Surf History: The Island Rose 1892
added to the website on Dec 06, 2011
Princess Victoria Ka’iulani Cleghorn is included in British surfing history, because she was half Scottish – half Hawaiian, and an expert surfer. She lived in England in 1892 as part of her education, spending a considerable amount of time in Brighton and also visiting the Channel Islands. Did she surf while living in the UK? ……»
Surf History: Alfred Fowler & a Royal surfboard c1893
added to the website on Dec 06, 2011
The British Museum in London has this beautiful original Hawaiian surfboard from the 1800s in its collection. The board was donated along with other items of Oceanian material by Alfred Fowler in 1893, it is inscribed “surf swimming board given to the donor (Fowler) by the King of Hawaii” – this was King David Kalakaua ……»
Surf History: A Royal wave 1920
added to the website on Jul 28, 2011
The Prince of Wales, Edward Windsor learned to surf with the great Duke Kahanamoku in Hawaii in 1920. On his first trip to Waikiki in April he was taken out in an outrigger canoe, then later in the day was coaxed into standing up on a surfboard to ride the waves for the first time ……»
Surf History: Agatha Christie rides the waves 1922
added to the website on Jul 27, 2011
Acclaimed crime writer Agatha Christie spent her teenage years on the south coast of England around Torquay where sea bathing was a common practice in the early 1900s – but in 1922 she would become one of Britain’s earliest “stand-up” surfers. “In fact, on a rough day I enjoyed the sea even more,” she said. ……»
Memorabilia: Local Motion boardshorts 1986
added to the website on Jun 02, 2010
Bought by Nick Paden (Yorkshire, England) on a trip to Hawaii in 1986 from the Local Motion shop in Honolulu these were the height of surfing fashion in the 80s, and some companies are now referencing the day-glo style for their ‘new’ designs.
Surf History: British sailors paddle out 1779
added to the website on Jan 01, 1970
“These pieces of wood are so nicely balanced that the most expert of our people at swimming could not keep upon them half a minute without rolling off.” In February 1779 these words from the journal of George Gilbert, midshipman on Captain James Cook’s ship Resolution, confirmed what we had long suspected and hoped for ……»