The mouth of the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, Calif., is hazardous for surfing because of rocks, pollution and swift currents. Before a harbor was built in the mid-1960s, the mouth produced easy, consistent swells similar to the breakers in Honolulu and was a surfer's paradise. In 1885 three Hawaiian royal teenagers — David Kawananakoa, Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole and Edward Keliiahonui — introduced a sport then called "surfboard swimming" to Americans while studying at St. Matthew's Military School near Santa Cruz. SFIA reported an 8% average annual increase in U.S. surfing participation from 2019 to 2024. A new exhibition at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History highlights these origins.
"They looked very much like the breakers in Honolulu," said cultural historian and longtime surfer Geoffrey Dunn. Dunn said this reminder of home is what inspired three teenage members of the Hawaiian royal family, in 1885, to unleash a sport then known as "surfboard swimming" on an unsuspecting American public. "It was a royal sport," Dunn said. "They were part of that tradition in Honolulu."
Surfing has grown in popularity in this country in recent years. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association's (SFIA) 2025 surfing report shows an 8% average annual growth from 2019 to 2024. "Participation in the sport continues to climb, fueled by youthful energy, broader diversity and a growing appetite for outdoor, wellness-driven lifestyles," said an online statement from the Surf Industry Members Association, quoting the SFIA's research.
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