British Surfing History

Captain James Cook discovers surfing in Hawaii

In 1779 members of Captain Cook’s crew jump overboard into the warm, blue Hawaiian waters and join the locals on their surfboards – the earliest account so far of westerners having a go at this ancient pastime.

Captain James Edward Alexander discovers surfing in West Africa

In 1835 Captain James Edward Alexander left England and discovered surfing in West Africa. It had apparently developed independently, without influence from distant Polynesia, “They waited for a surf and then came rolling in like a cloud on top of if,” he told the readers of his diaries.

Swimmers used wood and leather mitts to help them swim and bodysurf in Brighton

Some researchers believe surfing in Britain may have begun on the affluent south coast, because of its links with London and the fashion for sea bathing in the 1800s. Certainly in the middle of the 19th century swimmers were using wood and leather mitts strapped to one hand to help them swim and bodysurf waves in Brighton.

Charles Steedman published his ‘Manual of British Swimming’

English swimming champion Charles Steedman published his ‘Manual of Swimming’ in 1867, at the end of which he said; “A small deal board, about five feet long, one foot broad, and an inch thick, termed a ‘surf board’, is of considerable help to a swimmer who is crossing water on which the foam is deep – for by its aid he can raise his head to breathe above the surface of the foam.”

JW Boddam-Whethan visits Hawaii

In 1876 the travel writer J W Boddam-Whetham visits Hawaii  and writes: “I do not see why this attractive sport should not be introduced in England in suitable localities – Brighton, for instance.”

Two Hawaiian Princes and their English tutor surf Bridlington

In 1890 two Hawaiian Princes and their English tutor went surfing on the north east coast of England at the resort of Bridlington. At the time of writing, the earliest confirmed wave riding in Britain.

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 of Bridlington – in the chilly, murky North Sea.

The Victorian locals must have been incredulous at the sight of these Hawaiian Princes paddling out, and riding back into shore most likely standing on large wooden planks – their dark skin and hair glistening in the North Sea waters.

The letter to the Hawaiian consul Mr. Armstrong from Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Piikoi was discovered by Hawaiian author and historian Sandra Kimberley Hall.

The prince wrote that he and his brother Prince David Kahalepouli Kawananakoa Piikoi were allowed by their tutor, believed to be John Wrightson, to have a holiday in Bridlington as reward for good work in their studies in schools and colleges around Britain – they’d been in England furthering their education for almost a year.

On September 22, 1890 a joyful Kuhio could not restrain his enthusiasm in his letter to Consul Armstrong;

“We enjoy the seaside very much and are out swimming every day. The weather has been very windy these few days and we like it very much for we like the sea to be rough so that we are able to have surf riding. We enjoy surf riding very much and surprise the people to see us riding on the surf.”

“Even Wrightson is learning surf riding and will be able to ride as well as we can in a few days more. He likes this very much for it is a very good sport.”

The two Hawaiian royals were no strangers to surfing in chilly waters like the North Sea. In 1885 (with a third brother) they surfed in Santa Cruz on 15-foot redwood planks weighing 100 pounds in similar temperature waters, and it seems their love for surfing made them the first to do it in California and now Britain.

It’s thought the Hawaiian princes, who were the orphaned nephews and heir to Queen Kapiolani, would have made their surfboards from timber acquired from a Bridlington boat builder, and they would have bought or hired neck-to-knee swimsuits made of cotton or wool.

Like Britain, Hawaii was a hereditary monarchy and sovereign state. Britain was an important ally to the tiny independent Kingdom that the Empire-building USA, France and Russia all lusted after in the nineteenth century. The Union Jack in the upper left corner of the Hawaiian flag symbolizes that long friendship.

Despite the incredible distance, royals from each Kingdom braved the perilous months at sea to visit each other – King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu visited England in 1829. Sadly they contracted measles and both died here. Royal children in Hawaii were given British royal names, including the father of modern surfing Duke Kahanamoku who, along with his father, was named after Queen Victoria’s second son the Duke of Edinburgh.

In honour of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, Hawaii sent a huge delegation to the UK, including Queen Kapiolani. Some European royals were perturbed that Hawaiian Royalty trumped them in the formal receiving and dining protocols of the day – the two princes arrived in late November 1889.

The north east coast of England is home to some world class surfing waves, but Bridlington has never been a particularly popular beach for surfers.

The two princes were cousins of expert surfer Princess Victoria Ka’iulani, the half Hawaiian – half Scottish heir to the Hawaiian throne who was educated in the south coast resort of Brighton in 1892. Sandra Kimberley Hall says; “Her time in England was deliberately below the radar of the newspapers of the day.”

“She may have been the first female surfer in Britain, but the only tangible evidence – so far – is a letter in which she wrote that she enjoyed “being on the water again” at Brighton. She may have meant a walk on the West Pier, or a walk on the promenade. Ka’iulani liked swimming and surfing. She was a high-spirited girl, who when she returned to Hawaii, liked to sneak out past midnight to go swimming in the moonlight with girlfriends.”

