The Wave, also referred to as "the Mexican Wave," is a coordinated, rolling motion of supporters standing up and raising their arms in succession during sporting events. The Wave's beginnings are up for debate, but it is widely accepted that sports fans in North America, specifically in the United States and Canada, popularized it in the 1980s.
Although it is unknown where The Wave was first played, Seattle's Husky Stadium, home of the University of Washington, is frequently mentioned in connection with it. The first recorded occurrence of The Wave occurred on October 31, 1981, during a football game between Stanford University and the University of Washington. A group of spectators in the upper level of the stadium started standing up and raising their arms simultaneously. The Wave quickly spread to other sporting venues in North America, and sports fans all over the globe have adopted it as a tradition ever since.
Although The Wave is not unique to any one place or area, it is frequently linked to the North American sports fan culture and has evolved into a common element of numerous sporting events, from professional leagues to college games and beyond.