Dorothy Alden Becker Lineer (1900 – 1989) was an American surfer and competitive swimmer. Regarded as the first woman surfer from the

mainland United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The ter ...

, she was better known as a swimmer during her era because surfing was a little-known sport on the mainland at the time. She was nicknamed the "California Mermaid." Becker was born in

Sitka, Alaska Sitka (; ) is a municipal home rule, unified Consolidated city-county, city-borough in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. It was under Russian America, Russian rule from 1799 to 1867. The city is situated on the west side of Ba ...

. Given a grim diagnosis by a doctor, her family moved her to

Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz (Spanish language, Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the largest city and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population ...

for a "nature cure" and set her on a strict regiment of exercise including swimming and diving.

Voyage to Hawaii

She sailed to

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

in 1915, at the age of 15, to compete against champion American swimmer Ruth Stacker, who held the record of 50 yards in 31 seconds. During the race, Stacker accidentally entered Becker's swim lane. Both swimmers became confused; the race took seconds, won by Becker. While in Hawaii Becker "learned the trick of riding the surf boards" with a board she borrowed from swimmer and surfer

Duke Kahanamoku Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) was a Hawaiian competition swimmer, lifeguard, and popularizer of the sport of surfing. A Native Hawaiian, he was born three years before the overthrow of the ...

. At this time, few people other than

Pacific Islanders Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subreg ...

had learned to surf. Becker took to the sport quickly, surprising onlookers by performing a headstand on the board. Photos of Becker's tricks were published in the ''Chicago Tribune''. The publicity introduced many Americans to the novel sport of "Waikiki surf-riding." Returning from Hawaii, Becker brought her surfing skills back to her hometown of Santa Cruz, where a small surfing community already existed, started by Hawaiians in the 19th century. According to the ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' she was first woman surfer from the

. In a letter to

Bernarr Macfadden Bernarr Macfadden (born Bernard Adolphus McFadden, August 16, 1868 – October 12, 1955) was an American proponent of physical culture, a combination of bodybuilding with nutritional and health theories. He founded the long-running magazine pu ...

, Becker credits exercise with saving her life from illness. She says her well-developed muscles allow her to surf 75 yards while standing on her head. The letter is one of the earliest known references to a woman using resistance training to improve her sports performance.

Swimming accomplishments

Becker was the first woman to be a member of several athletic organizations, including the first in the Pacific Division of the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

. She resigned from the Pacific Athletic association in 1916 because of a dispute over a racing foul. In a time when swimming garments for women were typically bulky, Becker defied convention by swimming in a form-fitting, knit suit. Her suit was similar to that of men of the era like Duke Kahanamoku.

Races won

Personal life

She married George Lineer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Dorothy 1900 births 1989 deaths American surfers American female surfers 20th-century American sportswomen