Fred Hemmings

Fred Hemmings (born January 9, 1946) is an American surfer, author, businessman, and politician.

Hemmings was born on January 6, 1946, to Fred Sr. who was of English, Irish, French, Indian ancestry was originally from New York City and came to Hawaii in 1922 and Lilian Frietas Hemmings, who was of Portuguese extraction, whose ancestors came to Hawaii to work on a sugarcane plantation in 1883.

He was one of six children.

In early childhood, Fred and three other siblings contracted polio though enduring no permanent debilitation.

Four years later in 1958, Fred Hemmings began competing in surfing events.

That year he placed 3rd in the Makaha International Surfing Championships in the junior men division.

During the 1960s, Hemmings won the Mākaha International Surfing Championships four times, two Junior division and two Senior wins, He also won the Peruvian International Surfing Championships in 1964, and then from the surf of Rincon, Puerto Rico, Hemmings won the World Surfing championship in 1968.

Hemmings is credited with being the “father of Professional surfing”.

Often, Hemmings found himself at odds with the surf culture, conflicting with the counterculture movement of the 1960s.

He consistently spoke out against substance abuse in surfing.

Hemmings was a strong advocate for women in professional surfing.

He placed first in the following years that he entered (1961, 1963, 1964 and 1966).

He continued to enter surfing contests taking him as far as Peru, where he won the Peruvian International Championship.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Fred Hemmings attended Punahou school where he was co- captain of the Honolulu league championship football team in 1964.

As a student at Punahou School, Hemmings played competitive football where he was a league all-star player on Punahou's 1964 championship football team.

Hemmings began surfing at the age of 8 at Waikiki.

Hemmings won the Makaha International Surfing Championships,(2x senior and 2x junior) the Peruvian Championships and won the World Surfing championship (Puerto Rico 1968).

In 1968, Hemmings won the World Surfing Championship in Puerto Rico.

After becoming the world's first true surfing champion from Hawaii, Hemmings retired from competitive surfing to focus on creating a new sports industry; promoting and marketing surfing as a viable professional sport.

In 1969, Hemmings produced the Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships which became the de facto professional world championships.

Hemmings retired from competition and created the first major pro surfing events including the Pipeline Masters, 1971.

Along with Randy Rarick he Co founded the first pro surfing circuit operated under the banner of International Professional Surfing.

The Pro surfing circuit is now operated by the World surfing league, WSL.

He inaugurated the Pipeline masters in 1971, and owned and produce all the events in the Triple Crown of Surfing.

All three major television networks had contracts with Hemmings to cover his events.

Fred Hemmings cofounder along with Randy Rarick of Hawai’i the first world pro tour of surfing which is now operated by the World Surfing League.

Hemmings was also a steersman on four Molokai to Oahu Outrigger Canoe racing Champion teams, and to this day is a pioneer canoe surfing steersman.

He attended Punahou School where he is an inductee of the Punahou School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Hemmings created the Pipeline Masters surf competition in 1971 which is now the longest standing surf contest in the world.

Enthralling national audiences, the competition was aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports.

In 1975 Hemmings founded the World Cup of Surfing championships with events for both men and women.

Previously he was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1984 through 1990.

He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Hawaii in the 1990 election.

He had lost the general election to incumbent Democratic governor John D. Waiheʻe III.

Hemmings has authored several books including his best seller Local Boy: A Memoir.

Hemmings was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame, and in 1999 the Hawaii State Sports Hall of Fame.

Elected in 2000, he served as Senate Republican Leader from 2002 to 2010.

Hemmings served as a Republican member of the Hawaii Senate from the 25th District from 2001 to 2011.

Hemmings is credited with the founding of Papahanaumokuakea the world largest marine sanctuary created by presidential Executive order by President George W. Bush.

The NW archipelago was part of Senator Hemmings district.