Dorothy Becker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
headstand for 75 yards
| Dorothy Alden Becker | |
|---|---|
 Dorothy Becker | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 1900 |
| Died | 1989 |
| Surfing career | |
| Major achievements | pioneer, headstand for 75 yards |
Dorothy Alden Becker Lineer (1900 – 1989) was an American surfer and competitive swimmer. Regarded as the first woman surfer from the mainland United States, she was better known as a swimmer during her era because surfing was a little-known sport on the mainland at the time. She was nicknamed the "California Mermaid."[1]
Becker was born in Sitka, Alaska. Given a grim diagnosis by a doctor, her family moved her to Santa Cruz, California for a "nature cure" and set her on a strict regiment of exercise including swimming and diving.[2]
She sailed to Honolulu in 1915, at the age of 15, to compete against champion American swimmer Ruth Stacker, who held the record of 50 yards in 31 seconds.[3] During the race, Stacker accidentally entered Becker's swim lane. Both swimmers became confused; the race took 35+1⁄5 seconds, won by Becker.[4]
While in Hawaii Becker "learned the trick of riding the surf boards"[5] with a board she borrowed from swimmer and surfer Duke Kahanamoku.[6] At this time, few people other than Pacific Islanders had learned to surf.[4] Becker took to the sport quickly, surprising onlookers by performing a headstand on the board.[7] Photos of Becker's tricks were published in the Chicago Tribune. The publicity introduced many Americans to the novel sport of "Waikiki surf-riding."[8]
Returning from Hawaii, Becker brought her surfing skills back to her hometown of Santa Cruz, where a small surfing community already existed, started by Hawaiians in the 19th century.[9] According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel she was first woman surfer from the mainland United States.[6]
In a letter to Bernarr Macfadden, Becker credits exercise with saving her life from illness. She says her well-developed muscles allow her to surf 75 yards while standing on her head. The letter is one of the earliest known references to a woman using resistance training to improve her sports performance.[2]