Every surfer in Western civilization owes a debt of gratitude to First Lieutenant James King of the Royal Navy. It was 1779 and his trip aboard the HMS Discovery had not been smooth sailing after the commander, Captain James Cook, had lost his life while angering the local inhabitants at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii. The unexpected delay, however, gave King time to observe the native watermen riding waves on large planks, an activity he recorded and reported upon his return. Over two centuries later, surfing spans t…