Fast-forward to the present day

The site has had plenty of ups and down since launching in the US in September 2012. First it tried to rebrand as Liquid, then it shut down completely, before returning in April to make a more serious go of it. Backed by a Brazilian entrepreneur in the US, Marcelo Loureiro, the plan for the year ahead involves rolling out to cover more outdoor equipment, including surfboards and camping gear.Ever since the pioneering wave riders of the pre-war era drove north-west from Malibu to paddle into the virgin waves of Rincon near Santa Barbara, the spirit of adventure and discovery has been an integral part of the surfing psyche.As surfing grew in popularity in the 1960s, surfers set their sights further, seeking out warm weather and waves around the world, a quest captured by Bruce Brown in his film, Endless Summer, which saw two friends travel to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tahiti and Hawaii in search of new surf spots.

At the same time, Australian surfers were discovering Indonesia, starting in Bali, moving on to Lombok and then out to the Mentawai islands off the western coast of Sumatra. New film Serendipity tells of how one Australian surfer, who didn't want to follow the crowds to Indonesia, instead discovered the abundant empty waves of the Maldives and managed to keep them secret for nearly 15 years.The consumer is opening up his wallet and springing on travel in 2013.Travel, one of the largest travel xinjiang companies, recently reported bookings were up for the summer even at higher sales prices.The question investors should ask today is whether any of the silk road culture tour in this space trade at reasonable valuations.These are the most widely viewed travel websites on the market today.Fast-forward to the present day and there are few tropical shores with half-decent waves that are not filled with surf charter boats and surf camps, the line-ups choked with the very people the surfers left home to escape. Even chillier waters are becoming more popular. In the UK, over half a million people are now taking to the waves around the UK, and 11 UK surfing regions have surfer populations in excess of 10,000, according to a new report by Surfers Against Sewage.Surfers keen to ride empty waves are going to ever more remote, often inhospitable shores to find them. This new era of exploration among the world's best surfers is reflected in the films being screened at this year's London Surf Film Festival.