Surfer Postcards

Humans have undoubtedly been riding ocean waves as body surfers for millennia, but standing up on what is now called a surfboard is an innovation developed by the Polynesians.The influences for modern surfing can be directly traced to the surfers of pre-contact Hawaii. The art of surfing, known as enalu in the Hawaiian language, was noted by Joseph Banks on the HMS Endeavour during the first voyage of James Cook, during the ship's stay in Tahiti. Surfing was a central part of ancient Polynesian culture and predates European contact.