Abstract
In surf fiction it is common for wave-riders to be tested. The test of self – battling against nature, against others, and against one’s own capabilities – is a popular thematic pathway for discovery, growth and freedom, as manifested regularly in surf-related fiction since its beginnings in 1849. This paper looks at the first three novels that featured surfing – Mardi and a Voyage Thither (Melville, 1849), The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (Ballantyne, 1857), and Kelea: The Surf-Rider, A Romance of Pagan Hawaii (Twombly, 1900) – to examine why the authors wrote about surfing in conjunction with themes of battle and contest.
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