Surfing connects physical skill with an experience of the ocean that many riders describe as deeply personal. Wave riding has distinct histories along the Peruvian coast and in Polynesia, while Hawaiian surfing played a defining role in the development and spread of the modern sport. In Brazil, early accounts point to Santos in the 1930s, followed by the growth of surf culture around Rio de Janeiro’s Arpoador beach. The phrase “cosmic energy” captures the focus and sense of connection a surfer may feel while riding a wave.
By Livia Caroline Neves | Translation: Magali da Silva
Surfing can create a spiritual connection between people, the sea, and the natural elements, offering a sense of freedom and grounding that goes beyond words.
A surfer waits beyond the breaking waves, watching the horizon. Then a swell rises. A few paddle strokes, a moment of commitment, and the board begins to move beneath their feet. For those few seconds, attention narrows to the water, the body, and the path ahead. That feeling helps explain why surfing can be a lifelong passion. It is a sport that demands skill and patience, but it also offers something harder to measure: a personal connection to the ocean.
Where did surfing begin?
People have ridden waves in different ways for centuries. Along Peru’s coast, fishers have long used reed craft called caballitos de totora to travel through the surf. In Polynesia, wave riding developed a rich cultural life; in Hawaiʻi, heʻe nalu, or surfing, became a tradition that shaped the modern sport. These histories deserve to be understood on their own terms rather than compressed into a claim that one community invented every form of wave riding.
Hawaiian waterman Duke Kahanamoku helped introduce surfing to wider audiences in the early 20th century, including in California and Australia. Later changes in board design and materials made boards lighter and easier to maneuver. As surfing spread, each coast developed its own style and stories.
Brazil’s first waves: Santos and Rio
Brazilian surfing emerged in Santos in the 1930s but developed into a broader surf culture in Rio de Janeiro, particularly around Arpoador Beach during the 1940s and 1950s.
Brazil’s surf history is often traced to Santos, on the coast of São Paulo state, in the 1930s. Accounts of its earliest surfers include Osmar Gonçalves, Silvio Malzoni, and João Roberto Suplicy Haffers, known as Juá. Their stories have become part of Brazilian surfing’s early history, although records from that period leave room for debate over who rode the first wave.
Arpoador, in Rio de Janeiro, later became central to the growth of a recognizable Brazilian surf culture. Surfers experimented with heavy wooden boards, shared ideas about how to build and shape them, and gathered around the beach. By the 1960s, new equipment and a growing community were helping surfing become a visible part of coastal life. The story did not end in Santos or Rio. Surfers across Brazil brought their own talent and character to the sport, turning a pastime practiced by small groups into a lasting part of the country’s beach culture.
The feeling that keeps surfers coming back
Anyone who surfs knows that the ocean sets the terms. A promising wave may pass by. A well-timed ride may last only seconds. Learning to read the water requires observation, practice, and respect for conditions that can change quickly.
Perhaps that is the “cosmic energy” surfers describe: a feeling of being fully present while moving with a force much larger than themselves. You do not have to be an expert to recognize it. Sometimes one ride is enough to make you paddle back out and wait for the next wave.
The evolution of surfboards, competitions, fashion, music, and beach culture helped transform surfing in Brazil into a lifestyle and a lasting connection between surfers and the ocean.
The revised piece preserves the original article’s reflective spirit and its focus on Brazilian surf history. I softened disputed “first surfer” claims and removed outdated competition formats and details that the available account could not firmly establish
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Where did surfing originate?
There is no single answer for every form of wave riding. Communities along Peru’s coast have used reed craft in the surf, while Polynesian and Hawaiian traditions are central to the history of surfing as it developed into the modern sport.
Who was Duke Kahanamoku?
Duke Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer and waterman whose demonstrations helped bring surfing to wider audiences beyond Hawaiʻi in the early 20th century.
Where did surfing begin in Brazil?
Early Brazilian surf accounts often point to Santos, São Paulo, in the 1930s. The identity of the very first surfer remains a matter of historical debate.
Why is Arpoador important to Brazilian surfing?
Arpoador, in Rio de Janeiro, became an important gathering place where surfers rode waves, experimented with boards, and helped build an enduring surf community.
What does “cosmic energy” mean in surfing?
In this article, it is a poetic description of the focus, freedom, and connection to nature that some surfers feel on a wave. It is not a scientific term.
Do you need to be an experienced surfer to appreciate that connection?
No. Beginners can enjoy learning to read the water and catching their first waves. Lessons, suitable conditions, and attention to ocean safety help make that experience more rewarding.
