Bridlington: the birthplace of UK surfing

The earliest recording of surfing taking place in the UK was in Bridlington of all places! It was brought to these shores by two Hawaiian princes.

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• Bridlington
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· Members of Captain James Cook’s crew tried the locals’ surfboards in Hawaii in 1779

· Many wealthy Britons travelled to Hawaii in the early 1900s and learned to surf including Agatha Christie and Edward, Prince of Wales

· Surfing first became a popular beach activity in Britain immediately after World War 1, but only a few tried stand-up surfing – most rode wooden bellyboards

· Servicemen surfed in Britain during and after World War 2

· Modern surfing culture in Britain started in Jersey in 1958 when the first professional lifeguards from South Africa were employed.

Courtesy Museum of British Surfing

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• Bridlington
• surf