George Greenough

George Greenough, born on 6 November 1941 in Santa Barbara, California, is an influential surfer who was known in the 1960s and 1970s for his work in film and in surfboard design. Together with Bob McTavish he contributed to the development of the short board. After open-heart surgery at ten he became known as an unconventional character who preferred solitary breaks such as Hollister Ranch and Rincon at dusk. He is credited with the modern surfboard fin, modelled on a tuna's dorsal fin, and with the 1961 balsa kneeboard known as the spoon. In 1964 he travelled to Australia, where his sharp bottom turns and barrel riding influenced Nat Young, winner of the 1966 world championships, and he later settled in Byron Bay. He also shot surf films from inside the barrel, including The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun.