The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-25
SURF-RIDING,
EASTERN SPORT

The following letter from Hume Ford
dated September IL in New York, came
to hand on the Alameda yesterday. The
old boy with the calorifed atmosphere
is certainly spreading it round all right:
Alvin Keech from Hawaii is here,
and invited me to come down to Edge
mere, l.. l., and go out surfboard riding
with him. This is the first time I have
seen real surfboarding on the Atlantic
Coast. Of course I went and Keech
had two boards ready. We went out
and caught several waves, getting a
standing ride of perhaps two or three
hundred feet, but that was great for
the Atlantic. Keech daily astonishes
the natives but even he cannot keep
in the water in these ATTITUDES more
than half an hour at a time. I was
frozen stiff in fifteen minutes so came
out to sit with the ladies on the beach
and watch Keech do his stunts. With
in few days after his first exhibition
the idea of the surfboard swept down
the beach and after number of peo-
pie had been thrown and small boys
crippled, the Samoan surfboard was
adopted This is a bit of thin wood
about three feet long by foot and
half wide and place in front of the
chest takes you in before the small
breakers. Our boys at Waikiki would
indulge in body surfing and let it go
at that I have been using pictures
everywhere in different publications
illustrating how it is done in Hawaii.
The youngsters at Asbury Park took
the pictures from ST. Nicholas and the
account of how it was done and had
try at it. They called them skidders
but no one has as yet attempted to
stand, although the surfboard idea is
spreading down the coast and has reach
ed Atlantic City. I do not see how
anyone could learn in these cold waters,
but of course, those who have learned
in Hawaii can sometimes catch a wave
and get a short ride. Ny experience
with Keech only made me more home
sick than ever for Hawaii.
] was ready to start back via Eu-
rope and Asia about a month ago but
received an order from one of the lead
ing magazines for series of immigra-
tion articles, a subject which / have
studied in many parts of the world.
AS soon as I finish this work I shall
start at once for Hawaii as I wish to
be there for the Clark cup contest in
January. By the way, Clark wishes to
put up annual cups. I am suggesting
instead an annual racing canoe built
during the year in Hawaii and placed
on exhibition with full equipment, koa
paddles and all. somewhere downtown
ba+ ha hn knnf
This. as a prize for the big race and
an annual koa surfboard for the best
wave-rider I think would attract many
people right after Christmas. AS it is
the comic sections of the Sunday papers
are beginning to exploit the fun of
surfboard riding in Hawaii, and my
good friend Art Young, the crack ar
fist of Life and Puck, has promised me
to design a corking letterhead for the
Outrigger Club.
I enclose you set of surfboard cards
I am getting out to send with my COM
pliments to the members of the club.
I hoomalimali the magazines into let
ting me have the cuts after they had
been used so that I will have quite a.
batch of them to bring back to Ha-
wall.
am sorry that after all, I will not
meet the vice president of the Out
rigger Club in Manchuria, as I had ex-
pected to- Keech and I both have
friends leaving soon for Hawaii, tempt
ed there by the prospect of learning
to ride the surfboard. Keech really
deserves a medal for the splendid work
he has done talking "Hawaii" this
summer. I know a number of hitherto
annual European tourists who on his
advice are going to Hawaii. Sincerely
yours,
ALEXANDER HUME FORD.