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HONOLULU (APi — When the Big Kahuna speaks everyone listens.The Big Kahuna is a mythical Hawaiian witch doctor, a demi-god, who watches over surfing At his command waves nse and surfers fall.Right now, according to George Downing, the Big Kahuna is brewing big magic for surfing. Downing should know because he is a Big Kahuna m his own right. He is considered to be one of Hawaii's greatest living surfers, one of the most influential in the sport since the legendary Duke Kahanamoku.The Duke, a full blooded Hawaiian, was three times a member of the U.S. Olympic team and winner of two gold medals for swimming the 100 meters freestyle event.Called the world’s greatest surfer, he turned surfing into a celebrity sport by teaching the Duke of Windsor, Douglas Fairbanks and scores of other notables how to ride the waves at Waikiki Then, he popularized the sport in California and Australia and went on to appear in movies.Duke Kahanamoku set the record for the world's longest surfing rule, a mile and a quarter across Waikiki Bay, ending up on a ripple against the sands of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel beach. George Downing duplicated this feat but stopped short of the beach by 10 yards to keep the Duke's record intact.A man who respects tradition is George Downing. And a man who is intent on making surfing as popular a sport as baseball and football. Ever since he gave up winning all the surfing titles around. Downing has worked to develop a standard of professionalism for the sport. Now he is ready to launch it upon the world, with a world series of professional surfing to be held on four continents this year, including events in Australia, Japan, Hawaii. Brazil and the United States.The sport has changed greatly from what it was in the Duke’s time, Downing notes. In the early days of the sport, the main point of surfing was the long ride Surfers used heavy redwood boards 17 feet long to ride a wave from its peak all the way to shore. Then, the emphasis changed to the trick ride, with surfers riding in tandem or with one standing on the shoulders of another. In the 1950s. the sport was transformed into the wild ride as surfers tried to out-macho each other in risking the biggest and fiercest waves around.Downing, 44, survived this period with a worldwide reputation for daring and skill. Many of his contemporaries, however, did not. They fell victim to crushing waves 25 feet high or a forest of pilings in the path of their waves. The high rate of injuries and fatalities gave surfing an unpleasant image and for a while threatened the existence of the sport Downing was one of the first to realize the damage done to the sport and sought to transform the wild ride into the skilled ride, where performance was judged on a surfer's ability to maneuver his board into zigzags and turns while riding the face of a wave.‘ The emphasis on skills will open the sport to everyone,”Downing claims. ‘ There’s no need to search for the biggestand highest waves, because zigzags and turns can be performed even on small waves. No one has to prove he can beat a big wave or be ashamed of not facing up to the rough ones.”For the professionals, though, there is still enough risk to excite the most ardent thrill seeker. Professionals surfing in competition under Downing's skill system earn their highest points for performing maneuvers in large waves and close to the point where the curl of the wave collapses. Here, the slightest mistake in performance can lead to a wipeout under tons of raging water.Downing has also announced an award to any surfer in professional competition who can ride his board in a 360 degree loop down, up and around the face of a wave. The surfer who can perform this skillful maneuver will get a cash prize of $1,000 donated by Japan’s Sake industry association, ac- I cording to Downing I“We re trying to make surfing more interesting for both I the participant and the spectator,” Downing says, “and to I make it into something everyone can do. For anyone who can I - wim. it'f a lot safer than skiing and a lot more fun ” I
Newspaper Details
Burlington Daily Times News
Burlington, North Carolina, US
Wed, Apr 14, 1976
Page 46
Full Page
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USA 30 Dec 2019
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