Alaskans mush. Marylanders joust. People in Texas ride in the rodeo. What do Californians do? They SURF!

This summer, surfing became California’s official state sport. But surfing doesn’t come from California. It started in Hawaii. The great British explorer Captain James Cook was on his third “world tour” in 1779 when he came upon the Hawaiian Islands. His crew first saw Hawaiians surfboarding. Captain Cook’s Lieutenant, James King, described it like this: Men around 20 or 30 years old would go out into the water. They laid themselves on flat, oval pieces of plank. For some Hawaiians, surfing may have been just for fun. For many others, it was part of religion. Surf chants by priests were a big part of surfing culture.

Surfing is the state sport in Hawaii too. Hawaiians may be responsible for the sport’s past. Do Californians control its future? Californians began making boards safer, lighter, and easier to stand on. And most surfboards now are built in the Golden State (California). People invented the wetsuit there too. (Wetsuits cover most of the body. They don’t keep water out. But they do help surfers stay warm, keep afloat, and protect their bodies from scrapes.) And California has 1,100 miles of coastline—a surfer’s paradise!

Surfing is just the latest addition to California’s “official” list. Within the last couple years, Californians have chosen their official state nuts: walnut, pecan, almond, and pistachio. They named their state dinosaur: Augustynolophus morrisi. They declared their state fabric as denim.

Which state is really the surfing capital? Some surfers say it doesn’t matter. They just go wherever the waves are good.