What is the term for a beach surfer?

The use of the term in reference to surfing can be traced back to the film Gidget (1959), in which 'The Big Kahuna', played by Cliff Robertson, was the leader of a group of surfers. The term then became commonplace in Beach Party films of the 1960s such as Beach Blanket Bingo, where the "Big Kahuna" was the best surfer on the beach. Eventually, it was adopted into general surfing culture. (See also "The Big Kahuna".)