So now Bridlington has a surfing claim to fame of global significance.

Records of Surfing in North Devon

Surfing took place in North Devon perhaps as early as 1904, but its not yet known how widespread surf bathing was at that time. Hobart Braddick, founder of Braddick’s Holiday Centre, is pictured on the beach with his board in what is probably the earliest surfing photo in Britain. (1919 or earlier).

Jack London published his essay “Learning Hawaiian Surfing”

Surfing became known as the ‘Sport of Kings’, because throughout its history in Hawaii it was widely practiced by Royalty. It had huge significance in island life, for the ruling families and everyday folk.

The author Jack London later called it ‘A Royal Sport’ in his essay “Learning Hawaiian Surfing” This is a much more accurate description, because both Kings and Queens surfed. In fact many of the early ‘champion’ surfers were women. Jack London met with George Freeth.

In 1907, famous author Jack London came to Hawai’i with his wife Charmian and were celebrities. There were a few surfers on the beach at Waikiki at that time, a loose clique of Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians who formed a club called the Waikiki Swimming Club. London met that crew and was introduced to the joy of surfing by Alexander Hume Ford, an eccentric journalist. Ford took London surfing, and London met the most celebrated Waikiki beach boy of the time, a 23-year-old Irish/Hawaiian named George Freeth. London was a renowned writer, Ford a habitual organizer and Freeth a great waterman. What they had in common was a love of surfing, and their combined talents breathed life into a dying, beautiful sport – the Sport of Kings. In 1907 London wrote A Royal Sport: Surfing in Waikiki, which included descriptions of Waikiki and Alexander Hume Ford. His story was published in the October, 1907 edition of The Lady’s Home Companion and again in 1911 as part of The Cruise of the Snark.

The Illustrated London News featured a picture of surfing

The Illustrated London News featured a picture of surfing on the front cover in 1910. The article alongside this striking image spoke of the surfer being, “ready to stand upon his board while it is in full forward motion – not such a difficult feat after all.”

Edward, Prince of Wales, learned to surf at Waikiki Beach

Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, learned to surf on the long, rolling combers of Waikiki beach during a Royal visit to Hawaii in April 1920, and he loved it.

He was taught by the famous beach boy, and the man considered to be the father of modern surfing, Duke Kahanamoku ‘The Duke’ inherited his name from his father, who back in 1869 had been named after the Britain’s Duke of Edinburgh following an earlier Royal visit to the islands.

Prince Edward started his wave riding experience in a canoe, but soon graduated to a surfboard. The Duke took him out on a huge solid wood plank to ride tandem Joe Brennan’s biography of the great Kahanamoku, ‘Duke of Hawaii’, tells how straightaway Edward wanted them to catch the biggest wave possible.

We go-o-o-o!” cried the Prince in a long yell of ecstasy as they took off on their first wave together. ‘We go-o-o-o!”

At the end of the ride he said, “I never want to leave here.” The Duke replied, “Stick around Lotsa big surfs – and they’re all free.”

It wasn’t long before Prince Edward was riding waves standing up on his own. Despite wiping out on his first attempt and taking a knock on the head from his heavy wooden board, he carried on for several hours until it’s reported that he was quite adept at surfing and didn’t wipe out too often. Brennan writes, ‘the Prince became a solidly-sold devotee of the sport, and seemingly couldn’t get enough of it.”

The Times of London told the British public how the Prince “revelled in the new sport, greatly enjoying the exhilarating rides.” Edward was so stoked on surfing he insisted on returning to Hawaii later that year to ride the waves again – and it seems that he may also have surfed during a Royal visit to New Zealand in the mid 1920s.

He later went on to become King Edward Vlll, but abdicated the throne to marry American divorcee Wallace Simpson – it’s not known if his love affair with surfing continued when they left England for the Bahamas.

Back in Britain people were riding waves on our shores from the early 1900s Many wealthy Britons were able to holiday in Hawaii where they learned surfing from the famous Waikiki beachboys.

Soldiers returning from the First World War took to the waves in the West Country, the Channel Islands and the south coast using wooden bellyboards, influenced by their Commonwealth comrades on the battlefields from Australia and South Africa.

A group of surf riders are pictured on a beach in Cornwall with their primitive boards

A group of surf riders, men and women, are pictured as early as 1920 on a beach in Cornwall with
their primitive Boards. They used modified coffin lids about five feet long, made by a Iocal undertaker!

Agatha Christie began riding surfboards standing up at Waikiki

Agatha Christie, doyenne of crime writing and creator of Miss Marple & Hercule Poirot was also one of Britain’s first surf girls!

“Oh it was heaven! Nothing like rushing through the water at what seems to you a speed of about two hundred miles an hour. It is one of the most perfect physical pleasures I have known.”

This is how Agatha described her experience as a surf-stoked young woman after gliding to shore standing on her surfboard, 89 years ago.

Born in Devon in 1890, she grew up ‘surf bathing’ on the coast around Torquay, saying that on a rough day she enjoyed the sea even more.

