Modern Surfing boards V/S Ancient surfing boards - By: Paul Nicholas

Surfing Boards
In layman language Surf boards are merely tools to slide on the surface of water, pushed and driven by the help of waves. Surfer uses gravity together with the kinetic energy contained in running waves of water. Gravitation pulls the surfer, positions on the surfboard, down the inclined surface of the wave, and that at the same time pushes the surfboard forward while adding the speed of the drop towards the forward speed of the wave.
Surf boards have a controversial origin that is generally attributed to ancient Polynesians. Among many theories one and generally acknowledged is that surf boards originated on the western south American coast, among Indiana’s and fishermen in that region which now belongs to Peru.
Now we will talk a little about ancient surf board and modern surf board, their differences and similarities. The grounds they are differentiated now a days.
Ancient Surfing Boards
Ancient surf boards of Polynesia used to be made of solid wood and used to be difficult for daily usage and in long periods; they would absorb ocean-water after many hours of use, and would gain even more weight.
These ancient surfboards hadn’t have fins, a factor that with the weight, doesn’t allow for very accented maneuvers, though it was possible to pull a few curves by dragging one foot in the water next to the surf board which used to be a standard technique in those times. Some boards had channels or v-cuts somewhere in the bottom near the tail to provide the surfer a little more control on the surf. Ancient surf boards varied largely in size, from mini boards to help body-surfers to huge 15-foot long boards. Examples of ancient surf boards can be seen in Hawaiian museums, though English missionaries or “haloes” destroyed most of them, which prohibited surfing because they found it an unproductive activity, also because many ancient Hawaiians used to surf totally nude. Somewhere in between 50´s and 60´s, ancient-style surf boards lost their prominence and modern surfboards came into existence.
Modern Surfing Boards
Modern surf boards became very popular at a very rapid rate, and the reason primarily their being so much comfortable to the surfer. Modern surf boards are made of plastic, rigid foam is the raw material to shape the board, which later covers with a thin layer of resin, reinforced with the fiberglass cloth. Modern surfboards still use a piece of wood, along the centerline that is called a stringer, for the purpose of reinforcement. Modern surf boards are though fragile; light-weighty objects are used in it and require special care. Fins in modern surf boards are generally used in threes; central fin positions a little forward of the other two, called stabilizers. Shape of modern surf board fins is quite similar to the top fin of a dolphin, with a rounded tip, and hydrodynamic lines. And these fins, together with the lightness and refined design, allow surfers to get the total control over the surf board in the movements, even in tuff situations. Nowadays, proficient surfers can execute rapid and radical maneuvers with quite ease. The evolution in surf boards and in its material has contributed a lot in a sudden popularity of this game once again and allowed surfers and surfing to evolve enormously.

About the Author

Paul Nichols is the contributing writer of Tribaysports.com. He is specialized in writing articles about Surf Gear, Paddle Boards and Surfing Accessories.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Paul-Nicholas/70894

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