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James Arness said that this unexpected sport was his favorite
The Gunsmoke actor shared his passion with his family.
Many Western greats were also stars of the Gridiron. Maybe it's the body type that lends itself to success in both settings. John Wayne and Wagon Train's Ward Bond both played football for USC. Dan "Hoss Cartwright" Blocker played for Hardin–Simmons University years before he appeared on Bonanza. Lee Majors even went as far as getting an offer to try out for the St. Louis Cardinals. Chuck Connors differed from his peers, playing in both the MLB and the NBA.
While James Arness' frame would have made him successful in many sports, the spirit of competition may have eluded him. Instead, Arness' heart belonged to the water.
In his 2001 autobiography, Arness discussed sharing one of his favorite pastimes with his children.
"All through the 1960s I took the kids to the beach, where I taught them swimming and my favorite sport, surfing. At the time we lived in Pacific Palisades, and since we were at the beach much of the time I built another house at San Clemente, about a ten-minute ride to San Onofre. The same group that I'd surfed with there had since gotten married and were there with their families, and it was like an ongoing reunion."
While it may not have been the major leagues, surfing brought James Arness peace and fulfillment he might not have otherwise had during the production of Gunsmoke.
"We surfed until we dropped," he wrote.
"[We] enjoyed warm and humourous chats around a crackling fire, marveled at the beautiful sunsets, and enjoyed unbelievable barbecues. Every time I go to a barbecue these days, I'm still reminded of those marvelous years."
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12 Comments
A sport currently existing for go-along/get-along, FOMO, career-advancers.
Or so I've been led to understand.
Interesting tidbit about him. And sounds like he was a great father
Gunsmoke USA...
When read the article late yesterday, my brain was too tired & imagination could not create a visual.
But your musical reference clicked something inside & now I have audio AND visual of Arness surfing
Thanks, A-D, You made my day!