Rolf Aurness
| Rolf Aurness | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Surfing career | |
| Best year | 1970 |
| Major achievements | World Surfing Champion, 1970 |
| Surfing specifications | |
| Stance | Goofy foot |
Rolf Aurness was born on February 18, 1952 in Santa Monica, California. He won the 1970 World Surfing Championships held at Johanna in Victoria, Australia, beating Midget Farrelly in the finals.[1][2]
Surfing career
When he was nine Aurness suffered a skull fracture after falling from a tree. His father, reported to be an enthusiastic surfer,[3] used surfing to help his son recover. He implemented a strict training regimen of dawn sessions at beaches, long distance swimming and weekend beach trips, including the Hollister Ranch.[1]
Several times a year they visited Hawaii, renting accommodation on Mākaha beach.[3]
Personal life
Aurness is the son of Gunsmoke actor James Arness and nephew of Mission Impossible actor Peter Graves.[1][2]
In the decade following his World Surfing Championship win Aurness fell out of surfing as his wife, mother and sister all died.[1][2] His wife died in 1978 from cancer, his mother Virginia (née Chapman) died in 1976, and his sister Jenny Lee Aurness committed suicide on May 12, 1975.[4]
His adopted brother, Craig, founded the stock photography agency Westlight and also was a photographer for National Geographic.[5]
His father, well known Western and Gunsmoke television show actor James Arness, died on June 3, 2011.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d Kampion, Drew (December 2000) "Rolf Aurness Biography". Surf Line, Accessed June 5, 2011
- ^ a b c "Rolf Aurness Biography" Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine. www.worldchampionsofsurfing.com, Accessed June 5, 2011
- ^ a b Carroll, Corky (August 21, 2013) [June 11, 2011]. "'Gunsmoke' star never met a wave he didn't like". Orange County Register. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Jenny Lee Aurness". findagrave, Accessed March 15, 2010
- ^ Walker, David (December 16, 2004) "In Memoriam: Craig Aurness, 58". Photo District News, Accessed June 5, 2011.
- ^ "'Gunsmoke' star James Arness dies at 88". today.msnbc.com. June 3, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
External links
- The Ranch www.surfline.com. Greg Heller, November 2000
- Carroll: Swimming with Marshal Dillon Orange County Register. December 28, 2010
- Boyd, Duke (2009). Dregni, Michael (ed.). Legends of Surfing: The Greatest Surfriders from Duke Kahanamoku to Kelly Slater (hardback) (1st ed.). Minneapolis: MVP Books. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-7603-3599-4. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
- Warshaw, Matt (2005). The Encyclopedia of Surfing (1st ed.). Orlando, FL.: Harcourt. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-0-15-603251-3. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
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