- David Nuuhiwa
-
David Nuuhiwa
Personal information Born July 23, 1948
Oahu, HawaiiResidence Huntington Beach, Orange County (San Diego County), California Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Surfing career Years active 1952-present Best year 1972 Sponsors Oxbow Major achievements Surfing Walk of Fame 2005 Surf Champion, 2001 Local Hero Surfing specifications Stance Goofy Shaper(s) Donald Takayama Quiver Long Noseriders, Twin-Fin Fishes Favorite waves Tavarua, Fiji Favorite maneuvers Noseriding Website nuuhiwasurf.com David Kealohalani Nuuhiwa III (more commonly known as David Nuuhiwa) is a Hawaiian surfer.
Life
After his mother died in 1952, he lived with various relatives. Nuuhiwa competed in contests when he was as young as six. He originally became interested in Paipo boarding,[1] an equivalent to skimboarding, but soon transitioned to larger boards. He moved to California in 1961.
It was along the various breaks of California that David Nuuhiwa perfected the art of noseriding, often perched at the tip of his board for 20 seconds or more. Nuuhiwa's smooth and fluid style established him as the prime choice for the 1966 World Title in San Diego.
However, it was a shocking defeat when Nuuhiwa bowed out of the 6-man semifinal heat. At the time, Nuuhiwa was weakened by a bad case of stomach flu, contributing to or causing his defeat. Nuuhiwa watched from the beach as Nat Young rode "Magic Sam", popularly referenced as the single board that ushered in the shortboard revolution.
Nuuhiwa continued to win contests following the world into the shortboard era, such as the 1971 U.S. Surfing Championships (on a tri-fin, before the Thruster was invented), but a world title still eluded him. By this time Nuuhiwa had transitioned from his longboards to shortboards, favoring twin-fin fishes. He continued to win competitions and make projects, most notably surfing in Rainbow Bridge, a film starring Jimi Hendrix.
In 1972, Nuuhiwa found himself in a position to claim another world title, ironically, back in San Diego. But on the final day of the competition, Nuuhiwa's twin-fin fish had been stolen. It was found hanging by the Ocean Beach Pier, ruined and mutilated by a butcher knife. It was inscribed "GOOD LUCK DAVID!" He got to the final heat on a different board, but finished second to Paul Neilsen.
Nuuhiwa soon starred in Five Summer Stories, a surf film. He soon after he disappeared from the surfing scene for a decade.
However, he emerged from his hiatus and rose back to the top of the longboard resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s. He still rides his classic twin-fin fishes on occasion, but maintains his true love for the noserider. He now ranks among the legends as one of the most recognizable faces in surfing. When asked what he thought of the rediscovery of the longboard, he responded with one word: "FUN!"[2]
References
External links
Interview with David Nuuhiwa in Liquid Salt Magazine
Categories:- American surfers
- Living people
- 1948 births
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
