SWELL SURFERS

WHERE IS THE BEST SURFING?

THE BEST SURFING IS OFTEN WHERE YOU ARE RIDING THE WAVES AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME.

YOUR FAVOURITE SURFING LOCATION COULD BE ANY ONE OF MANY AROUND THE GLOBE: TASMANIA, HAWAII, PANAMA, COSTA RICA, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, CORNWALL IN U.K., THE PILLIPINES, U.S.A., AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA, BRAZIL, PERU, LANZAROTE - TO NAME A FEW.

Surfing, which involves riding shorebound rollers on a board, originated in Hawaii in the 19th Century but is now practised around the world wherever suitable waves are found.

Every surfer has their favourite surfing location and every surfer has a tale to tell about the biggest wave imagineable - a bit like the fishermen with the one that got away.

Whether you're a Dude or Dudette, surfing will most likely be an obsession. Following the waves will become a way of life that dictates all else.

For those lucky enough to live in a place where all they have to do is look out of the window to see the state of the waves, surfing is easy. For others, less fortunate, the first day's surfing is done on the internet - researching the day's wave conditions.

And for those whose only real surfing is during an annual holiday, a great deal of time and surfing the web will probably take place, agonising over where to choose.

Have a look at these live webcams of some well known surfing spots:

British Isles
Australia
Bali
California
As well as being obsessive about the waves, in some instances surfers are also possessive about the waves, leading to cases of "wave rage". It is not unknown for visiting surfers to be made unwelcome in no uncertain terms by local "resident" surfers who consider the waves theirs and ugly scenes are not unheard of, destroying the general image of the laid back, happy-go-lucky surfer. So, as well as being a highly dangerous sport, with many participants being seriously injured or killed, it holds dangers of a more mundane but, nevertheless, threatening nature.

Surf boards come in many shapes and sizes, depending on your level of skill and the waves involved.

Fashion is another aspect of surfing. Brand names and designer labels abound with surfing fashion, gear and accessories.

Surfers favour certain vehicles, which they convert into mobile surfer pads or "changing rooms".

Surfers even have their own style of music.

SURFERS DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE A BODYBOARD UNDER THEIR ARM TO BE EASILY RECOGNISED!

For the professionals, there are competitions and tournaments aplenty, many of which are televised and shown on extreme sports channels. Since 1976 the governing body for professional surfers has been the Association of Surfing Professionals. This organisation is responsible for organizing the World Championship Tours, for both men and women, which take place in challenging locations around the world and feature in many televised programmes.