This untitled piece by George Freeth was found in typescript form in Honolulu's Bishop Museum. "Evening Herald" was included in the header, which almost certainly means the 

 In 2008, surf historian Patrick Moser wrote that "evidence suggests it appeared [in print] between 1917 and 1919." A two-paragraph introduction reads as follows:

Article written exclusively for The Evening Herald by George Freeth, life-guard at Redondo Beach, who was commended by Congress and the United States Life Saving Corps for the rescue of more than 250 lives during his career as a life-guard on the Southern California coast, and noted as the man who revived among the Hawaiians and introduced into the United States the lost art of surf-board riding.

Freeth has probably brought out and developed more swimmers of note than any other man in the country today. Noted Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku, who broke the world’s record in the 100 meters race both at Stockholm and in Germany under the American colors, is one of Freeth’s swimming companions who owes his success to the Redondo star.

I can not remember the day when I couldn’t swim. The first days I can remember were those spent at Waikiki Beach, four miles distant from Honolulu, Hawaii, where, with hundreds of native boys, I swam and dove a greater part of the time. I was born at that beach, my father being a native of Cork, Ireland, and my mother part English and part Hawaiian. Because of the location of my father’s business, I remained there almost every day of my life up to the age of ten years.

Waikiki Beach is known the world over for its surf-board riders. Tourists go there from all over the world to watch the natives perform feats on the surf-board and I can name no sport that requires more daring, skill and dexterity than that of riding a surf-board at Waikiki Beach where the great breakers acquire a speed of sometimes thirty-five miles an hour.

I was born there November 8, 1883. When I began to swim and sport in the breakers with the native boys there was no standing surf-board riding. Every boy knew from the tales handed down from his father that the Hawaiians had at one time ridden the waves but then not a one of them could stand. I listened to the tales told by the boys of how their ancestors could stand on a board speeding over the water at a terrific speed. I hardly believed it at first.

Not until I was nineteen and had made several trips to the United States, bathed at Atlantic City and learned a lot about water feats, did I attempt to ride a surf-board. At that age, nineteen, I returned to Waikiki Beach, determined to learn the lost art of surf-board riding if it was within human possibility. I took a large board, shaped it to suit my weight and started.

I would get the board to riding well, then would stand up on my hands and knees, all the while guiding it with my feet. At last I was able to stand on my knees, going at full speed. My next move was to rest on one knee and one foot for short distances and was gradually able to work myself into longer distances. At last I was riding the entire length of the breaker range, a half mile, standing at full height on the board.

The native boys had laughed at me when I made my first efforts. Now they hailed me as the reviver of the lost art. They all took to riding while standing at full height and today the tourist at Waikiki can see hundreds of native boys riding these boards.

When I made my next trip to the United States I brought the surf-board art with me. Then not one person in this country could ride one. Today many of the life-guards on our western coast are proficient riders and can do feats that make the spectator hold his breath. But ten years ago there was no surf-board riding in America. It is an art that belongs to the natives of the Hawaiian islands.

1917: “THEY HAILED ME AS THE REVIVER OF THE LOST ART,” BY GEORGE FREETH

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