Surfing

Surfing is an ocean sport in which one rides a breaking wave while floating on its surface. A specifically-made surfboard is usually the means of riding on the wave, although there are many different variations, each with their own specific equipment.

Although its exact history is undocumented, surfing is generally understood to have been developed by Polynesian islanders as a form of entertainment that was practiced by the common- and ruling-class alike. They would practice the same techniques and modern-day surfing, but would use heavy wooden surfboards rather than today's composite material surfboards. The sport was first observed by European explorers in 1767, when crew members of the Dolphin stopped in Tahiti.

The rider travels out from the beach to where waves are beginning to form. When a sufficiently large wave begins to swell, the rider will hurry to properly position the board, stand up on it, and begin to slide down the face of the breaking wave. Direction is controlled through the legs and feet, and assisted by balancing the body.

• Google News: Surfinghttp://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=surfing&um=1&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&output=rss
• Yahoo! News Search: Surfing
• The New York Times: Cameras Show if Surf Is Good, but Surfers Are Getting in Way (January 27, 2008)
  • " These surf cams, or wave cams, which have gained in popularity in recent years, help advertise lesser-known beaches to outsiders who are looking for new surfing spots. But the cameras have also caused problems in the territorial world of hard-core surfers, many of whom blame them for leading crowds to once-secluded beaches."
• Herald Tribune: "Surfing guru from Hawaii brings hope and boards to Gaza surfers" (2007)
• Surfline: "New Places, Fresh Faces" (2007)
• Men's Journal: "Last Man Standing" (2004)

• See Mahalo's Guide to Swimwear

• O'Neill

• Hurley

• Quiksilver

• Billabong

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