Abstract
In their study of the origins, diffusion, and reception of sport, scholars have assembled an array of facts, narratives, and theories. In this chapter I critique the dominant narrative of the origins of surfing in Hawai‘i and theories of its subsequent global dispersion. I classify surfing’s master narrative as a representation, a form of presentation that involves selecting evidence, tidying complexities and smoothing interpretations. I argue that neither the dominant narrative of surfing nor prevailing theories of its diffusion adequately capture the realities of what is a diverse global practice, about which there are wide ranging perspectives, and which evokes varied identities. In order to better understand surfing, I advocate a non-essentialist and contextualised epistemology that guides scholars to what is knowable, and relevant, at any particular moment and at any particular local place.