Surfing is a boardsport on water that involves riding breaking waves toward the shore on a piece of equipment called a surfboard. The roots of surfing lie in Hawaii and Polynesia, where the sport was practiced by both men and women from all social strata from royalty to commoners.  

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The earliest evidence of surfing history can be traced back to 12th century Polynesia. Cave paintings have been found which clearly illustrate ancient versions of surfing. Along with many other aspects of their culture, the Polynesians brought surfing to Hawaii, and it became popular from there.  

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Surfing's development and culture is centered primarily in three locations: Hawaii, Australia, and California.

In the early 20th century, concomitant with the development of Hawaii as a tourist destination, surfing underwent a revival, and the sport quickly spread to California and Australia.  

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Some of the most famous surfers include Kelly Slater, Duke Kahanamoku, Shaun Tomson, Stephanie Gilmore, Layne Beachley, Carissa Moore and Margo Oberg. 

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(The text is a result of searches on Bing AI.)  

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