Richard S. Rasmussen (1955 – August 26, 1982) was an American professional surfer. He was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, son of a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

pilot and traveled the United States extensively in his formative years, the only constant being the ocean. His family settled in

Westhampton Beach Westhampton Beach is an incorporated village in the Town of Southampton, in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,721. History Westhampton Beach Village ...

where he attended

Westhampton Beach High School Westhampton Beach High School is a public four-year high school for grades 9–12 in Westhampton Beach, New York, which is located at the southeastern end of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Island. Notable alumni *Rick Rasmussen ...

until the age of 15, when he ran away from home to pursue his professional surfing dreams. He became the United States Surfing Champion. He was from Westhampton, New York. He was filmed for the TV show ''

The American Sportsman ''The American Sportsman'' is an American television series that aired from 1965 to 1986 on ABC which presented filmed highlights involving the program's hosts and celebrities participating in hunting and/or fishing trips along with outdoor recre ...

''. He was the first East Coast surfer to win the US Surfing Championships. He was shot and killed in a drug deal gone bad in 1982.

References

1955 births 1982 deaths American surfers Sportspeople from New York City Drug-related deaths in New York (state) Deaths by firearm in New York (state) Date of birth missing {{US-surfing-bio-stub