[originaltext]W: Hi, Bob. I heard about your accident but I didn’t think it wou

W: Hi, Bob. I heard about your accident but I didn’t think it would be this bad.
M: Well, thanks for making me feel better.
W: I can’t hardly recognize you through all those bandages. Tell me what happened.
M: I just got back from Hawaii where I had a terrible surfing accident. I broke both my legs and three ribs when I fell onto a bed of coral. I was laid up in a hospital over there for three weeks.
W: Three weeks, that’s a long time. What did you do while you were in the hospital?
M: Well, if you can believe it, I read all about surfing. I love surfing even if it hurts me. Did you know that the people of Hawaii were surfing since the beginning of recorded history? The oldest histories suggest that in 1000 BC the islanders of the Pacific Ocean were using small boats to surf through the waves. The people used the small boats for hunting, traveling, and fighting.
W: People fought on surfboards?
M: Certainly. Much of the history of surfing is closely related to the early history of naval warfare. The sport of surfing started off from the warriors of the islands learning the most skilful ways to approach their enemies in the water. After the introduction of the acrylic surfboard in the 1950’s, the ancient art, then became a huge sport.
W: That’s amazing, Bob, but I’m afraid you don’t make it look very fun. You’re lucky to be alive.
M: I am sure lucky to be alive. Many people think the dangerous part about surfing is the possibility of being attacked by a shark or some other sea creature, but really, the ocean itself is the most dangerous part of this sport.