The
History of Surfing
by Skip Snead
1907
*Alexander Hume teaches writer Jack London how to ride
a surfboard during a surfing class for youngsters at Waikiki.
*Surf Life Saving Association (SLSA) is founded in Australia.
*Born of Royal Hawaiian and Irish ancestry, George Freeth amazes onlookers
with a surfing demonstration in Redondo Beach and simultaneously becomes
the first surfer in the United States.
1908
*The Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Club is founded in Waikiki.
*The first surfer in the United States, George Freeth, is awarded
the Carnegie Medal of Honor for rescuing several Japanese fisherman
who were swept into sea during a brutal winter storm in Southern California.
