Surfing in the United States is a popular hobby in coastal areas, and more recently due to the invention of

wave pool A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, large waves, similar to those of the ocean. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks, both indoors and outdoors, as well as some leisure centres. History T ...

s, inland regions of the country. It contributes to a lifestyle and culture in which millions participate and which millions more have an interest. USA surfing is the governing body for the sport of surfing in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, with surf leagues such as the

World Surf League The World Surf League (WSL) is the governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world's best talent in a variety of progressive formats. The World Surf League was originally known as the International Professional ...

available in the country. Surfing can be traced back to 17th Century

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

and has evolved over time into the professional sport it is today, with surfing being included for the first time in the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

in Tokyo.

History

Surfing was first documented by Captain James Cook in 1767 during his expeditions across the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

and Hawaii, however research suggests that surfing dates back to ancient Polynesian cultures up to a thousand years ago. Throughout the Pacific, wave-riding existed in various forms, however only in Hawaii did it embed itself within the social, political and religious fabric of society. At the time of the European's arrival surfing was deeply embedded in Hawaiian society. Hawaiian

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s dated to AD 1000 depict surfing and surfboard making. The boards in Hawaii were longer and heavier than other Polynesian colonies, and only there were references to sitting, kneeling and standing on specialised

surfboard A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he'e ...

s recorded dating back to AD 500. By 1778 ancient Hawaiians were using three types of timber to make surfboards – Acacia koa,

Artocarpus altilis Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...

, and Erythrina sandwicensis. Hawaiian balsa was the post popular material to craft surfboards with due to its light weight and superior

buoyancy Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the p ...

. Surfing in ancient Hawaii transcended class divisions, with men, women and children all riding waves for pleasure. Most Hawaiian families owned a surfboard, and were decorated and named. For ancient Hawaiians surfing was seen as a

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

, communal and even sexual activity. Surfing was brought to the United States in July 1885 when three teenage Hawaiian princes, David Kawananakoa, Edward Keliʻiahonui and Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole, surfed the mouth of the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz on custom-shaped

redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...

boards. In 1907 George Freeth demonstrated surfing as a publicity stunt at the Huntington beach pier to promote the opening of the Los Angeles-Redondo-Huntington railroad. Surfing on the

East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

was pioneered in 1909 by Burke Haywood Bridgers in

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The town c ...

. After finding little success with lightweight, juniper boards, Bridgers wrote to Alexander Hume Ford and the Hawaiian newspapers for advice about board shapes and design, and surfing styles. Bridgers continued to craft his own surfboards and promote surfing in North Carolina. Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing, introduced the sport to New Yorkers in 1912 while en route from Honolulu to the Stockholm Olympic Games at Rockaway Beach. In the early 1900s, surfing began to be recognised by international sporting agencies as a legitimate sport. Alexander Hume Ford created the Hands-Around-the-Pacific Club in 1911, which was later renamed the Pan Pacific Union in 1917. The organisation focused on the outgrowth of Pacific-area

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

promotion activities, and sponsored the Mid-Pacific Carnival in 1913 at Waikiki, Honolulu. The

Duke Kahanamoku Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) was a Hawaiian competition swimmer who popularized the sport of surfing. A Native Hawaiian, he was born to a minor noble family less than three years before th ...

made his first visit to Huntington Beach in the early 1920s, following his Olympic gold medal win at the

1912 Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, bet ...

. He is credited with popularising surfing in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

from 1913 to 1929. By mid-to late 1930s tens of thousands of Americans were travelling to Hawaii every year and experiencing surfing. Surfing's popularity began to increase in the United States post-WWII and peaked in the 1960s. Now called the

U.S. Open of Surfing The U.S. Open of Surfing is a week-long surfing competition held annually during the summer in Huntington Beach, California. Generally held on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, the U.S. Open is part of the qualification process for the ...

, the West Coast Surfing Championship was the first surfing tournament in the United States and was held in 1959 at Huntington Beach, California. The

International Professional Surfers The International Professional Surfing (IPS) organization was the original world governing body of professional surfing that existed between 1976 and 1982. The IPS brought together a loose affiliation of surf contests around the world by forming o ...

