Bellyboarding, the sport of riding waves on a board while lying on your stomach, has a long history that originated in ancient Hawaii and Polynesia.

Ancient Hawaii...

The first bellyboards were short, round-nosed boards called paipo that were used for training before attempting to stand up on longer boards. The Hawaiian word pae po'o means "to surf head first".

Early 18th century...

The oldest known bellyboard is a 4–4.5 ft model from Hawaii's Bishop Museum, made of either koa wood or breadfruit.

Early 20th century...

Soldiers returning from World War I, including George Tamblyn and William Saunders, brought bellyboarding to the British Isles. They heard about bellyboarding from soldiers they fought alongside and adapted coffin lids to make their own boards.

1960s...

With the rise of surfing, bellyboards gained new designs and popularity with collectors and retro surfing enthusiasts.

Today...

Bellyboarding has seen a resurgence in popularity in the England as a more sustainable alternative to polystyrene bodyboards.

Bellyboarding isn't well known in the United States, but that's where we come in - bringing bellyboarding to the Emerald Coast and beyond.