Marge Calhoun

Champion surfer Marge Booth Calhoun was born on March 20, 1924 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The daughter of a film set designer, Calhoun spent her childhood weekends in the 1930's and 1940's with her family on both Venice Beach and Santa Monica Beach in California, where she practiced swimming and diving. A competitive swimmer and diver, Marge trained to participate in the 1940 Olympics only to have the games canceled because of World War II. In addition, Calhoun also worked as a stunt performer. Marge got her first surfboard as a Christmas gift from her husband Tom and started surfing Topanga Canyon in the mid-1950's. In 1958 Calhoun made history as the first female surfer to win the Makaha International Surfing tournament. Marge went on to co-found the United States Surfing Association in 1961; she served as the association's first secretary and first female surfing judge. Her daughters Candy Calhoun and Robin Calhoun are also champion surfers. She was inducted into the Surfing Walk Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, California in 2003. Calhoun died at age 93 on September 2, 2017.