(IPS) was founded by Hawaiian surfers

Fred Hemmings Fred Hemmings (born January 9, 1946) is an American surfer, author, businessman, and politician. Born and raised in Hawaii, Fred Hemmings attended Punahou school where he was co- captain of the Honolulu league championship football team in 1964 ...

and Randy Rarick in 1976. The Association of Surfing Professionals was founded in 1983 before officially becoming the

(WSL) in 2015. 11 U.S. men and women now compete in the WSL. In 2016, The

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

(IOC) voted unanimously for the inclusion of surfing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Surfing culture in the United States

Surfing's popularity began to grow post-World War II. With the expansion of the

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...

in the 1950s, the number of American consumers who sought leisure at the beach grew dramatically. As surfing became more popular, especially amongst young people, it became more than a

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

al hobby and affected music, fashion, literature, film and art and jargon. For many beachgoers, especially after the release of

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

surf film “ Gidget” in 1959, surfing became a subcultural pastime. Some other aspects of surf culture in the 1960s include the Woodie, bikinis,

boardshorts Boardshorts are a type of swimwear and casual wear in the form of relatively long (approximately knee length) loose-fitting shorts that are designed to be quick-drying and are generally made from strong and smooth polyester or nylon material. Or ...

and surf music such as ‘

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

’’ “ Surfin’ Safari” released in 1962. John Severson founded “The Surfer”, the world's first surfing magazine, in 1959. Some popular U.S. surf ware and apparel brands include “O’Neill” founded by Jack O’Neill in California in 1952, “ Vans” founded in 1966, “Channel Islands Surfboards” founded in 1969, and “

Dakine Dakine is an American outdoor clothing company specializing in sportswear and sports equipment for adventure sports. Founded in Hawaii, the name comes from the Hawaiian Pidgin phrase "da kine" (derived from "the kind"). Now based in Hood River, ...

” founded in 1979. Territorialism has arisen in surf breaks with large amounts of surfers located close to a large population centre. Territorialism involves regular surfers becoming confrontational and territorial about their local surf breaks, especially at surf breaks that attract many seasonal vacationers. This has led to the creation of loose surf gangs who protect their surf break from tourists. Some prominent Southern Californian gangs include

Malibu Locals Only Malibu Locals Only (MLO) is a group of youths local to Malibu, California, who have been associated with several violent attacks along with other criminal activity in the city. Frequently involved with party, bar or beach area fights, the group ha ...

and

Lunada Bay Boys The Lunada Bay Boys or simply the Bay Boys, are a surfer gang in Palos Verdes Estates, California, known for their aggressive localism. In 2016, ''Newsweek'' called the Lunada Bay Boys "America's most notorious surf gang". The group's territor ...

, with the main surf gang in Hawaii known as the ‘da huis’. These gangs have been known to use verbal and physical confrontation to deter tourists from their surf breaks. Territorialism often occurs due to socioeconomic factors. Many surfers originally came from a lower economic class and resented well-off vacationers who visited their towns to surf recreationally. Surfing is growing amongst the African American community, despite being seen as a " white sport".

Demographics

There are over 3.5 million surfers in the US, with youth accounting for approximately 32% of that demographic. The average surfer in the United States is 34 years old and will drive approximately 10 miles to surf, spending approximately $40 per session. The United States has the largest share of the surfing industry, accounting for 49% of total sales on average each year. The average surfer in the United States earns $75,000. Locations with exceptional waves bring in large levels of activity form surfers, with

Trestles ATLAS-I (Air Force Weapons Lab Transmission-Line Aircraft Simulator), better known as Trestle, was a unique electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generation and testing apparatus built between 1972 and 1980 during the Cold War at Sandia National Laborat ...

surf break in San Diego, CA having an estimated economic value of $24 million. The average surfer in the United States is 34 years old and owns 4 different surfboards. Surfing contributes greatly to the U.S. economy with US- based surfers spending over $3 billion each year on their domestic surfing trips. The average surfer in the US will surf 108 times each year on average. Over 6 million people in the United States watch professional surfing on TV each year. There are 9 official surf schools in the United States. The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA), reported that the United States Surf industry had grown from US$6.52 billion in 2004 to US$7.48 billion in 2006.

