Surfing originated in Peru

The peaceful morning, the unforgettable sunsets, the gorgeous sea and the locals that are always friendly were the backdrop for the feature put together by the program Outpost de Miami (Outpost from Miami), which did a feature on Huanchaco; Trujillo in Peru’s most popular beach resort. Their goal was to learn about the origins of surfing.

The program’s team included the former Bodyboarding World Champion César Bauer, from Peru, who talked about the culture and the importance of Huanchaco beach for modern-day surfing. The origins of this sport are believed to be the caballitos de totora, traditional single-person watercraft made from the stems and leaves of the totora reed, a plant that grows in the lakes and swamps in Peru’s mountains and coast.

These sea-going boats have been made for thousands of years, and ancient Peruvians used them for fishing. Three thousand years later, their design remains unchanged, and they have become the unique feature of Huanchaco beach. They remain important to today’s fishermen, who use caballitos de totora to give tourists the experience of navigating Peru’s waters.