1971 Triple Crown Retrofit

Winner(s):
Jeff Hakman
Governing Body:
Fred Hemmings

Jeff Hakman. Photo: Art Brewer

  • 1. Jeff Hakman (1st, 3rd, 1st) (26,085)
  • 2. Bill Hamilton (2nd, 2nd, 5th) (20,345)
  • 3. Corky Carroll (18th, 4th, 3rd) (12,830)
  • 4. Jim Blears (9th, 9th, 4th) (12,121)
  • 5. Eddie Aikau (5th, 3rd, –) (10,830)
  • 6. Gavin Rudolph (1, –,  –) (10,000)
  • 7. Clyde Aikau (6, 5, –) (9,175)
  • 8. Ben Aipa (7, 5, –) (7,915)
  • 9. Mike Armstrong (–, –, 2nd) (7,800)
  • 10. Terry Fitzgerald (9, 6, –) (7,750)

There was no actual 1971 Triple Crown. The North Shore-based three-event Triple Crown series, created by Fred Hemmings, was launched in 1983. But there were a lot of pro contests held on the North Shore (and occasionally Makaha) between 1971 and 1982, and we thought we'd compile the results year by year and figure out who would have won the Triple Crown between 1971 and 1981, had the Triple Crown existed.

1971 is our starting date because the Pipeline Masters debuted that year and because it was the first season where there were at least three international-level pro contests on the North Shore. EOS dug up the results from old surf magazines, newspaper archives, and (starting in 1976) early WCT printouts. Balyn McDonald of Surf Stats plugged the names into a points matrix similar to that used by today's World Surf League, with 10,000 points awarded to each event winner, 7,800 for 2nd, and on down.

1971 TRIPLE CROWN RETROFIT EVENT WINNERS:
Smirnoff Pro - Gavin Rudolph
Duke Classic - Jeff Hakman
Pipeline Masters - Jeff Hakman

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NOTES
Results include each surfer's placing, in order, from the Smirnoff, Duke, and Pipe. Total Triple Crown points are also included.

An em-dash (–) result means the surfer did not compete in that particular event.

Just six surfers were invited to the 1971 Pipeline Masters (officially called the Hawaiian Masters); Triple Crown final results for this year are therefore weighted against all those who did not get a start in the Masters.

The '71 Smirnoff was held at Sunset. Gavin Rudolph’s win was the first by a South African surfer in Hawaii. His “whopping $2,500 payoff,” as described by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, was at that point the biggest prize in pro surfing history.

The '71 Duke was held at Sunset. Jeff Hakman earned his third and final Duke victory, following wins in 1965 and 1970.

There were no women’s professional surfing events in 1971, in Hawaii or elsewhere.