Major competitions in the United States

* Southeast Regional Surfing Championships - Smyrna Beach, Florida *

East Coast Surfing Championships The East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC) is an annual surfing contest held in Virginia Beach, Virginia on the oceanfront, and is one of the United States Surfing Federation’s major amateur events. The ECSC stretches over a four-day period ever ...

- Virginia Beach, Virginia *

US Open of Surfing The U.S. Open of Surfing is a week-long surfing competition held annually during the summer in Huntington Beach, California. Generally held on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, the U.S. Open is part of the qualification process for the ...

- Huntington Beach, California * Triple Crown of Surfing - North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii ** Reef Hawaiian Pro - North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii **

O'Neill World Cup of Surfing The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing is a prestigious event in professional surfing held annually at Pūpūkea (Sunset Beach) on Oahu in Hawaii. The event attracts hundreds of elite surfers from around the world, and is known for its huge waves. It i ...

- Pūpūkea, Oahu, Hawaii ** Pipeline Masters - North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii *

The Eddie "The Eddie" is a big wave surfing tournament held at Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The tournament is named for native Hawaiian, champion big wave surfer, and life-saving Waimea Bay lifeguard, Eddie Aikau. Created in 1984 at nearb ...

- Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii *

Titans of Mavericks Titans of Mavericks was a big wave surfing action sports event that took place south of San Francisco at the surfing site of Mavericks, California. Athletes competed annually in conditions that can reach up to in wave height. The contest was ini ...

- Half Moon Bay, California *USA Surfing Prime Junior Event - Camp Pendleton, California *USA Surfing Prime Junior Event - Atlantic City, New Jersey *ISA World Junior Surfing Championships - Huntington Beach, California *USA Surfing Prime Junior Event - Nags Head, North Carolina *USA Surfing Prime Junior Event - Dana Point, California *Shoe City Pro - Santa Cruz, California *USA Surfing Prime - Sebastian Inlet, Florida *Jack's Pro - Huntington Beach, California *USA Surfing Prime - Huntington Beach, California *USA Surfing Prime - New Smyrna Beach, Florida *USA Surfing Prime - San Onofre State Beach, California *USA Surfing Prime - T-Street, San Clemente, California *USA Surfing Championships - Oceanside, California *USA Surfing Junior Olympic Surfing Championships - San Onofre State Beach, California *USA Surfing Prime Junior Event - Long Beach, New York

Big wave surfing

Big wave surfing involves riding a wave that is at least 20 feet (6.2 metres) high, on surfboards known as “guns” or “towboards” that are typically 6 to 12 feet long. These boards are thicker than regular surfboards enabling a rider to paddle fast enough to catch a wave. The boards have a round-pin tail allowing surfers to dig into large waves in order to carry out high-speed turns. Big wave surfing in the United States dates back to the 1940s and 1950s, when surfers Woody Brown and Dickie Cross surfed a large swell at Sunset Beach in 1943. Dickie Cross did not survive.

Greg Noll Greg Noll (' Lawhead; February 11, 1937 – June 28, 2021) was an American pioneer of big wave surfing and a prominent longboard shaper. Nicknamed "Da Bull" by Phil Edwards in reference to his physique and way of charging down the face of a w ...

is widely renowned as being surfing's first big wave surfers, migrating to Hawaii in 1953 where he regularly surfed at Makaha, the largest wave surfed at the time. Greg Noll became one of the first people to surf

Waimea bay Waimea Bay is located in Haleiwa on the North Shore of O'ahu in the Hawaiian Islands at the mouth of the Waimea River. Waimea Valley extends behind Waimea Bay. ''Waimea'' means "reddish water" in Hawaiian. History Captain Charles Clerke ...

in 1957. Greg Noll was credited with surfing the largest wave to date on December 4, 1969, at Makaha, estimated to be 30 feet high. Hawaiian Eddie Aikau transformed the boundaries of big wave surfing in the 1970s, winning the 1977

Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship The Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship is named in honor of the "Father of Modern Surfing", Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku. The contest began in 1965 by invitation only at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu unt ...

