Excerpt from "5,000 Years: the History of Surfing in Peru"

The second international surf championship was organized in 1957 and was attended by a Hawaiian team that included the famous Conrad Cunha, the first female champion Ethel Kukea, Albert “Rabbit” Kekai and Roy Ichinose, all of them members of the Hawaiian National Team. Perhaps the most significant part of the championship was that, while the Peruvians had previously been using balsawood boards, they were able to pick up smaller, lighter foam and fiberglass boards that Cunha and Kekai left behind them. Thanks to the international exchange between surfers the Peruvians technology and prowess in the water had increased considerably, which would eventually turn the Peruvian team into a feared opponent in championships to come.

1) Conrad Canha, 2) Guillermo Wiese, 3) Piti Block, 4) Rabbit Kekai, 5) Eduardo Arena

1957 Peru International Surfing Championships

Subscribe or Login