This English sea captain & his crew discovered the natives surfing in Hawaii in the 1770s
[DOC] [TLE] Cook discovers Hawaii - Jan 18, 1778 - HISTORY.com [PAR] On January 18, 1778, the English explorer Captain James Cook becomes the 
first European to discover the Hawaiian ... Cook and his crew were welcomed by 
the Hawaiians, who were fascinated by the Europeans' ships and their use of iron
.