Probably not even the Huanchaco fishermen at the North of Peru, nor the French Polynesian natives, or Captain Cook, or even Duke Kahanamoku, imagined one day that the activity they carried out or watched would achieve the magnitude it has nowadays.

Surfing is everywhere. You only have to take a look at any beach anywhere in the world, whether ocean, sea or river, if there’s a wave breaking, there’s going to be a surfer; if not, there was one there for sure sometime. We can look at the clothes people wear on the streets and you will undoubtedly find somebody that’s wearing a trademark that was born through a designer’s dream of creating a different style from the rest and earn enough to be able to go surfing whenever the waves are breaking. These companies are today enormous multinational enterprises, listed at the New York Stock Exchange.

In the beginning of the 20th century, without the communication facilities we have today, the father of modern surfing, Duke Kahanamoku, when traveling to the Olympic Games. He took surfing to the East Coast and then the West Coast of the United States, to Australia and New Zealand. Surfing grew with strength at those countries and at that time it was easy to answer where you could find surfers: Hawaii, United States, Australia and New Zealand. Not any more.

The International Surfing Association, Surfing World Governing Authority, has more than 50 member countries, some of which do not even have a coastline to surf, others in which it is not easy to find a board, others are war victims in which in order to get into the water you must be careful not to activate a landmine or ran into a crossfire, others in which you freeze when you get into its waters, or have sea predators. What all these countries have in common are surfers, surfers that are ready to do whatever it takes to feel what it feels when we are surrounded by our beloved waves.

Not too long ago, it was a hard job trying to find out what was happening in the world of surf. And I am not talking of finding out who was the German Surfing Champion. Ten years ago, it was difficult to find out who had won the Pipe Masters…

For example, I remember that during the first 1996 WQS stage, that took place at Punta del Este, Uruguay, I was teenager quite impressed by the talent displayed by some of the best surfers in the world at the waters I used to surf. I saw one of my then idols, the Brazilian Fabio Gouveia, coming out of the water. I opened the magazine I had with me at the page that had his photograph, grabbed a pen and asked for his autograph. I also took the opportunity to ask him who had won the Pipe Masters. Thanks to him I found out that Kelly had won the competition once again.

Today, a few years later, with Internet being part of everyone’s life, it is easy to discover who the German Surfing Champion is. We can also find out that to define the title, the best German surfers travel to France. We also know that more than 450 surfers participated at a college surfing championship carried out at Great Britain, or that Israel is returning to ISA’s world competitions.

The World Surfing News were created for you to have at you computers everything that happens in the surfing world in an organized and friendly manner. So we all know what’s going on in our tribe throughout the planet.

This is the place where you can report on the activities of you surfing association or club for everyone to see and make an better surfing future. Seize the opportunity!

Pablo Zanocchi
Media Manager
International Surfing Association
www.isasurf.org

 

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