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5,000 Years of Riding Waves:
history of surfing in Peru

A Millennial History 
by Roberto Meza Vallve - Director, Olas Peru

To talk about surfing in Peru is to set out on an exciting travel through history. It is to talk about the pre-Incan cultures, about the Polynesian and about the Hawaiian Islands. It is to talk about Peruvian pioneers of the 1920s, about the first international surfing champions of the ‘50s and ‘60s, about the evolution of this sport during the decades of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and recently, about surfers that nowadays have turned Peruvian surfing into a symbol of our rich culture.


After more than two decades of investigation, in the following pages you will learn of an original hypothesis: the origins of surfing comes from the ancient Peruvian cultures that flourished 5,000 years ago. We know that it is a risky proposal, yet we have carried out a relentless research effort, fully committed and well organized to complete the research necessary to support this hypothesis. It is a comprehensive historical survey honoring all of the men and women that have transformed surfing into our nation’s pride. 


I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all surfers that shared their stories and memories. The same goes to the archeologists, anthropologists and historians that gave us their professional academic support and critiques. Many of them are no longer with us, yet I want to mention them in the following pages as a sign of respect to their accomplishment and contributions. I want to dedicate this book to the ancient fishermen surfers, contemporary surfers, surfing authorities, surf school instructors, sponsors, media communicators, parents that believe in this sport that is so closely related to nature, during a time when there are so many threats to the environment. 


In this paragraph I want to mention some names that have done a great deal for this book. To Jesus Christ, the creator of the waves, the late Oscar Tramontana, who wrote most of this book, leaving us with the big responsibility of finishing his job. Carlos Pardo, who skillfully wrote the last three chapters of this book, Eduardo Arena, for his decision to found the first institution to rule this sport, Sofía Mulánovich, for her motivation and inspiration; the work that Sofía and I did together when she won the world title in 2004 is one of the highlights of my experience as a surfing coach. Carlos Rey y Lama, our first historian, taught me many things. José Antonio Schiaffino, my mentor in numerous stories of this exciting sport. My mother, María Rosario Vallvé, my inspiration in life, and my father, Héctor Meza, for his contribution to my education. My brother Ricardo Meza, for his dedication and support in development as an athlete. And my wife, Silvana Pastorelli, for her love and wisdom in many decisions that allowed me to finish this book.


5000 Years of Riding Waves: A History of Surfing in Peru is being published in a good moment, due to the gold medals obtained in the ISA World Surfing Games held in Punta Rocas, Peru, where for the third time, the Peruvian surfing team won the title. Once again, a Peruvian woman won the ultimate triumph: Analí Gómez Quiróz won the gold medal for Peru. We trust the new generation with the mission of keep writing, wave after wave, the history of this traditional Peruvian sport.

The Authors

Roberto Meza
Lima, 1968. One of the most prominent surfers of his generation, eight-time national champion in different divisions such as open, junior, longboard and master. Coach and mentor of many different Peruvian world, Pan American and national surfing champions. He attended surf training courses at the Australian Coaching Council, at the Surf Life Saving Australia, at the Pan American Surf Association and at the Peruvian Surfing Federation (FENTA). Meza has taught courses to train coaches at the Pan American Surf Association. Currently he is the head of Olas Peru, a Peruvian surfing school with 24 years of existence.

 

Oscar Tramontana
Lima, 1967-2013. Studied Economics and Literature in the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. He was one of the most active journalists of his generation. He collaborated with the El Comercio newspaper, he was the editor of Olas Perú and editor in chief of the web page Espacio 360. His interest for studying and spreading literature took him to organize literature workshops and conferences.

 

Carlos Pardo
Lima, 1989. Bachelor in Journalism and Media Communications, graduate of Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC). He worked for three years at Olas Perú’s website, where he held the Production and the Assistant Editor positions. He continues to work with surfing and extreme sports from a different perspective, in the marketing department of a multinational company focused on sports and innovation.

