Bobby Martinez
Encyclopedia
Bobby Martinez is a professional surfer from Santa Barbara, California
.
(NSSA) where he went on to win a record seven national titles. After several injury prone years he joined the Association of Surfing Professionals
in 2005. His first major title as a professional was the O'Neill Coldwater Classic in 2005. He joined the World Championship Tour in 2006, finishing the year with #5 ranking which earned him Rookie of the Year honors with wins in Teahupoo and Mundaka
. He also won in Mundaka in 2007 and In May 2009, Bobby won the Billabong Pro Tahiti.
On September 7,2011 Bobby Martinez was suspended from the ASP. Disillusioned with a World No. 22 ranking that left him in danger of being relegated to surfing's second tier after this event, Martinez had already announced New York would be his swansong. While being interviewed after his heat he blasted officials during a publicly broadcast interview on Long Beach at the Quiksilver New York Pro. The outspoken Santa Barbara Surfer has been a long-time critic of the ASP's controversial rankings system, but his profane rant - streamed on beachside big screens and over the Internet live - left event organisers and ASP officials furious.
descent.
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
Career
Martinez began surfing at age 6. When he was old enough, he joined the National Scholastic Surfing AssociationNational Scholastic Surfing Association
The National Scholastic Surfing Association is a surfing association in the United States. It is the highest level for competitive amateur surfing in the country. Founded in 1978 by Chuck Allen, John Rothrock and Tom Gibbons, the association was formed with the purpose of uniting amateur surfers...
(NSSA) where he went on to win a record seven national titles. After several injury prone years he joined the Association of Surfing Professionals
Association of Surfing Professionals
The Association of Surfing Professionals is the governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best talent in a variety of progressive formats.- Predecessors to the ASP :...
in 2005. His first major title as a professional was the O'Neill Coldwater Classic in 2005. He joined the World Championship Tour in 2006, finishing the year with #5 ranking which earned him Rookie of the Year honors with wins in Teahupoo and Mundaka
Mundaka
Mundaka is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. On the coast, Mundaka is internationally-renowned for its surfing scene....
. He also won in Mundaka in 2007 and In May 2009, Bobby won the Billabong Pro Tahiti.
On September 7,2011 Bobby Martinez was suspended from the ASP. Disillusioned with a World No. 22 ranking that left him in danger of being relegated to surfing's second tier after this event, Martinez had already announced New York would be his swansong. While being interviewed after his heat he blasted officials during a publicly broadcast interview on Long Beach at the Quiksilver New York Pro. The outspoken Santa Barbara Surfer has been a long-time critic of the ASP's controversial rankings system, but his profane rant - streamed on beachside big screens and over the Internet live - left event organisers and ASP officials furious.
Personal life
Martinez married his wife Cleo in February 2009. He is of Mexican AmericanMexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
descent.