‘Woody’ Brown Died

From the Honolulu Advertiser:

KAHULUI, Maui — Renowned surfer Woodbridge Parker “Woody” Brown died Wednesday at Hale Makua, Kahului. He was 96.

“He was the essential surfer, an iconoclast: extremely independent, futuristic and, most especially, healthy — which explains why he lived for 96 very productive, wonderful years,” said Hemmings, the 1968 world surfing champion who inaugurated the world professional surfing circuit in 1975. “… I only hope more of us who call ourselves surfers can live the way Woody lived.

Brown, who surfed regularly until he was 90, rubbed shoulders with Charles Lindbergh, Duke Kahanamoku and old Hawaiians who lived the life of a former era, he said.

Maybe Duke Kahanamoku Was NOT the First To Surf Australian Waves

Legendary Surfers: Duke Not The First in Oz: “Duke Kahanamoku, the ‘Father of Modern Surfing’ is generally considered to have been the first stand-up surfer in Australia. New research indicates Duke was probably NOT the first:

[ Excerpt from ‘The Duke dethroned as our surfing history is rewritten,’ Matthew Benns, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, December 30, 2007 ]

… Historian Mark Maddox argues Kahanamoku chose to give his famous 1914 surfing exhibition at Freshwater Beach because at nearby Manly too many surfers were dropping in on his waves.”