. A memorial big wave contest in his name was held 1984 and has continued yearly until 2020. Jeff Clark was credited with surfing

Mavericks Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau ...

for the first time in 1975, surfing the break alone for 15 years. He introduced the break to other surfers from Santa Cruz in 2992 and the break was on the cover of

Surfer Magazine ''Surfer'' was an American monthly periodical focused on surfing and surf culture, founded in 1962 by noted surfer, writer, photographer, artist and humorist John Severson (1933–2017). The magazine folded in 2020. ''Surfer'' began as a quarter ...

by 1992. In 1992 surfers Buzzy Kerbox and

Laird Hamilton Laird John Hamilton (born March 2, 1964) is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model and actor. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television ...

became pioneers in using a

personal watercraft A personal watercraft (PWC), also called water scooter or jet ski, is a recreational watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, not within, as in a boat. PWCs have two style categories, first and most popular being a runabout or "sit down" whe ...

(''jet ski'') to pull other surfers into waves that were too big and fast moving to paddle into. The invention of tow-in surfing transformed big wave surfing, allowing surfers to ride waves bigger than ever previously ridden. The new discipline revolutionised big wave board size, allowing big wave surfers to use 7 ft boards that were easier to manoeuvre. In 2005, the World Surf League introduced the Big Wave Awards across seven categories including: * "XXL Biggest Wave" * "Biggest Paddle Wave" * "Tube of the Year" * "Best Overall Performance" * "Women’s Performance" * "Wipeout Award" * "Ride of the Year" In 2009, surfboard shaper Gary Linden launched the Big Wave World Tour, which was taken over by the Association of Surfing Professionals in 2014. U.S. Big Wave World Tour Title Holders: * 2011:

Peter Mel Peter Mel (born November 24, 1969, in Santa Cruz, California), is an American professional surfer. Mel began his surfing life in Capitola, California before moving on to Santa Cruz. He is known as a 'big wave' surfer and son of John Mel, a four ...

* 2012: Greg Long * 2015: Greg Long Notable US Big Wave Surfing Spots: * Cortes Bank, California * Ghost Trees, California * Mavericks, California *

The Wedge A wedge is a triangular-shaped simple machine. Wedge, The Wedge, or Wedges may also refer to: Common meanings * Wedge (footwear), a type of shoe * Wedge (golf), a type of golf club Culture Fictional characters * Wedge (''Transformers''), an ...

, California * Nelscott Reef, Oregon Big wave surfers conduct immense amounts of preparation in order to stay safe and perform at their best when riding large waves. Underwater rock running assists surfer to better their lung capacity and prepare for being held underwater for long periods of time. Some of the world's best big wave surfers can hold their breath for up to 5 minutes.

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

assists big wave surfers to stay flexible, and to use air more efficiently.

U.S. World Title holders

Men * 1968:

* 1970: Rolf Aurness * 1972: James Blears * 1974: Reno Abellira * 1985/86:

Tom Curren Tom Curren is an American surfer. Professional career By the time Curren joined the ASP World Tour in 1983, he was competing with professionals such as Rabbit Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson, and Cheyne Horan. He was world champion in 1985, 1986 ...

* 1886/87: Tom Curren * 1990: Tom Curren * 1992:

Kelly Slater Robert Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972) is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time. Slater is also ...

* 1994: Kelly Slater * 1995: Kelly Slater * 1996: Kelly Slater * 1997: Kelly Slater * 1998: Kelly Slater * 2001: C.J. Hobgood * 2005: Kelly Slater * 2006: Kelly Slater * 2008: Kelly Slater * 2010: Kelly Slater * 2011: Kelly Slater Women * 1965: Joyce Hoffman * 1966: Joyce Hoffman * 1968: Margo Godfrey * 1970: Sharon Webber * 1972: Sharon Webber * 1982: Debbie Beaham * 1983/84: Kim Mearig * 1984/85: Freida Zamba * 1985/86: Freida Zamba * 1986/87: Freida Zamba * 1988: Frieda Zamba * 1994:

Lisa Andersen Lisa Andersen (born March 8, 1969) is an American four-time world surfing champion. She won four successive world titles from 1994 to 1997. She was named ASP's Rookie of the Year in 1987. She was named as one of the 100 "Greatest Sportswomen of ...

* 1995: Lisa Andersen * 1996: Lisa Andersen * 1997: Lisa Andersen

References

{{Surfing