Surfing is the act of someone paddling out in the ocean, catching a wave on a surfboard, standing up, and riding the length of that gigantic white cap. Some people say it's the best feeling anyone can experience and always has been. Surfing recreation has been around since the mid-eighteenth century. Now, for some people it is not just a hobby, but an extreme professional sport. Originating in Hawaii during the mid-19th century, surfing has remained a way of life for most Hawaiians. Everyone, from men to women, from royalty to commoners, took part in the pastime. The first surfboards were made of solid wood, eight to ten feet long, two feet wide, three inches thick, and weighed about 100 pounds. (Encyclopedia Britannica: History of Surfing). Early boards did not have fins on the lower back side of the board, which made steering the board very difficult. Most people simply turned their boards towards the shore and made no attempt to maneuver along the wall of waves. But it wasn't all fun and games for the people of Hawaii. According to The Geographical Adventures of Captain Cook, Captain James Cook, a British explorer, on his third expedition to find a Northwest Passage through Europe and Asia across the top of North America, mistakenly came across in the Sandwich Islands, or Hawaii, in 1778. He remained there until killed by natives in 1779, when he attempted to kidnap the Hawaiian chief to force the people to return a boat that had been stolen. During his time on the islands, however, he observed people surfing and wrote in one of his many exploration journals about a man he observed. In the passage he wrote: "I could not help but conclude that this man felt the most supreme pleasure as he was driven so quickly and so smoothly by... middle of paper... cyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 11 November 2011. "surf." Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 11 November 2011. "surf." Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 11 November. 2011..