He is the most prominent of Makaha’s famous “uncles” --- the mostly Hawaiian elders who serve as guardians of the community --- and is revered throughout the islands as the perfect “waterman”. In 1977 he started a surfing contest that has a party atmosphere and multiple events. “Uncle Buff” is also pragmatic in the running of his contest. Tourists often returned to their rental cars to find windows smashed and wallets missing. So he identified the locals responsible for the break-ins --- “all the thieves and make-trouble guys” --- and hired them as security guards. The thefts mostly stopped.