George Downing was a surfer from Honolulu who is credited by the Encyclopedia of Surfing (EOS) as being the first “complete” big-wave rider in the world for his time. Downing won the Makaha International in 1954, 1961, and 1965 and served as a longtime director for the Eddie Aikau surf contest at Waimea Bay. The legendary wave-rider opened Downing Hawaii in 1989. Since then, it has served as a bastion of Hawaiian surf culture and where you can still go today to browse, shop, and talk story. Management is more than happy to chat about Downing’s legacy and much more. Come soak up the stoke, and mana, at Downing Hawaii.