Rolf Aurness

When he was nine Aurness suffered a skull fracture after falling from a tree. His father, reported to be an enthusiastic surfer,[3] used surfing to help his son recover. He implemented a strict training regime of dawn sessions at beaches, long distance swimming and weekend beach trips, including the Hollister Ranch.[1]

Several times a year they visited Hawaii, renting accommodation on Mākaha beach.[3]

Aurness is the son of Gunsmoke actor James Arness and nephew of Mission Impossible actor Peter Graves.[1][2]

In the decade following his World Surfing Championship win, Aurness fell out of surfing when mother, sister, and wife all died within a few years.[1][2] His sister Jenny Lee Aurness committed suicide on May 12, 1975.[4], followed by the suicide of his mother Virginia (née Chapman) in 1976, and the cancer death of his wife in 1978.

His half-brother Craig founded the stock photography agency Westlight and also was a photographer for National Geographic.[5]

His father, well known Western and Gunsmoke television show actor James Arness, died on June 3, 2011.[6]

• The Ranch www.surfline.com. Greg Heller, November 2000
• Carroll: Swimming with Marshal Dillon Orange County Register. December 28, 2010
• Boyd, Duke (2009). Dregni, Michael (ed.). Legends of Surfing: The Greatest Surfriders from Duke Kahanamoku to Kelly Slater (hardback) (1st ed.). Minneapolis: MVP Books. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-7603-3599-4. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
• Warshaw, Matt (2005). The Encyclopedia of Surfing (1st ed.). Orlando, FL.: Harcourt. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-0-15-603251-3. Retrieved 22 June 2013.