Duline McGough

Duline McGough

by Duline McGough

Duline McGough is a Southern California surfer/paddler lucky enough to have surfed worldwide for over 7 decades.

Born in long Beach and raised in Surfside Colony she has always called Huntington Beach her hometown and favorite break.

Duline’s first surfboard ride was with her dad Mac when she was 3 months old. By 6 months she could swim from his big redwood board to her mom in the shallows. By 5 years old she rode “airbags” and by 7 canvas surfeits, and ruined all her dolls by teaching them to surf.

At the age of 13 Duline swam for the Huntington Beach High swim team and competed in the annual “Pier Swim”, usually finishing last. When she bought her Churchill swim fins in 1956 her longtime bodysurfing career began.

Not until her senior year inland at Bellflower High School did the surfboard bug bite. One ride at Doheny in 1960 on a borrowed 11 foot balsa wood board and she was hooked.

Dulling worked as a lifeguard, swim instructor, and at Disneyland while earning her degree at Long Beach State College. During that time she surfed for Long Beach Surf Club and was a team rider for Gordie Surfboards in Huntington Beach, California.

Through the early 1960s she competed in women’s, open paddling and even tandem events with longtime friend Lee Willmore. In 1965 they one 2nd place in Novice Tandem in monster surf and she took home the women’s Huntington Beach resident trophy.

In Early 1966 she finally found her “dream” job. For 37 years she was a stewardess and Stew School instructor for United Air Lines. The job meant traveling and surfing the world.

When W.I.S.A. formed in early 1975 women surfing history was made. Duline l joined a group of longtime friends and surfing was “reborn” to her. She served for 3 years as Secretary, Vice President and co-edited the W.I.S.A Newsletter. She competed again with W.I.S.A. well int the 1980s…having the time of her life.

A big highlight with W.I.S.A. in 1975 was the chance to compete and announce the 1975 Women’s Pro at Malibu. This led to a part surfing and narrating in Hal Jeppsen’s movie “Super Session” later that year.

Duline surfed tandem again in 1976 with John Taylor of the infamous Gordies Hole in the Wall Gang. They placed second once again in monster surf.

When Duline retired from flying in 2003 she added outrigger canoes to her arsenal of water weapons. Lucky to have a master wood craftsman for a husband. She has a quiver of custom outrigger paddle blades.

Dulling lives in Dana Point with husband Nick Nigro and a surfing dog named Lava. She surfs, paddles long distances and steers her outrigger canoe.

 

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