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academia and surfing

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advertising and surfing

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Anderson, Simon

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angle

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Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Regularfoot surfer from Brigantine, New Jersey; world-ranked #3 in 1980; described by 

 magazine in 1981 as "very possibly the finest women's surfer in the world." Davoli began surfing in 1968 at age 11; in 1973 she won the New Jersey state title, placed second in the East Coast Championships, and won the girls' division of the United States Surfing Championships (USSC)—the first East Coast surfer to take a national title. 

Davoli was by that time already a world-class surfer—flowing, progressive, quick-footed, and virtually untouchable in local and state-wide competition. She was arguably 

, when 17-year-old Davoli entered a men's-only pro event in Atlantic City, in October 1974, "tournament officials rescinded [her] entry form." That same year she finished runner-up in the USSC.

Davoli moved to Hawaii in 1975, and two years later competed in the debut women's world circuit, finishing fifth for the season. Over the next three years, she placed, in order, 4th, 4th, and 3rd. Just prior to the end of the 1980 season—in which only two events counted toward the world title—Davoli injured her knee and was unable to compete in the final contest. She returned the following year to win the unrated Rip Curl Bells Beach contest, beating future world champion Pam Burridge in the final. Even so, as Davoli later said, "I was sleeping on people's couches, living on peanut butter and jelly. I was poor all the time and that's kinda the reason why I gave it up." At one point during her pro career, Davoli earned food money on the North Shore by fixing dings. As the 

 reported in 1976, Davoli had taken "a summer job at an amusement park working as a monster in a castle." It was around this time, Davoli later recalled, that her father called and said, ‘You’re going to get your ass home, get yourself a nice pair of high heels, and get a job in one of the casinos."

In 1980, while filming an episode of ABC's 

 along with former U.S. champion Rick Rasmussen and surfer-actor Gregory Harrison (Dr. Gonzo on CBS-TV's 

), she became the first woman to ride the long and exotic waves of Grajagan in Java. By that time, she'd also earned a reputation as a surfer who did not shy away from a night out. In a 1980 conversation with 

 magazine, after being asked about the "squeaky-clean" images the other top pro women were projecting, Davoli laughed and said, "I’m not going to change my lifestyle to suit the contests. Maybe in the future when [the sport] gets bigger I’ll settle down."  

Davoli was featured in a small number of surf movies, including 

 (1981), and in 1980 she placed 5th in the SURFER Poll Awards. Davoli was inducted into the East Coast Surf Legends Hall of Fame in 2002 and the New Jersey Surfing Hall of Fame in 2015. She was featured in the 2018 book, 

Ice Cream Headaches: Surf Culture in New York and New Jersey.

Davoli, Linda

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