Learn About Surfing in Australia!

100 years ago, in the, summer of 1915 at Freshwater Beach, competitive swimmer Duke Kahanamoku wowed a crowd by showing them the art of wave riding. He skillfully cruised the water with a solid surfboard modelled after the one he used in his home country of Hawaii. This event officially brought surfing to Australia! Today, Duke’s board is still kept at the Freshwater Surf Club in Sydney, Australia.

After Duke’s demonstration, the news about surfing spread throughout the country. Soon the waters were filled with people wanting to give surfing a try, and it’s now a sport most commonly associated with Australia. There are several competitions annually and approximately 2.7 million Australians consider themselves recreational surfers!

Surfing comes natural to Australians since most of the population lives close to a coastline. The beach has always held a special place in their hearts.  Not to mention, the Australian coastline is where three of the world’s great bodies of water meet: the Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans!

Let’s  all grab our surfboards and head down under!

Want to know more about Australia? Learn with our World Edition.