Many people feel compelled to ride the waves and are ever searching for the largest, most exciting ride of their lives. The act of riding waves with a wooden board began over three thousand years ago in Western Polynesia. Some of the first “surfers” were fishermen who used this method to reach the shoreline quickly. Eventually, surfing evolved as a sport. During the nineteenth century, it became very popular in Hawaii. Then in the early 1900s, an Olympic swimmer named Duke Kahanamoku started a surf club on Waikiki Beach. He is considered the inventor of modern surfing, and also popularly known as “The Big Kahuna.” Surfing interest grew on the West Coast of the United States, particularly in  California. The original wooden boards gave way to fiberglass, resin and Styrofoam styles, much lighter and easier to maneuver. Fins were added on the underside of the surfboard which helped in turning and cutting through the waves. By the 1950s, surfing was in its prime driven by more prosperity, leisure time, and Hollywood beach movies. Surfing became a phenomenon, a lifestyle, a multi-million dollar industry. While surfing is still extremely popular in California, Hawaii is considered by many to be the surfer’s mecca, and the international surfing championships are held there annually. Today, surfing is a career for some and just exhilarating fun for others. Maybe you should give it a try one day!