[1] Born in San Diego and raised in Santa Monica, he body-surfed as a child and started surfing at age 12.
Buzzy gained international fame in 1953 when he was photographed by Scoop Suzuki riding a 20-foot winter wave at Mākaha in the first widely published photos of big wave surfing.
[3] Throughout his life he was an exceptional athlete, including being an all-state football player.
[2] Buzzy was featured in the 2004 documentary film Riding Giants, directed and narrated by Stacy Peralta.
[3] He died on September 26, 2006, at Hale Ho Aloha nursing home in Honolulu, HI at age 77.