The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-26

fcontinued from Page One

!
nearer six. On the smallest of these
boards. e., one six feet long and
| eighteen inches wide-the heaviest
man may stand, if he knows how, while
| the force of the wave is behind him;
but in quiet waters child may sink
It.
Before the big waves can be caught
the water where they form is twelve
feet deep-it is necessary to develop
| muscles in the arms and shoulders that
will propel the board at speed for
second at least, equal to that of the
forward motion at the base of the adj
vaneing billow; if this is accomplished.
the board is lifted up and carried for
ward at binding speed, and it then
becomes a matter of strength in hold
ing on and skill in balancing the frail
plank, for even the most expert may
slip.
IF the rider is confident enough, he
may start his own board by standing
beside it and giving it forward
shove, at the right moment, Just as
the wave is upon him. Many, many
times probably he will roll over, but
at last the knack of balancing comes
to him, and he is ready to try to stand
upon his board while it is in full for
ward motion. not such a difficult feat
after all, in the small surf where the
waves are not more than two or three
feet high at most. His real trials COM
mence when he deserts the shadows
and strikes out fer the deep.
The Supreme Moment.
1t takes muscle and endurance, lying
upon bit of planking with only an
inch or two of the bow above water,
to paddle mile out to where the waves
form. There is half minute of vio-
lent, then several seconds of supreme,
effort, the board begins to rise upon
the wall of water, and then comes the
fight to keep it from floating above the
crest and sinking back in the rear-of
lost wave. Even ON the summit of the
billow all is not lost; few powerful
strokes you give with your face fat
on the board, then as you feel your
feet slightly tilt upward down come
the arms in a twinkling until the hands
grasp the board amidship in a grip of
iron, the feet are drawn up to the cen
ter of the board with a quick, convul-
sive motion, and you leap to your feet,
erect and balanced-if you fail, the
board flies from under you and is toss
ed in air. But if the wave is yours,
there is thrill like none other in ali
the world as you stand upon its crest
and look down into the hollow, green
valley below you. As the wave curls
and is about to break, the strongest
foot is put forward to beat the bow
down in slanting direction and
quick turn given to the whole body,
so that the board swerves and deseends
the hill of green on the bias.
Today Judges of the Supreme Court
IN Hawaii, with their wives and dauob-
tiers, ex-Governors and their families.
and the greater portion of the promi-
nent business men are surfboard en-
thusiasts, while the sehoolbovs and
girls of Honolulu, now that thew have
spacious grounds near the beach for
their separate lighthouses, canoesheds.
and surfhoard racks, spend much time
IN the water, and at the recent surfing
carnivads in honor of the visit of the
American battleship and later of the
cruiser fleets, practically every prize
offered for those most expert in Ha-
Wailan water sports were won by white
boys and girls, who have only recently
mastered the art that was for so long
believed to be possible of requirement
only by 1.-THE native born, dark-skinned
At the Christmas contest, for the
third time white boy. now fourteen
years of age, won the medal given to
the most expert surfboarder; he came
IN a hundred yards before a monster
roller standing on his head.
The white man and bov are DOING
much IN Hawaii to develop the art of |
surfriding. Games and feats never |
dreamed of by the native are being |
tired Nowadays the small white boy |
anchors an inflated bladder where the
waves roll by at their best, invites his /.
companions to take out sharpened reed /
spears and contest with him in pune
turing the target, the rule of the game |
being that the spear must be thrown |
while the sportsman is actually stand |
ing on his board. At night aeetylene |
lamps are strapped to the bow of the |
boards, and the small boys and even |
men go out to ride the breakers. only |
their white-suited bodies being seen as |
they stand on the waves in a circle of |.
ltght- inns was one of the features of |
q recent night water carnival at Wal
XXI. And again a white American boy
came IN standing on his hands in the |
glow of red signal light attached to
his board. He had carried matches out
n his skull-eap, and lighted his torch
lust before he caught the wave he
wanted.