'Paddle Out for Unity' event in San Diego, California

Paddle power. International Surfing Day

International Surfing Day promotes the protection of the ocean alongside celebrating the sport itself, every year on the third Saturday in June. People gather for surfing contests, barbeques, beach cleanups, and other activities to help restore the ocean environment. Coming together for a cause is a hallmark of the global surfing community, whether campaigning for cleaner waters or standing together against injustice, as they did at the Paddle Out for Unity gathering in 2020 in Encinitas, California, pictured on our homepage.

Surfing traces back to 12th-century Polynesia, whose people carried the tradition to Hawaii. The sport made its US debut in 1885 near Santa Cruz, California, when four Hawaiian princes surfed the San Lorenzo River on redwood boards. Today, surfing has expanded around the world.