Surfer, lover, fighter, lifesaver… Butch Van Artsdalen was all of these things and so much more during his all too short but exciting life here among us. Everyone who was around the surfing scene from the 1950s to the 1970s has a “Butch story,” many of which have been compiled in this oral history of his life and times. From his early days as a part of the wild Windansea Beach crowd, to being the first “Mr. Pipeline,” to becoming, along with Eddie Aikau, the first lifeguard on the North Shore of Oahu, Butch rarely knew a dull moment and packed a lot of living into his thirty-eight years. He had many ups and downs in his life, starting with becoming one of surfing’s brightest stars in the early 60s with his cutting-edge performances at the dreaded “Banzai Pipeline” in Hawaii, to losing his status as one of the “in” crowd with the hippie shortboard revolution later in the decade. He would realize a more important role when he saved countless lives as a lifeguard in the 70s, but sadly his severe depression, exacerbated by alcoholism, kept him from fully understanding and embracing everything that he meant to so many people. Regardless, there is nary a dull moment in his life, which is fully and richly documented here by his friends and family.

Douglas Cavanaugh has been a freelance writer for many years. His articles and essays on boxing, surfing and organized crime history have appeared in various books, magazines and online sites in several languages.