Os primeiros escritos sobre Surf

Sempre que tentamos materializar a sensação de milagre que é deslizar sobre uma onda, escrever surf, tentar descrever surf, como que cheios do entusiasmo de um escritor de um evangelho, feliz e preocupado em divulgar aquela boa notícia, tão boa que não cabe em nós e, por isso, é preciso revelar, divulgar, cativar os outros àquela alegria imensa....

Sempre que tentamos, houve um primeiro que o fez, nos tempos modernos. O capitão James Cook, ou provavelmente um seu imediato, o do navio Discovery, James King, responsável por concluir os Journals do afamado capitão, depois da sua morte no Hawaii.

Esta é a primeira descrição do surf, feita por um Europeu. Datará aos finais da década de 1770, inícios de 1780...

"But a diversion the most common is upon the Water, where there is a very great Sea, and surf breaking on the Shore. The Men sometimes 20 or 30 go without the Swell of the Surf, & lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plan about their Size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, & their Arms are us'd to guide the plank, thye wait the time of the greatest Swell that sets on Shore, & altogether push forward with their Arms to keep on its top, it sends them in with a most astonishing Velocity, & the great art is to guide the plan so as always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell, & as it alters its direct.If the Swell drives him close to the rocks before he is overtaken by its break, he is much prais'd. On first seeing this very dangerous diversion I did not conceive it possible but that some of them must be dashed to mummy against the sharp rocks, but jus before they reach the shore, if they are very near, they quit their plank, & dive under till the Surf is broke, when the piece of plank is sent many yards by the force of the Surf from the beach. The greatest number are generally overtaken by the break of the swell, the force of which they avoid, diving and swimming under the water out of its impulse.
By such like excercises, these men may be said to be almost amphibious. The Women could swim off to the Ship, & continue half a day in the Water, & afterwards return. The above diversion is only intended as an amusement, not a tryal of skill, & in a gentle swell that sets on must I conceive be very pleasant, at least they seem to feel a great pleasure in the motion which this Exercise gives."

Ilustração do primeiro contacto do Capitão James Cook com os habitantes do Hawai,
ao largo da ilha de Kauai.  " The Cook Expedition off Kauai, 1778" by Herb Kane

uma das primeiras fotografias conhecidas de um surfista com a sua prancha.
Cerca de 1890 (arquivo do bishop museum).