| Rolf Aurness | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 18, 1952 Santa Monica, California |
| 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 (born February 18, 1952, Santa Monica, California) is an American surfer who won the 1970 World Surfing Championships held at Johanna in Victoria, Australia, beating Midget Farrelly in the finals.[1][2]
He is the son of the famous Gunsmoke actor James Arness.
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 (who died on June 3, 2011[4]) and nephew of Mission Impossible actor Peter Graves (1926-2010).[1][2]
In the decade following his World Surfing Championship win Aurness fell out of surfing due to the deaths of his wife, mother, and sister.[1][2] His wife died in 1978 from cancer, his mother Virginia (née Chapman) died in 1977 of an accidental drug overdose,[5] and his sister Jenny Lee Aurness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose in 1975.[6][7] His adopted brother, Craig, founded the stock photography agency Westlight and also was a photographer for National Geographic.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Kampion, Drew (December 2000) "Rolf Aurness Biography". Surf Line. Accessed June 5, 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Rolf Aurness Biography" Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine. www.worldchampionsofsurfing.com Profile], worldchampionsofsurfing.com. Accessed June 5, 2011
- 1 2 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.
- ↑ "'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.
- ↑ "Actor's ex-wife overdoses". The Pocono Record. August 1, 1977. p. 2.
- ↑ "Remembering James Arness, 1923–2011". Orange County Register. June 3, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ↑ "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.
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.