Rolf Aurness

{{Short description|American surfer}} {{Infobox surfer | name =Rolf Aurness | image =  | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|2|18}} | birth_place =Santa Monica, California, US | death_date =  | death_place = | residence = | nickname = | height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}} | weight = | best_year = 1970 | career_earnings = | sponsors = | major_achievements = World Surfing Champion, 1970 | stance = Goofy foot }}

'''Rolf Aurness''' (born February 18, 1952, Santa Monica, California) is an American surfer who won the 1970 World Surfing Championships held at Johanna in Victoria, Australia, beating Midget Farrelly in the finals.<ref name=surfline_rolf_bio/><ref name= worldchampionsofsurfing_rolf_bio/>

He is the son of the famous ''Gunsmoke'' actor James Arness.

== Surfing career == When he was nine Aurness suffered a skull fracture after falling from a tree. His father, reported to be an enthusiastic surfer,<ref name=ocr-gunsmoke-star>{{cite news |last1=Carroll|first1=Corky|title='Gunsmoke' star never met a wave he didn't like |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/jim-304142-one-surf.html|accessdate=August 24, 2014 |work=Orange County Register |orig-date=June 11, 2011 |date=August 21, 2013 }}</ref> used surfing to help his son recover. He implemented a strict training regimen of dawn sessions at beaches, long-distance swimming and weekend beach trips, including the Hollister Ranch.<ref name=surfline_rolf_bio/>

Several times a year they visited Hawaii, renting accommodation on Mākaha beach.<ref name=ocr-gunsmoke-star />

== Personal life == Aurness is the son of ''Gunsmoke'' actor James Arness (who died on June 3, 2011<ref>{{cite web|url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43269981/ns/today-entertainment/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606062239/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43269981/ns/today-entertainment/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 6, 2011|title='Gunsmoke' star James Arness dies at 88 |publisher=today.msnbc.com|date=June 3, 2011|accessdate=June 5, 2011}}</ref>) and nephew of ''Mission Impossible'' actor Peter Graves.<ref name = surfline_rolf_bio>Kampion, Drew (December 2000) [http://www.surfline.com/surfing-a-to-z/rolf-aurness-biography-and-photos_751/ "Rolf Aurness Biography"]. ''Surf Line''. Accessed June 5, 2011.</ref><ref name=worldchampionsofsurfing_rolf_bio>[http://www.worldchampionsofsurfing.com/rolf-aurness-biography/ "Rolf Aurness Biography"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320205844/http://www.worldchampionsofsurfing.com/rolf-aurness-biography/ |date=2012-03-20 }}. www.worldchampionsofsurfing.com Profile], worldchampionsofsurfing.com. Accessed June 5, 2011</ref>

In the decade following his World Surfing Championship win Aurness fell out of surfing due to the deaths of his wife, mother, and sister.<ref name=surfline_rolf_bio/><ref name= worldchampionsofsurfing_rolf_bio/> His wife died in 1978 from cancer, his mother Virginia (née Chapman) died in 1977 of an accidental drug overdose,<ref>{{cite web |date=August 1, 1977 |title=Actor's ex-wife overdoses |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29049014/actors_exwife_overdoses/ |website=The Pocono Record |page=2}}</ref> and his sister Jenny Lee Aurness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose in 1975.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 3, 2011 |title=Remembering James Arness, 1923–2011 |work=Orange County Register |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2011/06/03/remembering-james-arness-1923-2011/ |access-date=March 2, 2019}}</ref> His adopted brother, Craig, founded the stock photography agency Westlight and also was a photographer for ''National Geographic''.<ref name = Craig>Walker, David (December 16, 2004) [http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4451562-1.html "In Memoriam: Craig Aurness, 58"]. ''Photo District News''. Accessed June 5, 2011.</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.surfline.com/surfing-a-to-z/the-ranch-history_927/ The Ranch] www.surfline.com. Greg Heller, November 2000 *[http://www.ocregister.com/articles/jim-281900-time-guy.html Carroll: Swimming with Marshal Dillon] Orange County Register. December 28, 2010 * {{cite book |last=Boyd |first=Duke |title=Legends of Surfing: The Greatest Surfriders from Duke Kahanamoku to Kelly Slater |year=2009|publisher=MVP Books |location=Minneapolis |isbn=978-0-7603-3599-4 |page=81 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gc54QCRCypIC&q=%22Rolf+Aurness%22&pg=PA81 |edition=1st |editor=Dregni, Michael |accessdate=22 June 2013 |format=hardback}} * {{cite book|last=Warshaw|first=Matt|title=The Encyclopedia of Surfing|year=2005|publisher=Harcourt|location=Orlando, FL.|isbn=978-0-15-603251-3|pages=25–26|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-DWQSYRx4MUC&q=%22Rolf+Aurness%22&pg=PA715|edition=1st|accessdate=22 June 2013}} {{s-start}} {{s-ach|ach}} {{Succession box | title = ISF World Surfing Champion (men's) | years = 1970 | before = Fred Hemmings | after = Jimmy Blears }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aurness, Rolf}} Category:Living people Category:1952 births Category:American surfers