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Ben Finney

1933 – 2017

American anthropologist concentrating in surfing, Polynesian navigation and canoe sailing, and human space colonization

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About Ben Finney

Lived 1933 – 2017 (aged 83). Ben Finney was an American anthropologist and historian.

Ben Rudolph Finney was an American anthropologist known for his expertise in the history and the social and cultural anthropology of surfing, Polynesian navigation, and canoe sailing, as well as in the cultural and social anthropology of human space colonization. As "surfing's premier historian and leading expert on Hawaiian surfing going back to the 17th century" and grew up in San Diego, California.

Polynesian voyaging

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Hawaiʻi System
Employers
University of Hawaiʻi System, University of California, Santa Barbara
Awards
Honorary doctorate from University of French Polynesia
Also known as
Ben Rudolph Finney

People in Ben Finney's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ben Finney's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ben Finney?

American anthropologist concentrating in surfing, Polynesian navigation and canoe sailing, and human space colonization (1933-2017)

When was Ben Finney born?

Ben Finney was born on 1 October 1933 in San Diego.

When did Ben Finney die?

Ben Finney died on 23 May 2017 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

What was Ben Finney's occupation?

Ben Finney was an anthropologist and historian.

What nationality was Ben Finney?

Ben Finney was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ben Finney

· Wikidata: Q4885640

· DBpedia: Ben Finney

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ben Finney. https://biography.guide/ben-finney/

MLA: "Ben Finney." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ben-finney/.

Chicago: "Ben Finney." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ben-finney/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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