Argumentative

Surf Marketing

The origins of surfing came from Western Polynesia. Surfing is one of the oldest practiced sports. Surfing is an art of wave riding, with a blend of athleticism and understanding of the beauty and power of nature. It is one of the few sports that has created its own lifestyle and culture.

When Polynesian settlers came to Hawaii, surfing had expanded. The Hawaiians who were allowed to surf were those of high class. Only a certain few were allowed to surf along side those with talent. No one would dare drop in on his or her wave for fear of being punished or even death.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the interest of surfing had diminished and was only being practiced by a handful of natives on the island of Oahu. A reason for the decrease of the presence of surfing was because of foreigners who had begun exploring to the islands, starting trades and even settling on the islands. The number of full-blooded native Hawaiians had dropped, only making up 25.7 percent of the total population of the Islands.

By that point the sport had return to its beginnings: short boards, riding techniques were simple. Few were only practicing it. After time, it had made its comeback from nearly disappearing. This was due to the influences of certain natives on the scene at the time. An Olympic swimmer, Duke Kahanamoku, a native to Hawaii had begun a surf club on the Waikiki beach. Through his popularity as a American icon, he was able to attract attention to the sport again.

By the 1930s, surfers were no longer satisfied with the simple wave riding; the equipment was up to the standards of their ambitions. The surfboard had gone under much metamorphosis, pushing the technology and design to provide boards that could match surfers’ skills. Over the years, there was much experimentation with sizes, shapes, weights, and materials for the