Hawaii, the 50th state of the US, has been known to create some of the finest surfers of all time. A surfing icon of Hawaii, Dane Kealoha, rose up the surfing ranks in the 1960s. In the heyday of surfing, this surfer from Honolulu invented a new style of surfing, the pig dog style.

Kealoha was first inspired by watching the watermen on the shores of Waikiki Beach. Later, it was courtesy of his father who took him to the famed Waikiki beach. Even today, he is being remembered after he recently passed away as he lost to a long-fought battle with cancer.

Hawaiin surfing legend Dane Kealoha’s lasting impact

As per Stab magazine, in 1958, Dane Kealoha was born to pure-bred Hawaiian parents in a carpenter household. Seeing his interest, Kealoha’s father took him to ride the surf. In no time, the Honolulu native went from surfing the gentle waves of the South Shore to the more advanced Ala Moana Stretch. In 1973, by age 15, Kealoha had already won the Hawaii state surfing title in the boy’s division.

As he has recently passed away, the sporting world will remember him for his immense contribution to surfing, especially during the time the sport was rising to its peak. One particular contribution would be his ‘pig dog’ style of surfing. It was a unique technique that allowed him to ride deep inside the tube of a wave without losing his balance and stability. An immensely effective technique to be a successful tube rider, which Kealoha was.

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Kealoha developed this surfing style during the late 1970s and early 1980s, which soon became his signature stance. He eventually reached the peak of his career in 1983.

He surfed even during his last days

Dane Kealoha had won the championships trophy at Pipeline Masters that year. A month later, he won the Duke and secured first-place ranking. Kealoha soon retired from professional surfing. However, years later in 2002, Kealoha reemerged in the surfing scene and rode one of the largest barrels ever in Jaws. He was 44 years old then. Kealoha also managed to form a partnership with the surf-inspired apparel company Quicksilver.

Little was known as to when he contracted the deadly disease. But on May 6th, 2023, Kealoha passed away peacefully after battling cancer. This comes months after another Honolulu-based surfer, China Uemura passed away and his daughter paid him an homage. He is survived by his mother, two brothers, four sons, three daughters, and two grandchildren. His family will soon honor his legacy.

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