ship and continue half a day in the Water, and afterwards return. The above diversion is only intended as an amusement, not a tryal of skill, and in a gentle swell that sets on must I conceive be very pleasant, at least they seem to feel a great pleasure in the motion which this Exercise gives."
~ Lieutenant James King, HMS Discovery logbook entry on board-surfing in Hawaii, 1779
What Lieutenant James King, of the HMS Discovery didn't understand is that surfing was done by Kings, and those of high spiritual [or religious] ranking. Those who surf; in all it's forms have a very close understanding, and a very deep respect for "Mother Ocean". While Surfing has been around for thousands of years, it has only been in the last few hundred years or so, that anyone may surf one of natures greatest creations simply for enjoyment.
And yet as Watermen; Surfers, Fishermen, Windsurfers, Kayaker, etc...it is our close relationship with the sea that makes us natural caretakers of her and her shoreline.
What Lieutenant James King, of the HMS Discovery didn't understand is that surfing was done by Kings, and those of high spiritual [or religious] ranking. Those who surf; in all it's forms have a very close understanding, and a very deep respect for "Mother Ocean". While Surfing has been around for thousands of years, it has only been in the last few hundred years or so, that anyone may surf one of natures greatest creations simply for enjoyment.
And yet as Watermen; Surfers, Fishermen, Windsurfers, Kayaker, etc...it is our close relationship with the sea that makes us natural caretakers of her and her shoreline.
A lone surfer at sunset.
Some Surfers must walk a mile and a half, each way, while "alleged fishermen" drive their campers to the beach.
The truth as you can see, is that no one is actually fishing. They are just enjoying a day at the beach with their families. LIBAG believes everyone should be able to enjoy this privilege.
