International holidays - International Surfing Day

The famous 1990 Hollywood film Point Break is about the passion for one of the most extreme water sports The life of surfers living in harmony with nature is permeated with a thirst for novelty and a spirit of freedom Bodhi, played by Patrick Swayze in the film, is awaiting a “fifty-year storm” on the Australian coast A young man dreams of riding a wave - the dream of his whole life On a surfboard, athletes not only travel on boards along the coastline of the sea or ocean, but also perform various maneuvers, demonstrate mastery of carving techniques and acrobatic tricks: reverse, turn, cutback Catching waves is not just a hobby, but a way of life In honor of the increase in tens of thousands of people from different parts of the world who challenge the elements of the sea and defeat it in an unequal battle, a holiday was established International Surfing Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of June For the first time, International Surfing Day was celebrated by professionals and amateurs in 2005 The celebration, which is widely celebrated in Australia and New Zealand, Brazil and Peru, Hawaii and Indonesia, Canada and Costa Rica, appeared on the calendar on the initiative of the editors of Surfing Magazine The United States Surfing Foundation also joined in establishing the holiday in honor of those who love to ride the wave This non-profit organization's mission includes preserving the cleanliness of the world's oceans, beaches and water sports In honor of the holiday, various events are held dedicated to the protection of the environment, the ecosystems of seas and rivers: film screenings, lectures and seminars, actions to clean up coastal areas from garbage, restore sand dunes and planting naupaka, the “surf flower” Contests and competitions are dedicated to International Surfing Day They are held among both experienced and beginner athletes, who receive wetsuits and wave boards as a gift The holiday is an excellent occasion to remember the achievements and records set by surfers Europeans became acquainted with the favorite sport of the Polynesian aborigines in 1767 during the round-the-world expedition of the frigate "Dolphin" under the command of the British S Wallis Over time, the hobby of the inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands went beyond Polynesia and became popular all over the world Today, the oldest athlete in the world is the Japanese Seiichi Sano, who joined the board at the age of 80 At the time of receiving the award in this category, the surfer was 88 years old In 2020, on the coast of Portugal, German Sebastian Steudtner conquered the largest wave, the height of which was 2621 m The largest swim of athletes took place in June 2017 in New South Wales 511 surfers took part in it The swim, despite the fog, lasted 35 hours The personification of extreme water hobby is American Kelly Slater He is the winner of 52 tournaments, the holder of the maximum World Surf League competition score and an 11-time world surfing champion K Slater starred in many films and recorded a music album dedicated to his favorite sport International Surfing Day calls on all lovers of nature and an active lifestyle to follow the example of this surfer and measure their strength with the water element