ABSTRACT
Surfing is an ancient Hawaiian sport that in its Hawaiian roots and style holds strongly to a transcendental nature. However, in the early twentieth century it underwent numerous changes which reduced its connections with traditional Hawaiian values and was appropriated by white or haole leaders as a marketing tool for the islands. This transfer of meaning through the experience of this long-cherished Hawaiian symbol of prowess altered the sport, leading to the development of modern surfing. In this paper, I will investigate the role that American cultural expressions such as film, the media and celebrities altered the meaning of the sport of surfing. While the act of surfing may bear similar resemblance today to the ‘royal sport’ of ancient Hawai‘i, the appropriation of the activity by American promoters drastically changed the essence of surfing and it developed into a modern competitive sport bereft of the richness it once held in the Kingdom of Hawai‘i.
