7 Curiosities you didn’t know about surfing

We know that surfing is one of the most popular and widespread sports all over the world; since the first time that someone on the shore of a beach decided to conquer and dominate a wave, it has become a sport that is gaining more and more fans and followers every day.

We also know that its origin goes back more than 500 years and that the first people to ride and conquer waves were the inhabitants of the Polynesian Islands.

Surfing has its own “language” and, of course, its own particular way of greeting, the popular and widespread Shaka.

There are many things we know about surfing, but there are many things unknown to even the most dedicated surfers.

Now we will tell you about some of these “curiosities” that exist in surfing.

From our surf school Playa Famara we can offer you the best deals in all the Canary Islands where you can experience the best sensations that this sport has to offer:

First Englishwoman to Surf was Agatha Christie

The famed British mystery writer was the first British woman to ride a wave. What is most surprising is that this “daring” happened in the 1920s.

In 1924 she accompanied her husband on a trip around the British Empire. They passed through countries such as New Zealand, South Africa and Hawaii.

He recorded his experience in his diary when he wrote: “It can hurt a bit when you fall head first into the sand, but all in all, it’s a simple sport and quite fun.

The Beach Boys Couldn’t Surf

This famous musical group established their entire musical career on the sport of surfing; however, they never used a surfboard to practice or ride a wave on any beach in the world.

The Cutback

This is one of the manoeuvres or movements preferred by surfers. It consists of a turn carried out in the opposite direction; this action allows the recovery of the breaking part of a wave when the surfer is too far ahead.

According to a survey of surfers, this is the preferred move for most surfers.

Tsunamis Cannot Surf

Although the possibility of surfing in tsunami waves may seem very appealing, it is impossible to do so.

The waves that form as a result of tsunamis are very fast, so it is impossible to try to ride them.

Moreover, on many occasions, these waves are more than waves as such, they are foam formations that have little or no control or defined trajectory.

35 Million

This impressive figure is an approximation of the number of surfers worldwide; 162 countries have surfers.

The number of surfers is increasing every year by 1,000,000 (one million).

The American continent leads the world in the number of surfers, with an estimated 13.5 million surfers so far and growing.

In Europe the number of surfers is about 4.5 million and rising.

The Biggest Wave Ever Surfed

Paraffin

The paraffin used to coat the surface of surfboards was discovered by Alfred Gallant, who noticed that when his mother waxed the floor with paraffin, it became anti-slip.

When he tested it on the surfboard, he noticed the same anti-slip effect and since then paraffin has been used to make surfboards non-slip.

Remember to visit all our surf courses in the Canary Islands for all levels, so you can enjoy and learn first hand the real concept of surfing in first person.