A number of newspapers have reported the discovery of evidence that the Torquay-born author Agatha Christie was among the first to adopt the modern style of surfing standing up on the board.
See, for instance, the Guardian story Agatha Christie's surfing secret revealed, which reports research by Pete Robinson, founder of the Devon-based Museum of British Surfing - mentioned previously - that Christie and her first husband Archie became keen surfers during their world tour organised as part of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.
In Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, posthumously published in 1977, Christie recalled:
Oh, the moment of complete triumph on the day that I kept my balance and came right into shore standing upright on my board!
For more surfing history, see the Museum of British Surfing. As yet the museum only has a web presence, but according to the website, it's currently on target for its planned opening at Braunton, Devon, in the near future.
- RG
Agatha Christie: surfing pioneer
