Preston Peterson

Champion surfer, stuntman, and all-around expert waterman Preston "Pete" Peterson was born Francis Preston Peterson on April 14, 1913 in Rockport, Texas. Peterson moved with his family to Santa Monica, California. He first started surfing at age nine in 1922. Preston dropped out of high school at age sixteen in 1929. Peterson began participating in surfing, swimming, and paddleboard competitions in the early 1930's. Among the notable surfing, swimming, and paddleboard contests that Preston won are: The Pacific Coast Surfing Championship (1932, 1936, 1938, & 1941), the Coast Dory Championship (1933 & 1934), the Hermosa Beach One Mile Paddleboard Championship (1934 & 1939), the Santa Monica Lifeguard Swim (1935 & 1936), the West Coast Championships (tandem with Patti Carey in both 1960 & 1962), and the United States Surfing Championships (tandem with Sharon Barker in 1964 & tandem with Barrie Algaw in 1966). Moreover, Peterson not only was a City of Santa Monica lifeguard up until 1955, but also served in the United States Navy during World War II as well as worked on a handful of films and TV shows as a stuntman, bit player, boat master, and marine coordinator. In addition, Preston also designed and shaped surfboards, designed and built the West Coast's finest surf dories, ran a marine salvage business as a licensed skipper and contractor, and even helped advance the development of the rescue tube. Preston died at age 70 on May 4, 1983 in Los Angeles, California.