The Southwestern county of Cornwall in England is one of the most beautiful areas of the country. With miles of sandy beaches to choose from and idyllic countryside walks, it has become a popular destination for travellers from all around the world. one of the most popular places to visit is the town of Newquay on the Northern coast of the region. This old fishing port and former haven for smugglers now attracts thousands of visitors a year with places nearby like Tintagel, the famous home of the legendary King Arthur and his knights of the round table being a popular attraction. However, the town itself is now really famous for its surfing and one of the things to do in Newquay is to learn to surf.
Believe it or not, surfing is one of the oldest sports to be practiced on the planet and contrary to popular belief didn’t originate on the beaches of sunny California, although the state probably popularized it. It was actually first recorded by Captain James Cook who first observed it hundreds of years ago during his travels aboard the HMS Endeavor in Western Polynesia. He noticed the local population riding the waves on long carved pieces of wood and doing it purely for fun.
Surfing is now so popular that it is practiced all around the world with particular hotspots like Bondi Beach in Australia, Oahu in Hawaii, California, Western France and Portugal. In fact, the world record for the biggest wave ever ridden was set in Portugal where a wave of over 100 feet high was surfed in 2016.
The sport of surfing has even developed its own sub-culture developing its own language and clothing styles. For example you might hear surfers talking about left or right handers in which they are referring to which side of the wave begins to break first. Alternatively you might hear them talking about hanging ten on a longboard or wearing a shorty. Hanging ten is when a surfer attempts to surf the front of his surfboard with both feet together at the front edge and a shorty is just the name for a short sleeved, short legged wetsuit usually worn in the warmer waters.
Learning to surf shouldn’t really take you that long and after a couple of days you should be able to at least stand up for a decent period of time. The trick is to be patient and remember practice makes perfect and you soon could be hanging ten.