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The Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships were superseded by the International Professional Surfers (IPS).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

1. The Encyclopedia of Surfing, Matt Warshaw, p. 548 (accessed 27 April 2011)
2. The Encyclopedia of Surfing, Matt Warshaw, p. 548 (accessed 27 April 2011)
3. "Laura Ching". Thesuperstars.org. 1950-12-25. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
4. "'Superstar' Laura Ching Posed Nude For Magazine". Sarasota Journal. Sarasota. December 20, 1974. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
5. The Encyclopedia of Surfing, Matt Warshaw, p. 548 (accessed 27 April 2011)