Presentation of the book 5,000 Years Riding Waves

Read here about the presentation of the book that shows the history of surfing in Peru. 

INDEX

The book 5,000 Years Riding Waves, has been published in HTML version to inform about the history of surfing in Peru. Find here all the sections of the book online with the following characteristics:

Text and images in HTML

Videos

CHAPTERS

Click on the title to enter
I

CHAPTER ONE

THE FISHERMEN SURFERS

II

CHAPTER TWO

NAVIGATION IN ANCIENT PERU

III

CHAPTER THREE

A PLAUSIBLE PERU-POLYNESIA CONNECTION

IV

CHAPTER FOUR

THE HAWAIIAN TRADITION

V

CHAPTER FIVE

CARLOS DOGNY LARCO AND THE CLUB WAIKIKI
(1938 - 1949)

VI

CHAPTER SIX

THE FIRST YEARS WERE INSTITUTIONAL
(1950 - 1959)

VII

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE AMAZING DECADE
(1960 - 1969)

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE RISE OF THE BROTHERS OF THE SEA
(1970 - 1979)

IX

CHAPTER NINE

EVOLVE WITH YOUR SPORT
(1980 - 1989)

X

CHAPTER TEN

THE BEGINNING OF MODERN HISTORY
(1990 - 1999)

XI

CHAPTER ELEVEN

PERU: TOP LATIN AMERICAN SURFING POWER
(2000 - 2009)

XII

CHAPTER TWELVE

PERU WORLD CHAMPION
(2010 - 2014)

VIDEOS

Un poco de historia capturada en video

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THE HISTORY OF KIMU

"...there were many of them, each and every one on their own reed raft, like stubborn horse riders, slicing the waves of the sea, and it is rough there where they fish, looking likes tritons or neptunes painted over the water..." — Fray José de Acosta, Historia Natural y Moral de las Indias (1550)

Kimu is only twelve years old and is about to start his life as a fisherman. Since he can remember, Kimu’s held a fascination for the ever-changing and endless ocean that feeds his family. But now his time playing on the shore with seashells is over. Now he knows, from the bottom of his soul, that he needs to learn all about fishing to support his family. Kimu and his father have harvested totora reeds from a nearby marsh. They’ve fashioned the reeds into a tup (one-man reed raft). If you just glanced at his craft you would recognize it as a caballito de totora from Huanchaco. Read here the History of Kimu.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND SPONSORS

Adolfo Valderrama / Bernardo Alva / Carlo Grigoletto / Carlos Echecopar / Carlos Mujica / Elías Mujica / Ursula Caceres / Marc Tristant / Felipe Pomar / Gabriel Prieto / Geneque Rey De Castro / Giancarlo Debernardi / Gustavo Reátegui / Herbert Mulanovich / Javier Castro / Javier Huarcaya / John Rodríguez / José Antonio Talleri / Manuel Sanguineti / Pedro Vásquez / Rocío Larrañaga / Wayo Whilar

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THE SURFERS (1938-2010)

Es una tarea imposible publicar en este libro la lista de todos los tablistas que han surcado las olas peruanas. Esta tabla contiene los nombres de personajes que han contribuido a la propagación de la tabla en el Perú durante los últimos 76 años, desde 1938, cuando Carlos Dogny Larco empezó a correr olas en Miraflores. Están los fundadores del Club Waikiki, Club Topanga, Club Pacífico Sur, Club Makaha y clubes del norte. También competidores, shapers, fotógrafos, dirigentes, empresarios trascendentes y los valientes en olas grandes... o mejor dicho: los buenos tablistas de cada generación. Te permite comprender las relaciones entre cada generación y examinar a cual tú perteneces ¡sigamos remando! Haz click here para open the list.

 

CONTACT US

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Address

Av. La Paz 1646 Of. 102
Miraflores, Lima

E-mail

libro@historiadelatablaenperu.com
info@olasperu.com

Phone

+ 51(1)449 2109
+ 51 998 346 968