Surfing is the sport of riding waves upright on a surfboard.

It is usually done on ocean shores.

There are sites, called spots, well-known to surfers, which are good areas for catching waves.

So, where was surfing first practiced?

Surfing’s roots go back to the 15th century in the Hawaiian islands in Polynesia.

Heads of tribes proved their strength by braving the ocean on long wooden boards. 

Much later, the Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, the Olympic swimming champion, popularized the sport in the early 1900s.

At the time, surfboards were heavy planks of wood or bark.

Surfing became more and more popular in the 1950s: the equipment was modernized and boards were lighter and easier to maneuver.  

France discovered the sport in 1956 thanks to an American who was the first to ride the waves in Biarritz on the Atlantic coast.

But it was in the 80s that surfing really took off: with clothing brands, surf clubs, and worldwide Championships.

Professional surfers started to appear and now there were as many girl surfers as boys.

In 2021, for the first time, surfing will take part in the Tokyo Olympic games.