Surfing is practiced by more than 23 million people around the world, but its story began thousands of years ago in Indigenous communities across Hawaiʻi, Africa, South America, and Asia. Long before surfing became a global sport, riding waves was a shared cultural tradition that reflected deep connections among people, place, and the ocean.

STOKED! Surfing’s Global Legacy traces the sport’s remarkable journey from its ancient origins to its worldwide popularity today. Through photographs, film, music, historic and contemporary surfboards, and objects on loan from museums and private collections, the exhibition explores how surfing has shaped—and been shaped by—culture, technology, travel, commerce, and the environment.

As surfing spread around the globe during the 20th century, advances in materials, media, and transportation transformed it into an international phenomenon. New technologies, surf culture, fashion, and commercialization fueled its growth while shifting the focus from a communal tradition toward the pursuit of individual achievement and the personal thrill—the “stoke”—of riding a wave.

Today, a new generation of surfers is helping redefine that legacy. Around the world, surfers are drawing inspiration from the sport’s Indigenous roots to build more inclusive communities, protect fragile marine environments, and reconnect surfing with the cultures and places where it began. Their work demonstrates that surfing is not only about individual adventure, but also about stewardship, belonging, and shared responsibility.

By bringing together extraordinary objects and stories, STOKED! Surfing’s Global Legacy reveals how a simple act—riding a wave—has influenced human relationships with one another and with the ocean for thousands of years. Visitors will leave the exhibition with a deeper understanding of the history of surfing, its enduring cultural significance, and the global communities working to shape its future.