After WWI Agatha & her husband Archie left for a world tour to promote an upcoming British Empire Exhibition; first stop South Africa where they took up bellyboarding.

They continued their travels, arriving in Honolulu in August 1922. Agatha and her husband quickly began riding surfboards standing up at Waikiki, although the larger boards and powerful surf proved a tough test of their new skills – remember these were finless, solid wooden planks around 10 feet long and could have weighed as much as 100lbs.

Agatha described the first few days surfing as painful, mixed with moments of utter joy; “After ten days I began to be daring. Starting my run I would hoist myself carefully to my knees on the board, and then endeavour to stand up. Oh, the moment of complete triumph on the day that I kept my balance and came right into shore standing upright on my board!”

They ended up extending their stay on Oahu for three months so they could carry on surfing and became “experts by European standards”.

On returning to England she would visit a writer’s retreat at Burgh Island, Bigbury, overlooking some classic surf breaks; detective work is now underway by the Museum of British Surfing who uncovered Agatha’s surfing story, to see if the author continued her passion for surfing at home in Devon.

Britain’s first surf club formed by Nigel Oxenden

Nigel Oxenden from the Channel Islands was one who got the bug for surfing. He travelled to Hawaii, South Attica and Australia after the Great War. He formed Britain’s first surf club in 1923 – the Island Surf Club of Jersey and could possibly be the first person to be photographed using a leash.

Australian surfing champion Charles ‘Snowy’ McAlister gave a surfing demonstration on a beach in Cornwall

In the Channel Islands and on mainland Britain for some strange reason the majority of beach-goers felt the waves weren’t suited to stand-up surfing like that practiced by the Hawaiians.

Australian surfing champion Charles ‘Snowy’ McAlister proved them wrong when he gave a
stunning demonstration on a beach in Cornwall in 1928. He was on his way back home after the Olympics in Amsterdam when he stopped off in Britain for a surf.

“They thought l was mad – the police escorted me from the beach worried about my safety.” he later said. Like many before him Snowy had picked up surfing from fellow Olympian Duke Kahanamoku during the Hawaiian’s visit to Australia in 1915.

Snowy was famed for doing handstands and other tricks on his surfboard. it must have been an awe-inspiring sight in 1920s England.

Lewis Rosenberg builds a wooden board and records the earliest known film of an attempt at stand up surfing in Britain

Lewis Rosenberg builds a wooden board and records the earliest known film of an attempt at stand up surfing in Britain in c1929. Lewis Rosenberg and his chums had seen a (Australian or Hawaiian) newsreel of surfers standing on their boards riding in on the waves. They were already bellyboarding, but Lewis being an inventive chap thought he could give it a go. They took the 8 foot solid board – possibly made from balsa – wrapped it in a sheet and took the train to Newquay. They filmed themselves learning to surf on it.

Surf bathing as it was often known became an accepted part of the British seaside holiday – as much as a game of tennis or bowls – and was promoted for its health giving properties in many guidebooks at the time.

The railways opened up the West Country and its beautiful beaches to affluent holidaymakers from all over the country, and they took to the waves in their thousands.

Britain’s weekly magazine for the Scout movement showed boys surfing standing up on the front cover

As early as 1932 Britain’s weekly magazine for the massive Scout movement showed boys surfing standing up on the front cover “Surf riding is fine fun,” children were told.

The Art of Surf Riding” by Ronald Funnell is published

In 1934 the first ever full guide to surf riding in Britain was published for the growing band of people who enjoyed this “refreshing sport.’ Boards evolved into smooth plywood planks around four feet long with an upturned nose to stop them pearling in the white-water where they were most commonly used.

The Art of Surf Riding” by Ronald Funnell was a full-on surf book, telling readers how to ride waves (lying down), and where the best surfing beaches in Britain were. Adverts from 1934 tourist guidebooks state that you would get a free copy of the instructional booklet when you bought your Crest surf-riding board.

The country’s first wave pool for surfing was opened.

The same year the country’s first wave pool for surfing was opened! As unbelievable as it may seem the Duke of Gloucester cut the ribbon on the Empire swimming pool at Wembley (London) on July 25th 1934.

In the mid 1930s coastal towns like Newquay in Cornwall and Woolacombe in Devon were marketing themselves as surfing destinations, using images of surfing (mostly women) on the covers of guidebooks.

Tom Blake wrote in his historic book Hawaiian Surfboard that, ‘a chap from England expects to try to swim the English Channel on a hollow board.”

In 1935 Tom Blake (the inventor of the hollow wooden surfboard and the fin) wrote in his historic book Hawaiian Surfboard that, ‘a chap from England expects to try to swim the English Channel on a hollow board.” Blake based his boards partly on the design of ancient Hawaiian olo longboards, and on the hull of English racing boats.

Railway companies used surfing images to advertise holidays

The railway companies cashed in – also using images on posters advertising holidays in the west Country as early as 1937.