The History of Surfing in Bridlington – Where British Surfing Began

When people think about the history of surfing in Britain, places such as Cornwall, Devon, Wales and Jersey usually come to mind.

But there is a very good chance that the story of surfing in Britain actually begins much further north – on the Yorkshire coast at Bridlington.

In September 1890, two Hawaiian princes came to Bridlington with their English tutor and went surfing in the North Sea. Their visit provides the earliest confirmed record of wave riding in Britain, giving Bridlington an extraordinary place in the history of British surfing.

For a Yorkshire town better known for its traditional seaside holidays, fishing harbour and long sandy beaches, it is an amazing piece of surfing history.

Hawaiian Royalty Comes to Bridlington

The story begins in the late 19th century.

Two young Hawaiian princes, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi and his brother Prince David Kawānanakoa Piʻikoi, were in Britain for their education.

During a break from their studies, they travelled to the Yorkshire coast and stayed in Bridlington.

The princes were experienced with the ocean. Surfing was already an important part of Hawaiian culture, with a history stretching back centuries.

When they arrived in Bridlington, they found something familiar – waves.

The North Sea was obviously very different from the warm waters of Hawaii, but the basic attraction was exactly the same: wind, waves and the opportunity to ride them.

September 1890 – Surfing on the Yorkshire Coast

The most important evidence comes from a letter written by Prince Jonah Kūhiō to the Hawaiian consul, Mr Armstrong.

In the letter, the prince described their time beside the sea and explained that they enjoyed the rough weather because it created suitable conditions for surf riding. He also wrote that local people were surprised to see them riding the waves.

Even their tutor, John Wrightson, was learning to surf.

The letter is significant because it gives historians direct evidence of surfing taking place at Bridlington in September 1890.

Imagine the scene.

Victorian Bridlington was already a busy seaside resort, but the sight of two Hawaiian princes standing on boards and riding waves would have been something completely unfamiliar to most people on the beach.

There were no modern wetsuits, foam boards, leashes or surf schools.

Just wooden boards, waves and two Hawaiians bringing an ancient Hawaiian tradition to the Yorkshire coast.

Who Was John Wrightson?

The third person in this remarkable story was their English tutor, John Wrightson.

Wrightson was an agricultural educator from Yorkshire who was responsible for helping educate the young princes while they were in Britain.

The princes introduced him to surfing during their stay.

According to the historical account, Wrightson became enthusiastic about the sport and was learning to ride the waves himself.

This makes the story even more important.

It wasn’t simply a case of Hawaiian visitors playing in the sea. The evidence suggests that they were actually teaching their English tutor how to surf.

That potentially makes Wrightson the first recorded British person to learn to surf.

What Did They Surf On?

One of the fascinating questions is what the princes actually used as surfboards.

Modern surfboards are highly specialised pieces of equipment, constructed from foam, fibreglass, epoxy and other modern materials.

In 1890, none of this existed.

The Museum of British Surfing describes the boards as likely being large wooden boards, while some historical accounts suggest the princes may have had boards made locally to their requirements.

There is something particularly interesting about that possibility.

If the boards were made locally, Bridlington may not only have hosted Britain’s earliest recorded surfing – it may also have been involved in producing some of the earliest surfboards used in Britain.

However, this part of the story should be treated carefully because the surviving evidence about the construction and manufacture of the boards is less certain than the evidence that the princes were surfing.

Why Were Hawaiian Princes in Yorkshire?

The princes were members of the Hawaiian royal family.

They had travelled to Britain as part of their education, at a time when Hawaii maintained close international connections and its royal family travelled widely.

Their stay in Britain brought them into contact with a completely different culture and climate.

Yet, despite being thousands of miles from Hawaii, they found something that connected them to home.

The sea.

And when Bridlington produced some decent surf, the princes took advantage of it.

Their letter describes how they enjoyed windy weather because rougher conditions created opportunities for surf riding.

Bridlington Before Modern Surfing

It is important to remember that surfing in 1890 was very different from the sport we know today.

There were no surf forecasts.

No webcams.

No Surfline.

No weather apps.

No surf schools.

No modern wetsuits.

And certainly no social media posts saying “Bridlington is firing!”

The princes would have relied on their understanding of the ocean and their experience from Hawaii.

They would have watched the wind and waves and decided when conditions were suitable.

For local Victorian residents, watching people deliberately ride waves on boards would have been an unusual sight.

The Museum of British Surfing describes this discovery as the earliest proven instance of surfing in Britain.

Bridlington’s Place in British Surfing History

The discovery changed the way the history of British surfing was understood.

For many years, surfing history in Britain was generally associated with the development of the sport during the 20th century.

Jersey, Cornwall, Devon and other coastal areas played important roles in the growth of modern British surfing.

But the 1890 Bridlington record pushed the history of British wave riding much further back.

It means that Bridlington predates the development of modern British surfing by decades.

The Museum of British Surfing describes the 1890 event as the earliest confirmed wave riding in Britain.

Surfing After 1890

There is an important distinction between the first recorded surfing in Britain and the development of a continuing local surf culture.

Bridlington did not suddenly become a major surfing destination after the Hawaiian princes left.

The town has never developed the same level of surfing reputation as places such as Newquay or some of the better-known North East surf beaches.

British surfing itself developed gradually.

