Bruce Brown, whose 'Endless Summer' redefined surfing, dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bruce Brown, whose 1966 surfing documentary "The Endless Summer" molded the image of the surfer as a seeker of adventure and fulfillment and transformed the sport, has died. He was 80.

Brown died of natural causes Sunday in Santa Barbara, said Alex Mecl, general manager of Bruce Brown Films.

Along with the music of the Beach Boys, Brown took surfing from a quirky hobby to a fundamental part of American culture.

Surfers had largely been portrayed as beach blanket buffoons in the mindless party movies of the early 1960s.

Then came Brown and "The Endless Summer" with his beautiful, soulful story of surfers on a quest for fulfillment — an image that became emblazoned on the cultural psyche.