Rolf Aurness was born on February 18, 1952 in
Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, California. He won the 1970
World Surfing Champion
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is the world governing authority for surfing, SUP racing, SUP surfing, bodyboarding and all other wave riding activities. The ISA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
After the 20 ...
ships held at
Johanna
Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek Spiritus ...
in
Victoria, Australia
Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...
, beating
Midget Farrelly in the finals.
[
]
Surfing career
When he was nine Aurness suffered a skull fracture after falling from a tree. His father, reported to be an enthusiastic surfer,[
Several times a year they visited Hawaii, renting accommodation on Mākaha beach.]
Personal life
Aurness is the son of ''Gunsmoke
''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' actor James Arness and nephew of '' Mission Impossible'' actor Peter Graves.[Kampion, Drew (December 2000]
"Rolf Aurness Biography"
'' Surf Line'', Accessed June 5, 2011["Rolf Aurness Biography"]
. www.worldchampionsofsurfing.com, Accessed June 5, 2011
In the decade following his World Surfing Championship win Aurness fell out of surfing as his wife, mother and sister all died.[ 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.]["Jenny Lee Aurness"]
'' findagrave'', Accessed March 15, 2010
His adopted brother, Craig, founded the stock photography agency Westlight and also was a photographer for '' National Geographic''.[Walker, David (December 16, 2004]
"In Memoriam: Craig Aurness, 58"
'' Photo District News'', Accessed June 5, 2011.
His father, well known Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
* Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that i ...
and ''Gunsmoke'' television show actor James Arness, died on June 3, 2011.
References
External links
The Ranch
www.surfline.com. Greg Heller, November 2000
Orange County Register. December 28, 2010
*
*
Living people
1952 births
American surfers
{{US-surfing-bio-stub