The 1800s

Aloha and welcome to this chapter of Volume 1 of LEGENDARY SURFERS.

"The 1800s: Surfing's Darkest Days" is the story of when surfing nearly died out in Hawaii and the rest of Polynesia, before it was adopted elsewhere on the planet.

The chapter itself is part of LEGENDARY SURFERS: Volume 1, (c)2005 and still in print:



About Volume 1


Although this chapter was previously only available as part of the print edition, earlier versions of it were available here in the 1990s. This iteration is the best thus far.

In the long history of surfing, the 1800s is the period most misunderstood. Many writers have boiled it down to a simple story of Christian missionaries suppressing native past times. The real story is much more complicated.

Please read and/or download the full story:

THE 1800s: SURFING'S DARKEST DAYS


Additional Resources: