Surfing originated from the Ancient civilizations of Hawaii and Polynesia. Their idea of surfing extended well beyond a recreational hobby or extreme sport. It was considered an art and was deeply embedded into their cultures. It was viewed and practiced similarly to a religious ritual, almost as if they were worshiping the mysterious, beautiful, and destructive nature of the ocean by surfing.
Upon the imperialist nations of the Western world invaded these cultures, the practice of surfing was banned and systematically repressed out of their cultures, but the practice survived. Ironically, the practice eventually found its way and infected American culture at the beginning of the 20th century. Surfing was introduced to America by George Freeth in 1907 at the opening of the Los Angeles-Redondo-Huntington railroad. He was brought in to entertain the crowds and the practice quickly caught on like wild fire. Surfing has been an extremely popular subculture since its introduction to this current day. It was and will always be more than just a hobby, but a culture, philosophy, and legitimate way of life.
Other article on the subject: http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/surfing-a-history/
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