Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships

Fred Hemmings, retired from competition as a surfer, began his career as an event promoter and ran the Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships between 1969 and 1977.^[1]

The Smirnoff World Pro-Am became known as the de facto professional World Championship because the International Surfing Federation had been unable to establish a format or sponsorship, so no official amateur championships were held between 1973 and 1975.^[2] Laura Lee Ching became the first woman to compete in the Smirnoff World Pro-Am in 1973.^[3][4]

The World Champions were:

• 1969 Corky Carroll, USA, & Margo Godfrey, USA;
• 1970 Nat Young, Australia;
• 1971 Gavin Rudolph, South Africa;
• 1972 Paul Neilsen, Australia;
• 1973 Ian Cairns, Australia;
• 1974 Reno Abellira, Hawaii;
• 1975 Mark Richards, Australia;
• 1976 Mark Warren, Australia, and Jericho Poppler, USA;
• 1977 Reno Abellira, Hawaii, and Jericho Poppler, USA.^[5]

The Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships were superseded by the International Professional Surfers (IPS).

References