In Polynesian culture, surfing was an important activity. Modern surfing as we know it today is thought to have originated in Hawaii. The history of surfing in Hawaii refers back to the 4th-century CE where Polynesians began to make their way to the Hawaiian Islands from Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. They brought many of their customs with them including playing in the surf on Paipo (belly) boards. It was in Hawaii that the art of standing and surfing upright on boards was invented.