Surfing innovator Montgomery “Buttons” Kaluhiokalani died Saturday in California after battling lung cancer, according to a post on his surf school Facebook page.

He was 54.

As a professional surfer from Hawaii in the 1970s Kaluhiokalani is known for bringing skateboarding maneuvers to surfing.

In an obituary, Surfer Magazine said Kaluhiokalani and other surfers of at the era “laid the framework for modern day surfing.”

Kaluhiokalani battled drug addiction and regained sobriety. In recent years,  Kaluhiokalani ran the Buttons Surf School on Oahu’s North Shore.

He is survived by his wife Hiriata Hart, eight children and nine grandchildren. Services are pending.