This film is part of Free

Newquay Surfing Championship

Surf's Up in Newquay - Surfing's World Tour

News 1976 2 mins Silent

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Overview

Surf’s up at Newquay’s Fistral Beach in Cornwall for the International Professional Surfers’ world tour in 1976. The Australian, Peter Townend is the champion and PT is also the first ever World Surfing Champion. In 1976 surfing turns from amateur to professional and surfers including Wayne Bartholomew establish surfing as a profession. The 1976 World Tour was created by Hawaiians Fred Hemmings and Randy Rarick with help from Ian Cairns and Peter Townend.

Surfer Ian Cairns was ranked #2 in the world in 1976, he became the founder of the ASP. The IPS was taken over by the (ASP) Association of Professional Surfers in 1982. Surfing comes from Polynesian origins, Hawaiian people integrated surfing into their culture, and the best surfers would be its wealthiest members, able to buy good quality wood for surfboards and access the best beaches. In 1910 surfer Tommy Walker introduces surfing to Australia. It spreads to California in the USA before coming to the UK. The earliest footage of surfing in the UK was shot in 1929 by Louis Rosenberg.