Duke Kahanamoku, today considered the father of modern surfing. <\/strong>Obviously, it is not because he invented surfing, but because he is considered the inventor of surfing as we know it today. Nicknamed the Great Kahuna, he reinvented a sport at a time when it had all but disappeared, making the sport famous and popular during his lifetime.<\/p>His sporting achievements were impressive, and although he stood out in his beginnings with swimming, breaking important records, it was he who popularised the sport of surfing, travelling to other parts of the world such as Australia, giving surfing exhibitions that until then had only been known in Hawaii.<\/p>
One of his most important demonstrations, which represented a before and after in the history of surfing, was the one he gave at Sydney's Freshwater Beach, where he gave a real recital on 23 December 1914. The demonstration was so impressive that it is considered the most important day for surfing in Australia. It is also known that Duke promoted the expansion of the sport within Hawaii and beyond, having a strong presence in Australia and the United States.<\/p>
Over the years, the development of the sport settled mainly in Hawaii, California, Australia and Peru where there were some surfers in these areas. However, in 1959, the movie Gidget was released, which made surfing a national craze in the United States.<\/p>
It didn't take long for TV series, such as the B-Series or the Beach Boys to make surfing one of the most popular sports in California.<\/p>