Kiwi Surfing Legend Allan Byrne Dies at 62

Kiwi surfing great Allan Byrne passed away on Thursday in Bali, Indonesia. He had slipped into coma in a hospital after a motorcycle accident, but failed to recover from his injuries. He was 62.

Byrne was on a holiday in Bali and was due to enter the masters division competition at the Rip Curl Cup in the Southeast Asian nation when he was involved in an accident. Apart from a broken arm, he also suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

"I've lost my best friend," Hot Stuff Surfboards boss and Byrne's long-time friend Paul Hallas told GoldCoast.com.au. "Everyone's just devastated. We all thought he would pull through again like he always has."

Byrne moved from New Zealand to Gold Coast, Australia in the '70s, where he had quickly made a name for himself as a fearless surfer and surfboard shaper.

He had collected a total of eight national titles in both Junior and Open divisions.

His signature high-end surfboards included design breakthrough channel bottom that produced extra speed and better handling. He had applied his knowledge in aerodynamics he garnered from his time in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in designing his boards.

"They had a cult following any surfer worth their salt had an AB channel-bottom in their quiver," Byrning Spears Surfboards business partner Dale Wilson added to the Web site.

Byrne is survived by his wife of 30 years, Jayne, and their sons Michael, Jamie, and Matt. They were at his bedside during his final hours.

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