Ohio-born church pastor William Westervelt moved to Hawaii in 1899, where he became deeply involved with the Hawaiian Historical Society, and the works of native-born historians, including David Malo and Samuel Kamakau. Westervelt’s own well-regarded books on Hawaiian folklore include Hawaiian Historial Legends (1923). “Mamala the Surf-Rider,” about a surfing royal who can transform from…
1913: “MAMALA, THE SURF-RIDER,” BY WILLIAM WESTERVELT
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- DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS: WE SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH “SHARKBOARDS”!
- 1769: CANOE SURFING IN TAHITI, BY JOSEPH BANKS. “THEY WERE DRIVEN TOWARD SHORE WITH INCREDIBLE RAPIDITY”
- 1777: CANOE SURFING IN TAHITI, BY WILLIAM ANDERSON. “I COULD NOT HELP CONCLUDING THAT THIS MAN FELT THE MOST SUPREME PLEASURE”
- “WORK WAS OFTEN NEGLECTED FOR THE PROSECUTION OF THIS SPORT”: AN EXCERPT FROM THRUM’S ANNUAL, 1896
- 1817–22: POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, BY WILLIAM ELLIS
- 1823: MISSIONARY WILLIAM ELLIS, WAIMANU, HAWAII: “THE ONLY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT EVER MARS THEIR PLEASURE IS THE APPROACH OF A SHARK”
- 1836: “PEOPLE, TO ENJOY LIFE, WANT AMUSEUMENT.” A MISSIONARY CRITIQUE BY WILLIAM RUSCHENBERGER
- 1841: NAVY MAN CHARLES WILKES: SURFING TOO CLOSE TO “LASCIVIOUS THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS”
- 1843, HENRY T. CHEEVER: “THE SPORT IS SO ATTRACTIVE AND FULL OF WILD EXCITEMENT”
- 1846: “THO’ THE MOTION IS SWIFT, IT IS VERY PLEASANT,” BOOK EXCERPT FROM CHESTER LYMAN
- 1849: “RARE SPORT AT OHONOO,” BY HERMAN MELVILLE
- 1849: “TRUELY A FAMOUS AND ANIMATING DIVERSION,” EXCERPT FROM “TRAVELS IN THE SANDWICH AND SOCIETY ISLANDS,” BY SAMUEL S. HILL
- 1861: “THEY CAN SPRING UPRIGHT ON THE SURFBOARD AND COME IN ERECT!” AN EXCERPT FROM “THE VICTORIAN VISITORS,” BY SOPHIA CRACROFT
- 1865: “SUCH RIDING OF MAN AND WOMAN ON THE SAME WAVE RESULTS IN SEXUAL INDULGENCE,” J. WAIAMAU
- 1866–1870: EXCERPT FROM “FRAGMENTS OF HAWAIIAN HISTORY,” BY JOHN PAPA ‘Ī‘Ī
- 1867: “A GREAT SEA CAUGHT ME,” BY JAMES CHALMERS
- 1873: “THE MORE DARING RIDERS STOOD ON THEIR SURF-BOARDS, WAVING THEIR ARMS AND UTTERING EXULTANT CRIES,” BY ISABELLA BIRD
- 1868: TSUNAMI DESTROYS BIG ISLAND TOWNS, CREATES BIG-WAVE LEGEND
- 1917: “O, THE WILD JOY OF IT!” BY M. LEOLA CRAWFORD