The third theme of geography is movement. As people travel around the world, exchanging goods, ideas and interests, the global community is transformed. Take surfing, for example. The sport originated in Hawaii centuries ago. Today, the cry "Surf up!" can be heard along coastlines everywhere.
Europeans were the first Westerners to observe the sport. In 1779, Captain Cook, a British explorer, and his crew sailed around the Sandwich Islands (Now Hawaii). Near the rocky coast of the Big Island, they witnessed a man riding a wave while standing on a board.
Cook was stricken by what he saw. Hawaiians would anticipate good waves and hold ceremonies when building surfboards. Their boards were built according to rank: Chiefs used long boards (16 to 18 feet long), while commoners used shorter ones (6 to 8 feet long).
After the arrival of Europeans, Hawaiian surf culture declined. Many Hawaiians died of European-borne diseases. Also, the belief that surfing was "ignorant fun" was widely spread.
These conditions changed after Hawaii became a United States territory in 1900. (It became a state in 1959.) Travellers to the islands brought back stories of wave riding. Tales of the thrilling sport spread across the US, then to the rest of the world.
Today, surfing is the king of board sports. The world has nearly 8,000 "surf spots" in 136 countries on 6 continents. The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) holds an annual world tour in which top riders compete for millions of enthusiasts of the waves.
Top 5 countries with surf spots
Country | No. of Spots |
United States | 1,375 |
Australia | 1,160 |
South Africa | 575 |
France | 352 |
New Zealand | 338 |
