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1. The earliest report/s of Polynesian surfriding are from Tahiti, circa 1768, ten years before the celebrated Hawaiian reports.

2. The most detailed and dramatic report of Polynesian surfriding in the 18th century is by James Morrison in Tahiti in 1788.

3. While Polynesian surfriders probably rode mostly prone, they transversed the wave face, rode "in the curl'' and on waves ranging up to 20 feet.

4. Polynesian swimming, employing an overarm stroke and flutter kick and later adapted by Western swimmers as the Australian or the American Crawl, bears a direct relationship with (short) surfboard paddling technique.

5. In the Hawaiian Islands, there were two distinct board designs based on their cross-section.
Depending on the local conditions and the available materials, both were built in an extreme range of lengths.
The Alaia or the Thin board was flat in cross section and generally wider.
It was more suitable for steep waves and, when conditions were suitable, riding in a standing position.
The Olo or the Thick board was elliptical in cross-section and narrower.
It was better in flatter waves and usually ridden prone.

6. In Thomas Thrum's the widely quoted account of Hawaiian surfboard building (1896), surfboards are said to be shaped from a single tree, similar to canoe construction.
While this may be the method for Olo construction, the (apparently) more common Alaia was probably shaped from a seasoned timber billet that was split from a log.
Unfortunately, this is not the only deficiency in Thrum*, and Tom Blake's assessment (1935) "I feel this to be the finest contribution on old surfriding in existence", is highly questionable.

uCHAPTER ONE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLYNESIAN AQUATIC CULTURE (in preparation)

uCHAPTER TWO: POLYNESIAN AQUATIC LEGENDS (in preparation)

uCHAPTER THREE: TAHITI 1767-1900

u3.1 u3.2 u3.3 u3.4  u3.5 u3.6 u3.7  u3.8 u3.9 u3.10 u3.11 u3.12 u3.13 u3.14 u3.15 u u u

Samuel Wallis, 1767.  Louis de Bougainville, 1768.  Joseph Banks, 1769. Banks' Surfcraft, 1769. William Anderson, 1777. The Bounty at Matavai Bay, 1788. Surfriding Conditions, 1788. James Morrison, 1788. Royal Tahitian Surfriding, 1788. William Bligh, 1788. George Tobin, 1792. James Wilson, 1798. Rev William Ellis, 1822. Henry Adams, 1891. Tahitian Surfboard Construction. Endnotes Appendix A: Maps. Appendix B: Weather Reports.

uCHAPTER FOUR : NEW ZEALAND - An overview.

u4.1 u4.2 u4.3 u4.4 u4.5 u4.6 u

Introduction  George Anglas, 1847. S. Percy Smith, 1921. Elsdon Best, 1924. Best on other aquatic activity, 1924. Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, 1915. Endnotes

The following chapters specifically relate to Hawaiian surfboard design and are the basis for an expanded surfriding analysis, in preparation.

uCHAPTER FIVE: REPORTS OF HAWAIIAN SURFBOARDS 1778-1779.

u5.1 u5.2 u5.3  u5.4 u5.5 u5.6  u5.7 u5.8 u5.9 u5.10 u5.11 u5.12 u

Charles Clerke, 1778  William Ellis, 1778 George Gilbert, 1779 John Weber, 1779 David Samwell, 1779 Lt. James King, 1779 Lt. James King, (edited)1784 Locations Surfboard variation Comparative table Analysis Speculation Endnotes

uCHAPTER SIX: REPORTS OF HAWAIIAN SURFBOARDS 1780 TO 1840.

u6.1 u6.2 u6.3 u6.4 u6.5 u6.6 u6.7 u6.8 u6.9 u6.10 u6.11 u6.12

Archibald Campbell, 1812  John B. Whitman, 1815 Louis Claude Freycinet, 1820 Jacques Arago, 1820 Bingham, 1821 Rev. Charles S. Stewart, 1825 Rev. William Ellis, 1825 Captain Byron, 1825 Frank J. A. Broeze, 1829 Theodore Adolphe Barrot, 1836 David Malo, 1838 Comparative table

uCHAPTER SEVEN: REPORTS OF HAWAIIAN SURFBOARDS 1841 TO 1890.

u7.1 u7.2 u7.3 u7.4 u7.5 u7.6 u7.7 u7.8 u7.9 u7.10 u7.11 u7.12 u7.11 u7.12 u7.13 u7.14 u7.15

Walter  Colton, 1846  Chester S. Lyman, 1846 Reverend Henry T. Cheever, 1850 E.M. Parker, 1852 Charles Stoddard,1866 John Papa I'i, 1870 Charles de Varigny,  1870 Emile Bayard, 1870 Bird, 1873 Nordhoff, 1873 John Dean Caton, 1878 John George Wood, 1880 "Ellis" in James Greenwood, 1885 Mark Twain, 1886 Thomas W. Knox, 1888 Comparative table Analysis

uCHAPTER EIGHT: REPORTS OF HAWAIIAN SURFBOARDS 1891 TO 1920.

u8.1  u8.2 u8.3 u8.4 u8.5 u8.6 u8.7 u8.8 u8.9

William Brigham,1892  Thrum*, 1896 Thrum* on the Olo Thrum* on royal use Thrum* on construction 1 Thrum* on construction 2 Thrum* on construction 3 Thrum* overview Fornander, 1916-1920

u APPENDIX A: COMPARATIVE TABLES 1778 to 1900.

uAPPENDIX B: EUROPEAN EXPLORATION OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN

polynesian surfriding :  introduction

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