Fred Hemmings
Encyclopedia
Fred Hemmings is a world-known surfer who served as a Republican
member of the Hawaii Senate
from the 25th District. Elected in 2000, he served as Senate Minority Leader from 2002 to 2010. Previously he was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
from 1984 through 1990. His retirement from the Senate leaves Sam Slom
, a Honolulu attorney from the 8th District, as the only Republican in the 25-member body.
During the 1960s
, Hemmings won the Makaha International Surfing Championships four times. He also won the Peruvian International Surfing Championships in 1964, and then from the surf of Rincon, Puerto Rico, the World Surfing Championship title in 1968. Hemmings was 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. In 1991, Hemmings was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame, and in 1999 the Hawaii State Sports Hall of Fame.
As a student at Punahou School, Hemmings excelled at 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. 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. 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. 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 defacto professional world championships. 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.
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. In 1975 Hemmings founded the World Cup of Surfing championships with events for both men and women. With dedicated persistence and corporate sponsorship backing the events, surfing competitions at legendary North Shore sites established a strong following and gained a national audience. All the major television networks took notice and broadcasted the surfing events Hemmings produced nationally.
Hemmings continued to pursue his dream to make professional surfing a reality. In 1976 Hemmings co-founded, along with Randy Rarick, the organization of International Professional Surfers (IPS). IPS became the first professional surfing circuit, hosting 12 events around the world. Respecting Hawaii's legendary status in surfing, the tour was formatted so that at least three of the events were held in Hawaii. This organization became the forerunner to the Association of Surfing Professionals tour.
In 1983, Hemmings combined the Pipeline Masters, the Duke Classic at Sunset Beach and the World Cup of Surfing into the Triple Crown of Surfing. The Honolulu Advertiser heralded Fred Hemmings as the "father of professional surfing in Hawaii."
In 2010, he was invited by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company
to attend the Rip Curl Pro Search 2010, where he was honored for his 1968 championship.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Hawaii Senate
Hawaii Senate
The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently...
from the 25th District. Elected in 2000, he served as Senate Minority Leader from 2002 to 2010. Previously he was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives
Hawaii House of Representatives
The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Accord to Article III, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consists of 51 members representing an equal amount of districts...
from 1984 through 1990. His retirement from the Senate leaves Sam Slom
Sam Slom
Samuel Morgan Slom, known as Sam Slom , is a Republican member of the Hawaii Senate who since 1996 represented the 8th District, which includes Hawaii Kai, Aina Haina, Kahala and Diamond Head...
, a Honolulu attorney from the 8th District, as the only Republican in the 25-member body.
During the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, Hemmings won the Makaha International Surfing Championships four times. He also won the Peruvian International Surfing Championships in 1964, and then from the surf of Rincon, Puerto Rico, the World Surfing Championship title in 1968. Hemmings was 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
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
where he is an inductee of the Punahou School Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1991, Hemmings was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame, and in 1999 the Hawaii State Sports Hall of Fame.
Background
Fred Hemmings, one of six children, was born on January 6, 1946 to Fred Sr. and Lilian Frietas Hemmings. In early childhood, Fred and three other siblings contracted polio though enduring no permanent debilitation.As a student at Punahou School, Hemmings excelled at football where he was a league all-star player on Punahou's 1964 championship football team.
Surfing
In 1969, Hemmings produced the Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships
Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships
Fred Hemmings, retired from competition began his career as an event promoter and ran the Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships between 1969 until 1977....
which became the defacto professional world championships. 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.
Often, Hemmings found himself at odds with the surf culture
Surf culture
Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion and life surrounding the art of surfing.The culture began early in the 20th century, spread quickly during the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to evolve. It affected fashion, music, literature, films, jargon, and more...
, 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. In 1975 Hemmings founded the World Cup of Surfing championships with events for both men and women. With dedicated persistence and corporate sponsorship backing the events, surfing competitions at legendary North Shore sites established a strong following and gained a national audience. All the major television networks took notice and broadcasted the surfing events Hemmings produced nationally.
Hemmings continued to pursue his dream to make professional surfing a reality. In 1976 Hemmings co-founded, along with Randy Rarick, the organization of International Professional Surfers (IPS). IPS became the first professional surfing circuit, hosting 12 events around the world. Respecting Hawaii's legendary status in surfing, the tour was formatted so that at least three of the events were held in Hawaii. This organization became the forerunner to the Association of Surfing Professionals tour.
