The art of outrigger canoe surfing is an ancient Polynesian tradition, with British explorer Captain James Cook first encountering Tahitian natives riding waves in boats as early as 1777.

But a canoe launched half a century ago helped turn ... Some 17,000 people thronged the Tahitian shore to greet them and witness what one crew member called “the spaceship of our ancestors.” ...

“In our own traditional canoe circuit, we are all different clubs ... “They provide a few days of training in Tahitian-Polynesian style paddling, and then they just have a bunch of fun ...

But a canoe launched half a century ago helped turn ... Some 17,000 people thronged the Tahitian shore to greet them and witness what one crew member called “the spaceship of our ancestors.” ...