"California Girl, Froiseth Capture Surf Meet Titles," Honolulu Advertiser, Nov 30, 1959

Wally Froiseth, veteran Waikiki water sportsman, and Linda Benson, 15-year-old San Diego, California schoolgirl, yesterday won 1959 surfing championships at Makaha Beach.

They topped contestants in the annual International Surfing Meet sponsored by the Waikiki Surf Club.

Froiseth succeeded Peter Cole, Punahou School teacher from California, as the Men's champion. Competition was so keen that Cole failed to place among the five winners.

Rabbit Kekai, a former champion, took second place and was followed by George Downing, Buffalo Keaulana and Tom Zahn.

Miss Benson, a student at Point Loma High School near San Diego, caught six big waves and rode them perfectly in Saturday's finals. She succeeded Marge Calhoun as champion. Mrs. Calhoun did not defend her title due to illness In her family.

Miss Benson, who was sponsored by United States Overseas Airlines and Dale Velzy, was followed by Anona Naome. Robin Grigg, also of California, placed third. Cynthia Hemmings and Sally Lacy took the next two places.

Ed Whaley and Diane Moore caught six good rides to win the tandem championship. Mud Werner and Robin Grigg won second place while Rabbit Kekai and Heidi Stevens placed third.

Tom and Marion Zahn barely missed placing among the top three. All finalists got excellent rides.

Paul Strauch Jr. won the Junior title, with Bunny Lee placing second. They were followed in order by Dennis McClure. Eric Romanchak and Winston Mirikitani.

A special award went to Kalani Delovio, a Junior finalist, for the meet's best spill.

Lord James Blears and Blue Makua were the head judges. Clarence (Mac) Maki, general chairman, was taken ill and missed the finale of the four-day competition.

John Lind, president of the sponsoring Waikiki Surf Club, said waves ran from six to eight feet and that surfing conditions were ideal for competition. He added that yesterday's crowd was the largest of the year. Unofficial estimates placed day long gatherings up to 10, 000 people.

"Makaha Surfing Champs Crowned," Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Nov 30, 1959

Veteran Wally Froiseth, perhaps the oldest surfer out there, won his first surf-riding title in the finals of the Makaha Surf Championships yesterday.

An overflow crowd of more than 10,000 saw Froiseth beat out top-flight competition to post his first "big” win.

Last year's champion Peter Cole was washed out twice and finished out of the first five places.

Linda Benson, a 15-year-old blond from San Diego, California, took the women’s event.

The men’s junior title went to Paul Strauch Jr., while Ed Whaley and Diane Moore took the tandem honors.

The best “wipe out’’ award went to Kalani Delovio.

A total of 182 surfers participated in the four-day meet.

Makaha Queen Lorene Perrin doled out trophies to the victors yesterday.

"Hickham Teenager is Surfing Champ," by Maggi Moore, Honolulu Advertiser, Dec 4, 1959

At Makaha Sunday Ed “Blackout” Whaley and Diane “Gidget" Moore won first place in the tandem event in the International Surfing Championships. |

Diane is the daughter of Col. and Mrs. William C. Moore of Hickam. She is 15 years old and a sophomore at Sacred Hearts Academy. She is a petite, blue-eyed blonde and a very popular member of Hickam's younger set.

Known as “Gidget" to most of her friends at Hickam. Diane said, “Ed Whaley is a terrific surfer. It’s not work on the girl's part. All she has to do is keep balance." This Diane surely did.

It was literally water ballet. Her posture high in the air on Ed's shoulders, silhouetted against the giant waves, had the grace of a dancer.

Asked if she had ever studied ballet, Diane said, "Yes, I studied ballet for five years." No one was surprised.

Diane says she has been surfing about a year. She spends all her spare time on a surfboard, most of the time at Makaha.

When asked if she was nervous before Sunday's competition, she said "I was very nervous before I went out, but after we got under way I was OK."

1959 Makaha International Surfing Championships

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