LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bruce Brown, who molded the modern image of surfer as seeker and transformed the sport with his 1966 surfing documentary "The Endless Summer," has died He was 80. Alex Mecl, general manager of Bruce Brown Films, said Brown died of natural causes in Santa Barbara, California on Sunday. Along with the music of the Beach Boys, Brown took surfing from a quirky hobby to a fundamental part of American culture. Surfers had largely been portrayed as beach blanket buffoons in the mindless party movies of the early 1960s. Then came Brown and "The Endless Summer" with his beautiful, soulful story of surfers on a quest for fulfillment — an image that became emblazoned on the cultural psyche. "Thank you for showing us the world as you saw it, Bruce Brown," Kelly Slater, 11-time world champion surfer, said in an Instagram post Monday.Read more on NewsOK.com