Surfer rides a wave, Kuta, Bali. Surfing is the act of riding down a breaking wave, gathering speed from the downward and forward movement. Most commonly, the term is used for a surface water sport in which the person surfing moves along the face of a breaking ocean wave (the "surf"). However, surfing is not restricted to saltwater, but can sometimes take place on rivers, using a standing wave. This Event was created in the 1700's where European travelers in Tahiti used planks of wood.