Surfing's Origins - George Downing & The Hot Curl
George Downing was a legendary Hawaiian surfer, renowned for his contributions to big wave surfing and the development of surfing in Hawaii. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1930, Downing began surfing at a young age and quickly gained recognition for his skill in riding waves. I never got a chance to meet him and it was a huge disappointment. I admired his skill so much as a board builder and waterman, I really wanted to meet the man. Airplane tickets and hotels were booked to travel to Hawaii in 2014 to meet him. The day before we we supposed to leave I got a phone call, Mr Downing was too ill and didn’t want to meet with anyone. I had to respect that. He passed away in 2018.
One of Downing's notable achievements was his pioneering of the "hot curl" surfboard design, which incorporated a sharply pointed nose and a pronounced V-shaped bottom. This design allowed surfers to navigate more effectively on large waves, particularly in the powerful surf of Hawaii. In Addicted to Joy, Donald Takayama and Larry Fuller created what George said was the perfect “hot curl”. The board George was talking about is highly featured in ATJ, I hope you take the chance to view it.
By definition, a hot curl shape allows the surfer to better control the board. Before this innovation, once a rider got into the curl of a wave, the board would go out from under him and head for the beach. It could be a long swim with no leash. Rabbit Kekai was one of the first riders of this style of board. Here he is on the left with surfer and shaper Kenny Tilton.
It was a big disappointment to have never met Mr. Downing, but I could certainly understand his work. This board was shown at the San Francisco Museum’s satellite gallery at San Francisco Airport in Jan 2019, a true work of art.
Downing also played a significant role in popularizing big wave surfing at iconic Hawaiian surf breaks such as Waimea Bay and Makaha. He was one of the first surfers to tackle the massive waves of Waimea Bay during the winter swells, paving the way for future generations of big wave riders. Here’s a picture of George eating ice cream, the photo is by Larry Fuller and I just love it.
In addition to his accomplishments as a surfer, George Downing was instrumental in organizing surfing competitions and promoting the sport's growth in Hawaii. He founded the Hawaiian Surfing Association and played a key role in establishing competitive surfing events such as the Makaha International Surfing Championships.
Throughout his life, George Downing remained deeply connected to the surfing community in Hawaii, serving as a mentor to younger surfers and continuing to surf well into his later years. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 87, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the pioneers of modern surfing.
George Downing was at the right place at the right time. I hope you find inspiration in his story and in the film Addicted to Joy. I’d like to thank you all for reading Wood Water Soul. We’d like to announce we have moved Addicted to Joy to a new streaming service, we have some very cool things planned for the future, we’re excited to share it with you, please share it with a friend, I invite you to watch, Aloha.