The History of Surfing
Hawaiian Roots of Surfing
Although no one knows for sure exactly where and when stand-up surfing began, there is no doubt that over the centuries the ancient sport of "he'e nalu" (wave-sliding) was absolutely perfected by the Kings and Queens- and the men and women of the Sandwich Isles, long before the 15th century AD. Their fortuitous position by way of
longitude and latitude brought the great waves of the Pacific in all shapes and sizes to these islands.
He'enalu, a Hawaiian term adopted by ancient poets to describe their spectacular sport of surfing, is a word rich nuance. Like many subtleties expressed by this highly-evolved civilization, the word for this popular form of recreation is rich in what Hawaiians call kaona, or hidden meaning. The first half, "he'e," can mean for instance, "to change from a solid to a liquid form, or to run as a liquid"; the second part, "nalu" can refer to the surfing motion of a wave, or the foaming of a wave, hence he'enalu, wave-sliding.
Hawaiians attached great mystique to the ocean and her moods. Not unlike the Eskimo, who utilizes several hundred words to relate forms and concepts of ice and snow, the Hawaiian people likewise assigned numerous persona and poetic metaphors to the ever changing sea, the kai.
She can be calm and quiet (kai malie),
or she can fume rough and raging (kai pupule).
More sensuous references identity streaked, whispering, and silent conditions.
Sometimes she swoons. Puna, "the spring" she of "pouty lips," was a coastal region known for her "sea rustling over pebbles". (Puna i ke kai nehe ka 'ili 'ili.)
When she was smooth you could punalua-glide effortlessly, with a few paddles-into a wave. Even mellower is Kona, "the leeward wind, "the leeward wind, "known for her "seas with cloud billows that forecast peace" .(kona kai 'opua i kala i ka la'i.)
A reasonable lady she.
All these natural forms had a significant effect on he'enalu, as any modern day surfer will readily testify. Hawaiians even had an appropriate word, hopupu (ho-poo-poo), that referred to a state of being stoked, or emotionally excited about something. In his important manuscript Traditions of Hawaii, the 19th Century Hawaiian scholar Kepelino Keauokalani (kay-ow-o-ka-la-ni), recalled that "during November, which in the Hawaiian calendar is called 'ikuwa,' in honor of 'deafening' wind, storms and waves that occur during that month, early Hawaiians would become particularly hopupu."
Ikuwa, wrote Kepelino, often times entranced these people, and they would cast their normal responsibilities aside.
QUOTE (Kepelino):
It is a month of rough seas and high surf that lure men to the sea coast. For expert surfers going upland to farm, if part way up perhaps they look back and see the rollers combing the beach, will leave their work, pluck ripe banana leaves, ti leaves and ginger, strip them, fasten them about their necks and stand facing the sea and holding sugar-cane in their hand, then, hurrying away home, they will pick up the board and go. All thought of work is at the end, only that of sport is left. The wife may go hungry, the children, the whole family, but the head of the house does not care. He is all for sport, that is his food. All day there is nothing but surfing. Many go out surfing as early as four in the morning-men, women, children. There is fine sport; then from innocent pleasure they turn to evil pleasures; so it goes!
Hopupu-stoked indeed. (this custom remains popular today-ask any employer or contractor that has surfers for employees....)
|