A man found dead at a Santa Barbara beach has been identified as former professional surfer Chris Brown.
The body was discovered Saturday afternoon east of Hendry’s Beach, below the bluffs of the Douglas Family Preserve, the Santa Barbara Police Department reported.
On Sunday, police spokesman Anthony Wagner said the man had been identified through fingerprints as he was not carrying any identification. The following day, Wagner confirmed the man was Chris Brown.
An investigation was continuing into the cause of Brown’s death, Wagner said. He told Santa Barbara TV station KSBY that foul play had not been ruled out.
Brown was 48 and worked as a commercial urchin diver. He is survived by a wife and daughter.
Brown was a standout surfer as a teenager at Santa Barbara’s Rincon break and went on to become a World Tour competitor, said a tribute in Surfing magazine. He won the world amateur surfing title in 1988 and the Professional Surfing Association of America (Bud Pro Tour) championship in 1994.
For a time, he was known as one of the few young competitors challenging Kelly Slater, who would become 11-time world champion. On Tuesday, Slater posted a remembrance of Brown on Instagram:
In the mid-90s, Brown shifted his focus to big waves, including Mavericks, and continued to surf the California coast.
