Riding Giants

There are numerous concepts that we have studied and reviewed in this class so far. One of the main ideas that we have focused on has been the idea of serious leisure. "Serious Leisure is seen as a chance for personal exploration, enhancement of self identity, self fulfillment and self development" (slide from class). Serious leisure has been defined in this class as a "systematic pursuit of an amateur, hobbyist or volunteer who acquires and expresses special knowledge and skill during their career in an activity." Though there are many different things that a person might need to experience serious leisure, after watching "Riding Giants" we have witnessed many people that have endured and not only changed surfing into a way of life, but also, turned this hobby into a fascinating lifestyle which is still very much alive today.

During the early ages, James cook observed ancient Polynesians riding simple planks of wood on waves in the ocean as a form of sport. After a while, missionaries banned this sport because it was too easy to confuse the genders and the missionaries were already having problems with a language barrier. After this brief insight to the earliest recorded history of the sport, it appeared to be lost for almost 200 years until it was introduced into American culture by Duke Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian Olympic athlete, in the early 1900's. After its introduction in the early 20th century, surfing was recognized as a way for "bums" to spend their time while idle on a beach. Surfing gained popularity among young men and women as a way to rebel and by the time the 1940's came around, surfing was an exciting way to waste time for the American youth, as long as they lived near a beach.

Early home videos show Greg Knoll (The Bull) and the north shore crew boys as rowdy, rebellious, blonde haired boys who cared for nothing more than to get on the waves of the ocean. These boys are seen on the shores of Hawaii with nothing more than a tight bond between friends, their boards and the water. They lived for nothing else. Their only means of a living was either stealing food or working for it by fixing random properties or other peoples surf boards on the north shore. Although it may seem like their lives were nothing but fun every day, life as they knew it had its drawbacks.