When Waterlines Unlimited owner Ernie Higgins signed up for a church mission trip to New Guinea he had had no idea he would stumble into a tribal surf community that still actively surfs hand-carved wooden planks, according to a story on My Local Lineup.

While focused on the mission at hand, Higgins suddenly noticed a little boy, in his pre-puberty years, holding a plank, awfully similar to a surfboard. Upon close scrutiny, he was surprised to learn that not only was the lad holding a surfboard, but also that he was participating in a longstanding tradition of riding waves in the island. When Higgins asked for how long they’ve been riding waves, a native said, “For as long as the oldest person in the tribe can remember.”

Of course they have. And we feel all colonial for even linking this up.

[Link: My Local Lineup]