Written on the back of this photo from around 1918: " Rose Pitonof surfing at Bayside" Rose Pitonof, World Champion Swimmer of the early 1900s, and the first person ever to successfully swim from East 26th Street, Manhattan, to Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island at the age of 17.
Rose was from Boston: http://www.americanathletemag.com/ArticleView/tabid/156/ArticleID/6/Tiny-Rose.aspx

http://nycswim.org/Article/ArticleTemplate.aspx?Article_ID=826