Draft:George Freeth Group 1: Background & Early Life
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Last edited by IntentionallyDense (talk | contribs) 53 days ago. (Update) |
Topi Alahuhta: Section for Group 1, Teenage Years (Early Life)
[edit]George Freeth spent most of his teenage years enthralled in athletic competitions. Some of these came during his short stint in California (1898) at the famous Sutro Baths in San Francisco. Freeth's name was often found in the local newspaper for his feats in various water sports. He found success in the 50-yard freestyle, 120-yard special, tub racing, high diving, and diving for plates.[1] While George competed in California, his mother began divorce proceedings against his father. Most of Freeth's incredible achievements came while attending 'Iolani College in Honolulu. Freeth worked as a painter and competed on seemingly every sports team he could find. For the school itself, Freeth was the goalie of the soccer team and won the pole vault at the end-of-year school competition. He also found time to play for his painting company's soccer team on the side. 'Iolani's soccer team was so successful that they were set to play England in the championship game in 1901.[1] The game got canceled and by the time it could be rescheduled, George was already back in California putting on a show at the Sutro Baths. Freeth found time to row, play football, and swim all at the same time while living in San Francisco. George even took a trip up to Philadelphia to see his brother. While in Philadelphia, Freeth won a diving tournament.[1] When George Freeth was 19 years old, he finally returned to Honolulu to stay. He would do so to learn the art of surfing, something that had since been almost forgotten in Hawaii. Freeth started by putting his weight on his knees while surfing, then progressing to a sort of crouched position and eventually to standing upright.[1] It did not take long for Freeth to advance to incredible acrobatic feats from there. Local youth quickly learned from George's skills, and exhibitions could soon be held for surfing. Freeth continued participating in all possible sports while in Honolulu. Though his athletics rarely interrupted each other, he did on one occasion injure his hand playing football.[1] This impeded his ability in a diving exhibition. It is worth noting that Freeth's best sports while in Honolulu as a teenager all involved the water. This would greatly influence what eventually garners fame for him in California.
References
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- ^Moser, Patrick (2022). Surf and Rescue. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252086526