Randy Rarick, the co-founder of the Triple Crown of Surfing, has announced his full retirement from professional surfing activities.
Rarick was born in 1949 in Seattle, but at the age of five, he was already living in Honolulu with his family. At ten, Randy stood up on a surfboard for the first time.
The young American won junior contests and nearly made the finals of the 1970 ISF World Surfing Championships. In the 1970s, Rarick traveled the world and surfed everywhere.
In 1976, Randy and Fred Hemmings founded the International Professional Surfers (IPS) world circuit.
Later, in 1982, the duo organized the first Triple Crown of Surfing and created a separate professional surfing title in Hawaii to set apart the three Hawaiian events: the Pipe Masters, the World Cup of Surfing, and the Hawaiian Pro.
"My efforts along the way have always been to honor the sport of surfing and the meaning it has brought to my life and countless others around the world," explained Randy Rarick.
"Surfing is truly, uniquely Hawaiian, and I'm honored to have had a career that has shaped and spanned my entire life."
"I would also like to honor others along the way who have helped me to do that, including Fred Hemmings, Buffalo Keaulana, Rell Sunn, and Gerry Lopez."
Randy Rarick announced his full retirement during a reverent Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony held at Honolulu Country Club. Rarick was inducted as a "Pioneer."