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Published: July 25, 2007
The ocean water swells, the bulge of a wave rising up and rolling towards the shore. The pro surfers spot it, paddling faster and faster as the wave hurtles forward, a wall of rushing, spraying, seawater. The pro surfers ride the wave, balancing atop that powerful force of nature until it throws them off or they abandon it to paddle back and ride another.
The lives of pro surfers revolve around that experience, around mastering the waves, taming them enough to artfully maneuver their boards across the water, competing against each other to display the best control, skill, and talent. But even though they're competing against one another, pro surfers always end up facing only one challenge in the end, and that's the wave itself.
Modern pro surfing officially arrived in 1976 with the International Professional Surfing (IPS) organization. This entity formed a world tour for pro surfers, male surfers and women pro surfers, surfing big waves with 12 events that were scored on a points system. The point leader at the end of the tour was named World Champion. Due to the financial woes and relative obscurity of the IPS, pro surfer Ian Cairns formed the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) in 1982, which is still the foremost sanctioning organization for the sport. Today, huge companies such as Foster's beer and Billabong sportswear sponsor pro surfers and tour events.
Pro surfers compete based on several chance factors, with the quality of natural waves and human judging determining the point scores. While the scoring can be skewed at times and there have been deserving pro surfers who haven't won, the system is considered the best possible method and has remained largely intact for nearly 30 years. Past champions include male surfers Mark Richards, who won 4 straight titles from 1979-82, and Kelly Slater, who won 5 straight from 1994-1998, as well as women pro surfers Frieda Zamba, Wendy Botha and Lisa Anderson, who won 4 titles each, and Layne Beachley, who won 6 in a row from 1999 to 2003.
With a rise in popularity and the commercialization of the sport (Foster's, Billabong, and Quicksilver all huge sponsors), top pro surfers have become marketable celebrities, none more dominating or famous as Kelly Slater. Slater won his first title during his first year on tour, becoming the youngest champion at the age of 20. After rattling off 5 straight titles, Slater retired from the sport only to return to the tour in 2005 when he became the oldest champion, winning in '05 and '06. With a flood of sponsorships, a Kelly Slater's Pro Surfing video game, and a slew of celebrity girlfriends, Slater has become the face of the sport as well as the best pro surfer ever to join the tour. When it comes to women pro surfers, Layne Beachley stands alone. The unparalleled Australian won 6 years in a row and 7 overall, becoming quite possibly the best female surfer ever.
Pro surfers travel to Brazil, South Africa, Southeast Asia, and countless other international destinations to compete on the world's best surf breaks. Surfing big waves takes talent, a lifetime of experience, and fearless determination. For pro surfers, surfing is a way of life, a philosophy, an obsession that keeps them as close to the ocean as possible and living from wave to wave. With ambassadors like Kelly Slater and Layne Beachley, the sport will only continue to grow. But regardless of whether anyone's paying attention or not, pro surfers will be always be out there on the ocean, eyeing the water for the next huge swell to ride.
Sources:
ASP History. ASP World Tour.com. 19 July 2007. http://www.aspworldtour.com/2007/history.asp.
Men's World Tour: Profiles: Kelly Slater. 2007. ASP World Tour.com. 19 July 2007. http://www.aspworldtour.com/2007/profiles_men.asp.
ASP Women's World Tour: Profiles: Layne Beachley. ASP World Tour.com. 19 July 2007. http://www.aspworldtour.com/2007/profiles_women.as p.
"World Surfing Champion." Wikipedia. 27 June 2007. 19 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_surfing_champio n.
Related Articles
Modern pro surfing officially arrived in 1976 with the International Professional Surfing (IPS) organization. This entity formed a world tour for pro surfers, male surfers and women pro surfers, surfing big waves with 12 events that were scored on a points system. The point leader at the end of the tour was named World Champion. Due to the financial woes and relative obscurity of the IPS, pro surfer Ian Cairns formed the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) in 1982, which is still the foremost sanctioning organization for the sport. Today, huge companies such as Foster's beer and Billabong sportswear sponsor pro surfers and tour events.
Pro surfers compete based on several chance factors, with the quality of natural waves and human judging determining the point scores. While the scoring can be skewed at times and there have been deserving pro surfers who haven't won, the system is considered the best possible method and has remained largely intact for nearly 30 years. Past champions include male surfers Mark Richards, who won 4 straight titles from 1979-82, and Kelly Slater, who won 5 straight from 1994-1998, as well as women pro surfers Frieda Zamba, Wendy Botha and Lisa Anderson, who won 4 titles each, and Layne Beachley, who won 6 in a row from 1999 to 2003.
With a rise in popularity and the commercialization of the sport (Foster's, Billabong, and Quicksilver all huge sponsors), top pro surfers have become marketable celebrities, none more dominating or famous as Kelly Slater. Slater won his first title during his first year on tour, becoming the youngest champion at the age of 20. After rattling off 5 straight titles, Slater retired from the sport only to return to the tour in 2005 when he became the oldest champion, winning in '05 and '06. With a flood of sponsorships, a Kelly Slater's Pro Surfing video game, and a slew of celebrity girlfriends, Slater has become the face of the sport as well as the best pro surfer ever to join the tour. When it comes to women pro surfers, Layne Beachley stands alone. The unparalleled Australian won 6 years in a row and 7 overall, becoming quite possibly the best female surfer ever.
Pro surfers travel to Brazil, South Africa, Southeast Asia, and countless other international destinations to compete on the world's best surf breaks. Surfing big waves takes talent, a lifetime of experience, and fearless determination. For pro surfers, surfing is a way of life, a philosophy, an obsession that keeps them as close to the ocean as possible and living from wave to wave. With ambassadors like Kelly Slater and Layne Beachley, the sport will only continue to grow. But regardless of whether anyone's paying attention or not, pro surfers will be always be out there on the ocean, eyeing the water for the next huge swell to ride.
Sources:
ASP History. ASP World Tour.com. 19 July 2007. http://www.aspworldtour.com/2007/history.asp.
Men's World Tour: Profiles: Kelly Slater. 2007. ASP World Tour.com. 19 July 2007. http://www.aspworldtour.com/2007/profiles_men.asp.
ASP Women's World Tour: Profiles: Layne Beachley. ASP World Tour.com. 19 July 2007. http://www.aspworldtour.com/2007/profiles_women.as p.
"World Surfing Champion." Wikipedia. 27 June 2007. 19 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_surfing_champio n.
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