After the First World War, surfing and various forms of wave riding became more common around Britain, although many people used wooden bellyboards rather than modern stand-up surfboards. Surfing continued to develop through the middle of the 20th century, eventually becoming the established sport we recognise today.

Bridlington’s importance is therefore not necessarily about having the biggest waves.

It is about being there at the beginning of the story.

Bridlington and Yorkshire Surfing Today

Today, surfing along the Yorkshire and North East coastline is very different from 1890.

Modern surfers have access to advanced surfboards, wetsuits, leashes, fins, surf forecasts and weather information.

Yorkshire surfers regularly watch conditions along the coast, looking for combinations of swell, wind and tide that produce rideable waves.

Bridlington itself is not normally regarded as one of Yorkshire’s main surfing destinations, and the town’s beaches can be affected by the sheltered nature of Bridlington Bay.

But when the North Sea produces the right combination of swell and wind, waves can appear.

And every time somebody carries a surfboard down onto Bridlington beach, they are surfing in a place with a remarkable connection to the origins of the sport in Britain.

A Surprising Piece of Yorkshire History

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the story is how unexpected it is.

If someone asked where surfing first arrived in Britain, Bridlington probably wouldn’t be the first place that came to mind.

Yet the evidence tells a fascinating story.

Two Hawaiian princes travelled thousands of miles from their homeland, arrived in Yorkshire and looked at the North Sea.

They saw waves.

They went surfing.

Their English tutor joined them.

And one of them wrote about it in a letter.

More than a century later, that letter helped rewrite the history of surfing in Britain.

Bridlington’s Surfing Memorial

The story has also become part of Bridlington’s heritage.

A commemoration can be found on the promenade walls facing the North Beach, highlighting the 1890 surfing connection.

It is worth looking out for if you are visiting Bridlington.

For surfers, it is more than just another piece of seaside history.

It marks the location of one of the most important moments in British surfing.

From Hawaii to Yorkshire

Surfing has travelled a very long way since the Hawaiian princes rode waves in Bridlington in 1890.

Today, surfers can be found all around the British coastline.

Cornwall has become famous for surfing.

Devon has a long surfing tradition.

Wales has a strong surf culture.

The North East has produced generations of surfers.

And Yorkshire has its own growing community of surfers who continue to watch the North Sea and make the most of whatever waves arrive.

But behind all of that modern surfing culture is an extraordinary story from the Victorian era.

Two Hawaiian princes came to Yorkshire and went surfing.

That makes Bridlington one of the most historically significant surfing locations in Britain.

Not because it has the country’s biggest waves.

Not because it has the country’s largest surf community.

But because, as far as the surviving evidence currently shows, this is where the documented story of surfing in Britain begins.

---

Bridlington Surfing Timeline

1890 – The beginning

Two Hawaiian princes and their English tutor surf at Bridlington. Their activities are described in a letter written by Prince Jonah Kūhiō. This is currently regarded as the earliest confirmed record of surfing in Britain.

Early 20th century – Surfing develops

Wave riding gradually becomes more established around Britain, although stand-up surfing remains relatively uncommon.

1920s and 1930s – British surfing expands

Surfing and other forms of wave riding become increasingly visible around Britain’s coastline.

Mid-20th century – Modern surfing arrives

Improved boards and equipment help surfing develop into the modern sport.

Today – Yorkshire surfing

Surfers continue to make use of suitable North Sea conditions around Yorkshire and the wider North East.

And Bridlington remains an important part of the story.

---

Did You Know?

🏄 Bridlington has one of the most important claims in British surfing history.

🇭🇺 Two Hawaiian princes surfed there in 1890.

🌊 Their English tutor, John Wrightson, also learned to surf.

📜 The evidence comes from a letter written by Prince Jonah Kūhiō.

🇬🇧 The event is regarded by the Museum of British Surfing as the earliest confirmed wave riding in Britain.

📍 A commemoration of the story can be found on Bridlington’s promenade.

Final Thoughts

The next time you are walking along Bridlington beach and see waves rolling into the North Sea, it is worth remembering what happened here more than 130 years ago.

Long before modern surfboards, wetsuits and surf schools, two Hawaiian princes stood on boards in the cold Yorkshire water.

They were thousands of miles from home, but the waves gave them something familiar.

They went surfing.

And in doing so, they helped put Bridlington, Yorkshire, on the map of global surfing history.

Sources and further reading

The Museum of British Surfing provides the principal historical account of the 1890 Bridlington surfing event and the discovery of Prince Jonah Kūhiō’s letter.

Research from the University of Kent’s Beyond the Spectacle project also records the two Hawaiian princes, Bridlington and the 1890 date.

Contemporary reporting by ITV News helped bring the story of Bridlington’s place in British surfing history to a wider audience in 2012.

SEO title: History of Surfing in Bridlington | Where British Surfing Began

Meta description: Discover the fascinating history of surfing in Bridlington, Yorkshire, where two Hawaiian princes surfed in 1890 in what is regarded as Britain’s earliest confirmed surfing record.

Suggested URL: /history-of-surfing-bridlington/

Target keywords: history of surfing Bridlington, surfing Bridlington, Bridlington surfing history, surfing Yorkshire, first surfing in Britain, Hawaiian princes Bridlington, British surfing history