Looking at the Popularity of Surfing

Looking at the popularity of Surfing

Surfing is thought to have originated on islands in the Pacific Ocean and was seen by Captain James Cook in 1778. Surfing’s popularity starting growing in the1950's and 60’s when people started realising that there was a whole other sport out there that was taking place on the water. Surfer Magazine was launched in the 60’s when surfing was gaining popularity with teenagers and movies like “Gidget” made it trendy and ‘in style’ to surf or hang out with the surfing crowd. Surfing went from a little know sport where locals reaped the benefit to a competitive sport involving millions of dollars in sponsorship and prize money.

Surfing popularity started growing when people realized that grabbing a board and heading down to the surf beach was a realitively easy and fun sport that anyone could try and successfully master.

Surfing became popular largely because it requires no official training, not a great deal of equipment and people of any age could take pleasure in the sport. Riding waves takes stamina, agility and basic skills and it makes the sport more enjoyable and easier if you are fit and in good physical condition. There are several basic moves to master and then you can hit the beach and all that is required is a surfboard, some swimming skill, the desire to surf and a nearby beach. What started out as a male dominated sport has expanded to include women and girls competing at competition level. Many well know surfing brands back the womens’ surf competitions and these have become large affairs with huge followings. There are even surf clothing and surfboard manufacturers who cater specifically to women. Just look at Roxy Clothing and Trixie Surfboards You go to the beach today and see up to half the surfers in the water are female. Surfing has become so popular that on June 20th each year the day is known as International Surfing Day - a global day of celebration of the sport of surfing and surf culture.

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