News: Hawaiian royals surf Bridlington – in 1890!
added to the website on Apr 09, 2012
A letter discovered deep in the archives of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu describes how two Hawaiian princes – and their English guardian – went surfing in Britain in September 1890. But this earliest record of UK surfing didn’t happen in sport’s meccas of Newquay or Croyde, it took place in the east Yorkshire resort ……»
News: A royal sport – Edward’s 1920s surfari
added to the website on Apr 04, 2012
As the Museum of British Surfing prepares for opening on Good Friday, we have released newly discovered pictures from our archive have to the world’s media showing Edward Windsor, the Prince of Wales, surfing in Hawaii in 1920 – the only know action photos of the young royal riding the waves, and the earliest pictures ……»
Surf History: The Island Rose 1892
added to the website on Dec 06, 2011
Princess Victoria Ka’iulani Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kawekiu i Lunalilo Cleghorn is included in British surfing history, because she was half Scottish – half Hawaiian, and an expert surfer. She lived in England for four years as part of her education, spending most of 1892 in Brighton and also visiting the Channel Islands. Did she surf while living ……»
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 Hawai’i” – expert in Hawaiian history John ……»
Surf History: A royal wave 1920
added to the website on Jul 28, 2011
These are the only known action photos of Edward Windsor, the Prince of Wales, surfing in Hawaii in 1920 – and the earliest photos so far of a Briton stand-up surfing, and signed by the prince and his good friend Lord Louis Mountbatten who was surfing with him. On his first trip to Waikiki in ……»
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 ……»
