Surfing lost one of its most beloved sons in 2013. Montgomery “Buttons” Kaluhiokalani died that year on November 2 due to complications from lung cancer. He was 54 years old.
Before his passing, Doug Walker, the man behind the Lost and Found Collection, caught up with him on camera – looking at old surf photos and to talk story about Buttons’ life and devotion to surfing.
How Walker ended up with the photo archives he and Buttons poured over together is a serendipitous story. Essentially, he happened upon 30,000 photos at a flea market in Pasadena and it altered the course of his life forever. It’s since led to a documentary, and the Lost and Found Collection in its current form that curates classic, never-before-seen images from surfing’s bygone era.
Buttons, in this case, is one of many in surf history Walker hopes to honor through the work of the Lost and Found Collection. And this interview mixed with some incredible archival footage is definitely worth your time.
