[3] The first gold medalists of the Tokyo 2020 surfing men and women's competitions were, respectively, the Brazilian Ítalo Ferreira and the American from Hawaii, Carissa Moore.

About three to five thousand years ago, cultures in ancient Peru fished in kayak-like watercraft (mochica) made of reeds that the fishermen surfed back to shore.

In Herman Melville's 1849 novel Mardi, based on his experiences in Polynesia earlier that decade, the narrator describes the "Rare Sport at Ohonoo" (title of chap.

It is held in high estimation; invariably oiled after use; and hung up conspicuously in the dwelling of the owner.”[12] When Mark Twain visited Hawaii in 1866 he wrote, "In one place, we came upon a large company of naked natives of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf-bathing.

[15] Amid the 1640s CE, Michael Hemmersam provided an account of surfing in the Gold Coast: “the parents ‘tie their children to boards and throw them into the water.’”[15] In 1679 CE, Barbot provided an account of surfing among Elmina children in Ghana: “children at Elmina learned “to swim, on bits of boards, or small bundles of rushes, fasten’d under their stomachs, which is a good diversion to the spectators.”[15] James Alexander provided an account of surfing in Accra, Ghana in 1834 CE: “From the beach, meanwhile, might be seen boys swimming into the sea, with light boards under their stomachs.

But I was told that sharks occasionally dart in behind the rocks and ‘yam’ them.”[15] Thomas Hutchinson provided an account of surfing in southern Cameroon in 1861: “Fishermen rode small dugouts ‘no more than six feet in length, fourteen to sixteen inches in width, and from four to six inches in depth.’”[15] In July 1885, three teenage Hawaiian princes took a break from their boarding school, St. Matthew's Hall in San Mateo, and came to cool off in Santa Cruz, California.

Freeth had sought the help of the Hawaii Promotion Committee (HPC) in Honolulu to sponsor him on a trip to California to give surfing exhibitions.

Looking for a way to entice visitors to his own budding resort community south of Venice where he had heavily invested in real estate, he hired Freeth as a lifeguard and to give surfing exhibitions in front of the Hotel Redondo.

[21] Another native Hawaiian, Duke Kahanamoku, spread surfing to both the U.S. and Australia, riding the waves after displaying the swimming prowess that won him Olympic gold medals in 1912 and 1920.

She continued to dominate the sport,[25] winning numerous competitions, including the women’s half-mile paddleboard race and the Venice Breakwater event in 1938, both held on the same day.

She gained further recognition in 1939 when she performed exhibition paddleboarding and tandem surfing displays at various Southern California beaches, inspiring a new generation of women surfers.

Because of these factors, the surf tends to be larger and more prevalent on coastlines exposed to large expanses of ocean traversed by intense low pressure systems.

East coasts also receive heavy winter swells when low-pressure cells form in the sub-tropics, where slow moving highs inhibit their movement.

These lows produce a shorter fetch than polar fronts, however, they can still generate heavy swells since their slower movement increases the duration of a particular wind direction.

Able to generate waves with up to 3 m (10 ft) faces, the specialized pump held water in 20 vertical tanks positioned along the back edge of the pool.

Some of the world's best-known waves for tube riding include Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Teahupoo in Tahiti and G-Land in Java.

Land-based training, such as skateboard simulations, offers a way to practice maneuvers repeatedly, refining techniques with the guidance of professional coaches either in person or remotely using video analysis apps.

[45] Concerns include the potential for developing poor surfing style and habits, such as excessive wiggling, due to training on flat surfaces which do not accurately mimic the dynamic nature of ocean waves.

This type of training helps in developing better control and style by replicating the curved, wave-like shapes and motions surfers encounter in the water.

[clarification needed] In recent years, there have been advancements in technology that have allowed surfers to pursue even bigger waves with added elements of safety.

Competitive longboard surfers need to be competent at traditional walking manoeuvres, as well as the short-radius turns normally associated with shortboard surfing.

The modern shortboard began life in the late 1960s and has evolved into today's common thruster style, defined by its three fins, usually around 180 to 210 cm (6 to 7 ft) in length.

[58] Rip currents can be extremely strong and narrow as they extend out of the surf zone into deeper water, reaching speeds from 0.5 m/s (1.6 ft/s) and up to 2.5 m/s (8.2 ft/s),[59][60] which is faster than any human can swim.

[63] Surfers should be careful to remain in smaller surf until they have acquired the advanced skills and experience necessary to handle bigger waves and more challenging conditions.

Since a rip current appears to be an area of flat water, tired or inexperienced swimmers or surfers may enter one and be carried out beyond the breaking waves.

Surf rash appears in many different ways on the skin, commonly as a painful red bumpy patch located on the surfer's chest or inner legs.

According to DPT Sergio Florian, some recommendations for preventing myelopathy is proper warm up, limiting the session length and sitting on the board while waiting for waves, rather than lying.

Some historical markers of the culture included the woodie, the station wagon used to carry surfers' boards, as well as boardshorts, the long swim shorts typically worn while surfing.

The sport is also a significant part of Australia's eastern coast sub-cultural life,[77] especially in New South Wales, where the weather and water conditions are most favourable for surfing.

A small number of people make a career out of surfing by receiving corporate sponsorships and performing for photographers and videographers in far-flung destinations; they are typically referred to as freesurfers.