About Gary Elkerton
Gary Elkerton, known as Kong is an Australian surfer, three time world masters champion, three time world professional runner-up, twice Hawaiian Triple Crown champion and Australian amateur champion (1984). He is regarded as an iconic big-wave rider and is highly respected by his peers for his unique, powerful surfing style. In 2009, Gary was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame. Gary took his first steps on the deck of the boat and was mostly home schooled at sea during his early years, despite short-lived, failed attempts at conventional education. Elkerton's first surf was in Kingscliff in NSW at age nine. By 1980, he had achieved significant success as a competitive junior surfer during his breaks from the trawler, so much so that he won his first of several Queensland Titles. The beach the Elkertons lived beside became known as 'Kong's Cove'.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.