For centuries, surfing was a central part of ancient
Polynesian culture. Surfing may have first been observed by
British explorers at Tahiti in 1767.
Samuel Wallis and the crew members of the Dolphin who
were the first Britons to visit the island in June of that year.
Another candidate is the botanist Joseph Banks being part of
the first voyage of James Cook on the HMS Endeavour,
who arrived on Tahiti on 10 April 1769.