In 1983, Hemmings combined the Pipeline Masters, the Duke Classic at Sunset Beach and the World Cup of Surfing into the Triple Crown of Surfing. The Honolulu Advertiser heralded Fred Hemmings as the "father of professional surfing in Hawaii."
In 2010, he was invited by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Puerto Rico Tourism Company
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company was created during Governor Luis A. Ferré's administration to coordinate the marketing and growth of Puerto Rico's tourism sector...
to attend the Rip Curl Pro Search 2010, where he was honored for his 1968 championship.
Paddling
Simultaneously with surfing, Hemmings is also known as a champion canoe paddler. Hemmings was on the championship team in the Molokai to Oahu canoe races in 1967, 1968, 1975 and the Masters in 1984.Boards and Commissions
- Commissioner, Hawaii Commemorative Quarter Advisory Commission, Appointed by Governor Lingle (2006–2007)
- Commissioner, Governor's Economic Momentum Commission, Appointed by Governor Lingle (2005)
- Member, Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Task Force (2005–2006)
- Commissioner, Governor's Millennium Commission, Appointed by Governor Cayetano (2000)
- Director, Children's Advocacy (1991)
- Trustee, Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (1990–1991)
- Board of Directors, Denver Broncos - National Football League (1984–Present)
- Founder and President, International Professional Surfing (1976–1983)
- Honorary Lifetime Director, United States Surfing Federation (1987–Present)
- Founder and Producer, Triple Crown Surfing (1983–1988)
- Lifetime Director, Association of Surfing Professionals (1985–Present)
- Board of Directors, Hui Nalu O`Hawaii (1976–1979)
- Board of Directors, Boys Club of Honolulu (1976–1979)
- Board of Directors, Outrigger Canoe Club (1972–1973, 1975–1976)
Awards and honors
- Waterman Hall of Fame, Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (2010)
- Surfing Walk of Fame, Huntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
(2009) - Lincoln Legacy Award, Republican Party Hawaii (2006)
- Legislator of the Year, Hawaii Medical Association (2005)
- Waterman of the Year, Surf Industry and Manufacturer Association (2002)
- Listed Top 50 Athletes of Hawaii for 20th Century, Sports Illustrated (2000)
- Osmar Legend of Surfing Award, Brazil (2000)
- Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame (1999)
- Legends of Surfing Award (1997)
- Punahou School Athletic Hall of Fame (1994)
- International Surfing Hall of Fame (1991)
- Service to the Sport of Surfing Award, Association of Surfing Professionals (1989)
- Top Ranking Legislator, Small Business Hawaii (1985–1990, 2001–2005)
- Winged "O" Sportsman Award, Outrigger Canoe Club (1969)
- Top Ten Businessmen's Award, Honolulu Junior Chamber of Commerce (1969)
- Duke Kahanamoku Sportsman Award (1969)
- Goodwill Tours with Duke Kahanamoku, State of Hawaii (1966–1967)
- Athlete of the Year, Honolulu Quarterback Club (1964)
Talent, Advertising and Promotional Credits
- Co-Host, "Equal Time with Fred Hemmings", KHNR Radio 97.5 (2004–2006)
- Radio Talk Show Host, KGU Radio (1991–1992)
- Commentator, "Sports World", National Broadcasting Company (1979–1983)
- Commentator, "Wide World of Sports", American Broadcasting Company (1970–1975, 1978)
- Commentator, "Sports Spectacular", Columbia Broadcasting System (1976–1977)
- Producer/host, "Hawaii Sports Scene", KITV (1972)
- Consultant/test pilot—first artificial wave machine, "Big Surf", Clairol Incorporated (1969)
- National Television Commercials—United Airlines (1966), Kellogg's Cereal (1967), Eastman Kodak Co. (Europe) French Commercial (1970)
Journalism
- Author, "The Soul of Surfing is Hawaiian"—Non-Fiction Best Seller, Hawaii (1997) ISBN 1-56025-205-7
- Contributing Political Editor, Honolulu Magazine (1991–1992)
- Co-Author, "Illustrated Surfing Encyclopedia", Japan (1979)
- Author, "Surfing, Hawaii's Gift to the World" (1977)
- Weekly Columnist, Honolulu Star Bulletin (1966)
External links
- Hawaii State Legislature - Senator Fred Hemmings official government site
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Frederick M. Hemmings Jr. (HI) profile
- Follow the Money - Fred Hemmings
- Legendary Surfers
- Senior Surfers