Surfing was introduced to Australia by the Duke Kahanamoku at Freshwater Beach (just north of Sydney) on the 15th of January 1915. On that day a huge crowd gathered to watch him catch wave after wave on a surfboard. After World War I, the solid wooden boards of Duke's era gave way to hollow boards, but it was the post World War II development of plastics that changed surfing forever. These synthetic materials gave rise to cheaper and lighter boards. People started experimenting with shorter boards and then came the development of the tri-fin which made up for the instability of the shorter boards.

Now days surfing is as popular as ever. Surfboards are lighter and better designed than ever before, enabling the rider to make the most from every wave.