Surf Was Up, but Beach Bum Paskowitz Took a Hike Instead

Surfing icon Dorian Paskowitz, 75, recently walked about 27 miles along the Baja California coastline to get his wife, Juliette, barbecued chicken for their 36th wedding anniversary.

“He went out for his walk at 7 in the morning and said he’d be in a little bit later,” Juliette said.

Paskowitz, who runs a summer surfing camp in San Clemente with his nine children, walked from his home in San Juan, Mexico, to Cabo San Lucas to retrieve the dinner at the couple’s favorite barbecue joint. He returned late that afternoon by bus.

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Trivia time: Who was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal?

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Twists and turns: Aileen Riggin Soule, U.S. springboard gold medalist from the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium: “I look at divers now and I don’t even know what they’re doing.”

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Brain drain: Said Seattle’s Sam Perkins about his SuperSonic teammates: “We’re a smarter team than we were last year, but that’s not saying much.”

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Add smarts: Denver’s Brian Williams, after the Nuggets defeated Minnesota last week: “They’re the thinking team. They’re thinking Cancun, Caribbean . . . which will it be?”

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Short memories: From Boston catcher Mike Macfarlane: “When you’re sitting at home when the World Series should be playing, it’s kind of a sick feeling in your stomach. You look forward to the day when you’re playing again and when you’re denied that chance, yeah, it makes (opening day) that much more special.”

Wait a second. Wasn’t it the players who went on strike?

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Changing sails: Dennis Conner of Stars & Stripes was asked when his relationship with co-helmsman Paul Cayard, formerly a vocal critic, improved.

“When he was looking for a job,” Conner said.

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Drill sergeant: Coach Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics spent the last few days putting his players through tough, three-hour practices in preparation for the Eastern Conference playoffs. He was unrelenting, the players said.

“Should I send out sympathy cards or something?” Ford asked the Hartford Courant.

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Potatoes or rice?: From the Good Doctor in Inside Sports: “Whatever happened to the San Diego Chicken?”

Answer: “George Foreman got hungry.”

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The Graduate: Juwan Howard left Michigan as a junior to become a successful NBA rookie with the Washington Bullets. But unlike most athletes who leave school early to become a pro, Howard continued his course study in radio and television and will graduate with his class this weekend.

“The gown is an XXL, but it’s still 2 1/2 inches short,” the 6-foot-9 Howard told USA Today. “I won’t even notice.”

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On target: Dart thrower extraordinaire Fran Frederick is a Philadelphia police officer and a nationally ranked player.

“There are no prejudices as far as age or sex,” she said of professional darts. “If you’re good, you’re good.”

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No kidding: Cleo Hearns and his four sons from Lancaster, Tex., are a novelty on the rodeo circuit because they are black.

“African American children don’t understand they have roots in Western history,” son Harlan told the Dallas Morning News. “Sometimes (history books) don’t portray the real truth.”

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Trivia answer: Alice Coachman of Albany, Ga., winner of the high jump at the 1948 Games in London.

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Quotebook: Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda: “For starting pitchers, we have two Dominicans, one Italian, one Mexican and one Japanese. . . . In the bullpen we have a Venezuelan, a Mexican, a guy from the United States and a guy from St. Louis.”