Relevational Amphibious Community Found to Exist Strikes Awe to the Soul of Maritime Europe
Written by Dustin Baly, April 23rd, 2023
In 1778, which is 245 years ago or just 13% of time since acclaimed (and only partially observed) 0 year, noted in the log of Captain Cook’s Expedition, was an account of community oceanic play.
Here is an edited version of Lieutenant King’s account, from The Voyage of the Resolution and Discovery.
“But a diversion the most common is upon the Water, where there is a very great Sea, and surf breaking on the Shore. The people sometimes 20 or 30 go about the Swell of the surf, and lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plank about their size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, and their arms are used to guide the plain, they wait the time of the greatest swell that sets on the Shore, and altogether push forward with their arms to keep on its top, it sends them in with a most astonishing velocity, and the great art is to guide the plank so always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell, and as it alters its direction. If the swell drives close to the rocks before overtaken by its break, there is much praise. On first seeing this very dangerous diversion I did not conceive it possible but that some of them must be dashed apart against sharp rocks, but just before they reach the shore, if they are very near, they quit their plan, and dive under till the surf is broke, when the piece of plank is sent yards by the force of the surf toward the beach. The great number are generally overtaken by the break of the swell, the force of which they avoid, diving and swimming under the water out of its impulse. By such like exercises these people may be said to be almost amphibious. “But a diversion the most common is upon the Water, where there is a very great Sea, and surf breaking on the Shore. The people sometimes 20 or 30 go about the Swell of the surf, and lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plank about their size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, and their arms are used to guide the plain, they wait the time of the greatest swell that sets on the Shore, and altogether push forward with their arms to keep on its top, it sends them in with a most astonishing velocity, and the great art is to guide the plank so always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell, and as it alters its direction. If the swell drives close to the rocks before overtaken by its break, there is much praise. On first seeing this very dangerous diversion I did not conceive it possible but that some of them must be dashed apart against sharp rocks, but just before they reach the shore, if they are very near, they quit their plan, and dive under till the surf is broke, when the piece of plank is sent yards by the force of the surf toward the beach. The great number are generally overtaken by the break of the swell, the force of which they avoid, diving and swimming under the water out of its impulse. By such like exercises these people may be said to be almost amphibious.”
Unprecedented account of amphibious people reveling in unthinkably dangerous waves.
Source: Canyon Surfboards
Jack London Surfing Account from 1907
Lie out there quietly on your board. Sea after sea breaks before behind and under and over you, and rushes in on shore, leaving you behind. When a wave crests, it gets steeper. Imagine yourself on your board, on the face of that steep slope. If it stood still you would slide down just as a boy slides down a hill on coaster. “Buy,” you object, “the wave doesn’t stand still.” Very true, but the water composing the waves stands still, and there you have the secret. If you ever start sliding down the face of that wave, you’ll keep on sliding and you’ll never reach the bottom. Please don’t laugh. The face may be six feed, yet you can slide down it a quarter of a mile, or half a mile and not reach the bottom. For, see since a wave is only communicated agitation or impetus, and since the water that composes the wave is change every instant, new water is rising into the wave as fast as the wave travels. You slide down this new water and yet remain in your old position on the wave skidding down the still never water that is rising and forming the wave…between you and the shore stretches a quarter mile of water. As the wave travels, the water obligingly heaps itself into the wave, gravity does the rest, and down you go sliding the whole length of it…
Highest Chiefs Aged 50-60 Rip Surfing
We have seen Karaimoku and Kakioeva, some of the highest chiefs in the island, both between fifty and sixty years of age and large corpulent men, balancing themselves on their long and narrow boards, or splashing about in the foam, with as much satisfaction of youths of sixteen.
Surf-riders often personal surf chants that proclaimed unique glory and skill.
Mark Twain On Surfing
I tried surf-bathing once, subsequently, but made a failure of it. I got the board placed right, and at the right moment, too; but missed the connection myself.
The Surf Temple Aspect of Amphibious Humans
The location of ancient surfing places coincides very closely with the location of these coastal settlements and with areas of population density.
What is the Kuemanu Heiau?
A heiasu is an ancient Hawaiin shrine or place of worship. It might be built with a community, an individual deity, and an activity. At Kahuluu Bay on the Kona coast stands a large structure built of lichen spotted black lava rock, which was well known to local Hawaiians in the early 1900s as a surfing heiu, were one might pray for strong surf.
Migratory amphibious humans sought to expedition through the oceans for the greatest waves.
Sources:
The Voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1776-1780 by Captain Cook and King
Surfing, A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport by Ben Finney and James D. Houston
The Sacramento Union Newspaper, The Ajax Voyage Continued
The Cruise of the Snark, by Jack London