Beach Bums - Part 5

Surfing

Another nude beach activity, if the water is warm and the waves are right… surfing!

Surfing was invented by ancient Polynesians and reached its height in Hawaii, where it became part of the culture and was connected to the religion.  Of course, the ancient Hawaiians surfed naked.  In 1866, while visiting Hawaii, Mark Twain observed, "In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surfbathing.”

Eventually, surfing spread to other warm-water places like California and Australia.  Here are Joe LaManna and Jay Dickens in a 1960s Champion photo.

Naked surfing still happens in Hawaii, but unofficially, since there are no legal nude beaches.  This surfer is Kaimana, photographed by Hawaiian artist Douglas Simonson.

The surfer paddles out with his board past the breakers.

Then he waits for the right wave to come along.  This is Kaimana again, photographed by Douglas Simonson.

When a good wave arrives, the surfer stands up on his board ...

and rides the wave ...

for as long as possible ...

until he wipes out.

Here's a video of the whole process.  Location unspecified, but it looks like Black's beach, San Diego.  I added the soundtrack.  Cowabunga!