Star-Bulletin file photo
The Triple Crown is surfed in some of the world's
best waves on Oahu's North Shore.
A bigger, better
Triple Crown
Vans Inc., an athletic apparel maker,
By Greg Ambrose
has bought the North Shore surfing event.
It will boost prize money and start
a Triple Crown summer series
Star-BulletinThe recent fun few North Shore swells have started surfers thinking that winter's good surf is on its way, along with Hawaii's premier professional surfing event, the Triple Crown of Surfing. This year the Triple Crown will be different, after changing hands for the second time since local sports promoter Fred Hemmings created the three-contest surf series in 1983.
Oahu businessman Fred Williamson, who bought Triple Crown Inc. from Hemmings in 1988, has sold the event to Vans Inc. of Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
The deal means more prize money for the surfers and greater publicity for Hawaii.
Those familiar with Vans shoes might be surprised to learn that Vans Inc. also manufactures snowboard boots, skateboard shoes and action apparel.
Vans Inc. also owns the Triple Crown of Snowboarding and the Triple Crown of Skateboarding. "This is just a natural for them," says Randy Rarick, who started out as Triple Crown of Surfing contest director and ascended to executive director.
Rarick said he believes Vans has enough clout and cash to generate increased international media coverage of the Triple Crown of Surfing, a better TV package and more prestigious sponsors for the individual contests.
"It will be a good thing for the state beyond what we're already doing to promote Hawaii and Hawaii's prominence in the world of surfing," Rarick says.
"We always talked about doing this, but Fred never had the money to do this."
Along with a new owner, the Triple Crown attracted a new umbrella sponsor in G-Shock, a division of Casio watches; new event sponsors Rip Curl and Zeal Optics; and more than $300,000 in prize money.
And more is in store for 1998. Rarick has been retained, along with contest director Bernie Baker, to run the winter events and create a Triple Crown of Surfing summer series at prominent south shore spots on Oahu and the neighbor islands.
"Vans has given me twice as much work and a really good pay increase to develop projects during the entire year, and develop a Triple Crown product line as well," Rarick says.
Former world surfing champion Hemmings started the Triple Crown when the fledgling Association of Surfing Professionals was ending its world tour in Australia. Hemmings wanted a series that would crown a versatile champion in a variety of Hawaii's challenging waves and earn a title that was second in prestige only to the world title.
Over the past 15 years, the series has eclipsed Hemmings' goal. When Hawaii surfers Sunny Garcia and Kaipo Jaquias won their first Triple Crown titles, they said it was more important to them than if they had been crowned world champion.
Rarick has seen five Triple Crown umbrella sponsors and two dozen individual contest sponsors go through a four-year cycle where they establish their presence, maximize their investment return and then move on.
They have included such solid organizations as the Hard Rock Cafe, Wyland Galleries, Billabong, Sunkist, Ocean Pacific, Red Dog, Coors and Miller beers. "None of them has gone away dissatisfied," Rarick says.
The Sunset Beach resident is proud of the part he has played in helping surfing grow from a fringe cult lifestyle to an international mainstream sport.
"We were giving away $1,000 and a little tin trophy," Rarick says. "Now guys like Kaipo and Sunny are making six-figure salaries and promoting Hawaii as they surf.
"Some of these parents are like Little-League parents: they nurture their kids, and by the time they are 14 they are fully sponsored. Andy Irons and Kalani Robb are perfect examples. They probably make three times what I do."
The Triple Crown is the final professional surfing event of the year, crucial contests that can determine the world champion male and female surfers, as well as who makes it onto the next season's elite World Championship Tour. And the Triple Crown champion.
"Our surfing events are unique in that they have been totally privately funded," Rarick says. "The Triple Crown has in excess of $300,000 in prize money this year, and the whole entourage of surfers, judges, media and spectators brings in several million dollars to the local economy, along with international publicity."
The professional surfing circus will fold its tents and head home by Dec. 20, leaving the waves a little less congested for local surfers over the holidays.
Christmas also has come early for Rarick. "With the change of ownership and increase in sponsorship and prize money, this is the most optimistic I've been regarding the Triple Crown in a decade. It looks as though the lean years are over. For now.
"Combined with the El Nino effect of good, big waves it will be an excellent year for professional surfing in Hawaii."
G-Shock Triple Crown
of SurfingOP Hawaiian Pro 3-star, World Qualifying Series event; $60,000 prize money
