Tracing back to the 12th century Polynesia were the first days of surfing encounters. As with many beginnings, modern classic of water gliding was depicted on the cave-wall before becoming a cult following. 

Yet what hard proof evidence do we have as to when surfing was first discovered? One of the most famous written accounts of surfing is the diary of European captain James Cook who witnessed Tahitian surfers in 1778. His crew was utterly appalled to see men riding the waves on planks of wood. James Cook’s diary provided readers with lots of valuable information about sailing in the Pacific. Still, the Europeans had never seen anything like surfing. They were even worried about the surfers because they expected the waves to throw them on jagged rocks near the shore.

Ancient Polynesia is the undisputed birthplace of surfing, and nowhere is this story more prominent than the islands of Hawaii.

When European settlers first came to Hawaii, surfing lost a lot of its edge. Hawaiian locals were steered away from surfing, and the Christian settlers shunned it entirely. However, never did this stop Hawaiians to go against imposed rules & follow their passion for what they call he’e nalu, which loosely translates “sliding on a wave.” 

An action of making a surfboard was an almost sacred undertaking, and you had to follow the conventions just right. When choosing wood for surfboards, Hawaiians would only opt for three types of trees: koa, ‘ulu, and wiliwili. The surfer would then dig out the tree and put fish in the hole as a spiritual offering.

Once these practices were carried out to the last detail, a specialized artisan in the community would make the tree into a surfboard. Ancient Hawaiian surfers had to carry boards which were as massive as 175 pounds.

Furthermore, even a place in society also determined how long your board was allowed to be. Longer boards were reserved for higher society, and shorter boards were permitted for commoners. The shape of your board was also a class indicator. You were bound to these rules regardless of what you wanted.

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Now if we move away from days of the past to what cool kids do these days will be surprised to see how much extreme this up & coming sport has become. Here is the perfect example of it: Nazare.

Located it Portugal, it all began in the late 1960s, as American surfers visited this spot in the much calmer summer months and broke along the main beach area, Praia do Sul. In the ensuing decades, Sul and the town's other beach, Praia do Norte, became popular spots for bodyboarders.

Thousands of people flocked to Nazaré to witness one of the most epic big wave surfing days in the history of Praia do Norte.

Unlike other big wave locations in the world – where the ocean floor is hard rock or coral reef, Nazaré breaks over sand. Reefs create a single breaking point for waves, a predictable spot for surfers to sit and take off. Nazaré, on the other hand, churned out massive waves in a multitude of places, following the sandbars below.

"There’s a kind of magic about Nazaré," says Justine Dupont (pro surfer). "It's weird, kind of scary. It can be like paradise – and evil."

Today, the World Surf League holds an annual big wave event at Nazaré. The town has capitalised on the wave's fame and refurbished the São Miguel Arcanjo, as well as built a high-performance training facility for its big wave surfers to use.

In 2008, photojournalist Miguel Barreira was awarded third place in the World Press Photo for a shot featuring bodyboarder Jaime Jesus pulling an aerial in Praia do Norte, during the Nazaré Special Edition:

On November 1, 2011, Garrett McNamara rode a 78-foot (23,7 meters) wave at Praia do Norte for the ZON North Canyon Show;

The 78-foot wave by Garrett McNamara was considered to be the largest wave ever ridden by the Guinness Book of Records; Caviar: McNamara's record-breaking wave lasted 24 seconds.