Downing, George
Magisterial regularfoot surfer from Honolulu, Hawaii, often thought of as the first "complete" big-wave rider; winner of the Makaha International in 1954, 1961, and 1965; longtime competition director of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau event at Waimea Bay. Downing was born (1930) and raised in Honolulu, the son of a marine machinist, and began surfing Waikiki at age nine. In the latter ye...
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George DowningSubscribe to view
George Downing, 1965. Photo: Ron StonerSubscribe to view
George Downing, Waikiki, 1955Subscribe to view
George Downing, Makaha. Photo: Ron StonerSubscribe to view
George Downing, Makaha, 1950s. Photo: Walter HoffmanSubscribe to view
George Downing (right) and Wally Froiesth, Waikiki, around 1950. Photo: Clarence MakiSubscribe to view
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/711a911989cbf8e332d2d05381013b8d0fb5e43a-900x506.jpg?w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
George Downing
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/e06d5d45de285993bea6978a848560899c7c0c1a-900x791.jpg?rect=0,67,900,506&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
George Downing, 1965. Photo: Ron Stoner
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/19fc8589f7cd3e0be676be23ccd85ec89e70fb55-737x900.jpg?rect=0,0,737,415&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
George Downing, Waikiki, 1955
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/e5a61b4d5204c01a4e9e26ab243873cb6afe82bf-900x559.jpg?rect=0,28,900,506&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
George Downing, Makaha. Photo: Ron Stoner
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/1cf6c794c2db2923a8b8243386a1e3ad919596d0-900x843.jpg?rect=0,179,900,506&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
George Downing, Makaha, 1950s. Photo: Walter Hoffman
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/f1hjpcr4/production/a0cdc62fe1850b583a4d54d746a94b203986ccfc-700x479.jpg?rect=0,0,700,394&w=640&h=360&q=65&auto=format)
George Downing (right) and Wally Froiesth, Waikiki, around 1950. Photo: Clarence Maki