Montgomery Ernest Thomas Kaluhiokalani (March 30, 1958 – November 2, 2013) was a surfer from Hawaii, known as Buttons. He was an innovator of modern surfing maneuvers and was known for his switch foot surfing and for performing the first backside 360 in a major surf film.

Surfer Magazine ''Surfer'' was an American monthly periodical focused on surfing and surf culture, founded in 1962 by noted surfer, writer, photographer, artist and humorist John Severson (1933–2017). The magazine folded in 2020. ''Surfer'' began as a quarte ...

called him one of the most influential surfers of all time, and he has been described by ''Surfer Today'' as a "surf legend."

Early life

Born Montgomery Ernest Thomas Kaluhiokalani in Honolulu, his father was an army serviceman and his mother was a bartender. When he was five, his mother moved with him and his two brothers to

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

, where his grandmother gave him his nickname, saying that the tight curls of his hair looked like "buttons" attached to his head.

Career

Kaluhiokalani was active from the 1970s onwards. In 1973 he came second in the Boys' Division of the United States Surfing Championship. At the age of 21 he competed in the

Pipeline Masters The Billabong Pipeline Masters is an event in surfing held annually at Banzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii. It was established in 1971, and has been sponsored by Billabong since 2007. The event attracts the top 34 surfers from The World Surf Lea ...

and Sunset World Cup. In 1979 he won the

Malibu Pro Malibu may refer to: Places * Malibu, California, a United States city **Malibu High School ** Malibu Lake **Malibu Creek * Malibu, British Columbia, a locality in Canada * Baja Malibu, a beach in Rosarito Beach Municipality, Baja California, Mex ...

; he also came third in the 1975

Pro Class Trials Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional". Pro, PRO or variants thereof may also refer to: People * Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest * Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter * Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African retire ...

, third in the 1981 Pro Class Trials, third in the 1981 Pipeline Masters, and first in the 1981

Peru International The Peru International is an open international badminton tournament in Peru. It was the highest international championships in Peru. The tournament has been an International Challenge level since 2009. Another tournament named Peru International S ...

Drug problems

In 2009, Buttons described himself as a "recovering drug addict" who had been sober for three years. His drug problems began in 1985 with cocaine; he returned to surfing in 1996 but was arrested in 1998, although charges were later dropped. In 2007 he featured on the TV show '' Dog the Bounty Hunter'' after being arrested for drug offenses. He recovered from his drug problems and started his own surf school on Oahu's North Shore. Buttons also gave lessons to the disabled and made multiple PSA videos encouraging adults and youth alike to stay off of drugs.

Personal life

Buttons was named after actor

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

. He had 8 children and 9 grandchildren. Kaluhiokalani died on November 2, 2013, due to complications from lung cancer. He was 55 years old. A memorial service was held at

Kapiolani Park Queen Kapiolani Regional Park is the largest and second-oldest public park in Hawaii, located in Honolulu on the east end of Waikiki just beyond Kuhio Beach Park and the Waikiki residential neighborhood. The park, named after Queen Kapiolani, ...

on November 29, 2013. This was followed by a 'paddle out' of more than 100 surfers and their boards, from the adjacent beach to the waters where Buttons had practiced his craft. http://www.k5thehometeam.com/story/24100089/memorial-paddle-out-for-revolutionary-hawaii-surfer?clienttype=mobile/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaluhiokalani, Montgomery 1958 births 2013 deaths American surfers Sportspeople from Honolulu Deaths from lung cancer in California