Where Was Surfing Invented?

It is presumed that surfing was invented by people living in the Pacific islands who are known as Polynesians; according to recent archeological evidence surfing like activities were also enjoyed by people living on the South American coast especially in Peru where the Inca civilization came up.

However it is widely assumed that surfing as a form of entertainment developed in the Pacific islands like Hawaii and Tahiti; there are records of the famous British explorer Captain James Cook sighting the natives in the Polynesian islands floating on the water riding wooden boards in 1778.

Surfing spread to Australia and New Zealand in the chiefly due to Duke Kahanamoku the famous Olympic swimming champion from Hawaii who is credited with popularizing surfing in Australia and the United States. Surfing became popular as a form of entertainment that could be enjoyed by all after the invention of a light weight fiber glass surfboard in the 1950s that was easy to maneuver.