2. The Surfboard really has no creator
Origin
or inventor but has been around way
back dating around 1000 A.D.
Most believe that it originated in
Polynesia, primarily in the islands of
Hawaii.
The earliest documentation was Direction
of Current
around 1760 when explorer Captain
James Cook witnessed surfboarding
in Tahiti and Hawaii where they
called it He’Nalu, or wave sliding.
3. How It Works
Well first of all the board has to be made of some type of
type of buoyant material obviously so that it does not
sink. Back in the day they were strictly made of wood
because they did not have the newer materials people
use today such as the polyurethane or polystyrene foam
that is covered with layers of fiber glass.
Now how it works is quite simple. The board has rear
fins that help in stabilization and balance. When a surfer
is on top of a wave the current pulls him along and the
water flow goes down the board from front to back and
splits at the which causes the stabilization effect for Fins
whenever the surfer stands up once they reach the crest
of the about-to-form wave.
It seems simple but can be very difficult to do.It takes a
lot of skill to be able to keep balance on the board and to
be able to maneuver and turn.
Water
Flow
4. The Physics
The physics of the board really just comes from
the buoyancy of the board and the current of
the ocean which carries the surfer along. The
board floats and has the fin for maneuverability
and the wave and current is what pushes the
surfer and the board and causes the gliding on
the water. But the key to surfing, obviously, is
the surfer and the balance. The main physics
concept in surfboarding comes from the
human ability to balance themselves on the
board and the ability to shift your body weight
around to turn and do different moves or tricks
while on the wave.