Lauren Rolland
In 1983, Hawaii surfers Randy Rarick and Fred Hemmings, both in their 30’s, linked together the three main surf events on Oahu’s North Shore to create the very first Hawaiian surfing series. The impetus was to pay homage to Hawaii as ground zero for the sport and determine the best competitive surfer on the North Shore. The equipment had just shifted from single fins to thrusters and the scaffolding for the Pipe Masters fit in the back of a pickup truck, which took only 1 to 2 hours to assemble. With loose permitting, the Triple Crown was mobile and contest organizers had the freedom to hold events at whichever venue was breaking best along the North Shore, which is why Waimea Bay ran back-to-back in 1985 and ‘86. The World Cup at Sunset Beach boasted the largest prize purse professional surfing had ever seen, a hefty $45,000, and Hawaiians dominated the competition from the start. The Triple Crown was won back and forth between Michael and Derek Ho from 1983 to 1986 with Derek going on to win the title two more times. Dane Kealoha, Buzzy Kerbox and Buttons Kaluhiokalani all finaled in 1983 while Sunny Garcia claimed victory an unprecedented six times. “We didn’t realize at the time what we were establishing in regard to the legacy that was to follow,” said Rarick. “The history and the heritage is very significant in the progress of professional surfing.” Thirty-five years later, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing has evolved into a multi-faceted series that goes beyond worldclass surfing in premier waves. The three-prong series involves community-conscious activations, Hawaii’s most sustainable event program and a highly-sought after lifestyle that is unique to the North Shore of Oahu. If the North Shore is the nucleus for professional surfing, then the Vans Triple Crown is mecca for the means. The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (VTCS) celebrates 35 years of heritage, competition and collaboration this season and has shaped a thriving cultural breeding ground. Interlacing creative self-expression through action sports, art and music, Vans – one of the industry’s original surf/skate lifestyle brands – has remained steadfast in promoting authenticity. A cornerstone of the North Shore’s surf season, VTCS is graciously hosted by the residents and local businesses and in turn, provides a lifestyle that comes full circle; VTCS singlehandedly brings $25 million into the island of Oahu every year by hiring local employees, housing travelling staffers along the North Shore, working with local caterers, vendors and businesses, and granting Hawaii surfers prize money. This year, the events calendar is chock full of creative activations that include the youth, North Shore community, athletes at-large and fans to showcase surfing in a truly collaborative environment. November 12 – 24 | Hawaiian Pro, Stop No. 1 of Vans Triple Crown Haleiwa Ali‘i Beach Park, North Shore, Oahu Public event, 8am – 4pm November 16 | Talk Story with Randy Rarick Surfer The Bar, Turtle Bay Resort, North Shore, Oahu Public event, 6pm On November 18 amid the Hawaiian Pro, Na Kama Kai is organizing a day of shoreline activities for keiki to connect with the coastline. 30-minute sessions of surfing, SUPing, canoe paddling and more will highlight the program and help foster a sense of stewardship in the younger generations. The Gudauskas Brothers, known for their stoke and genuine humanitarian efforts, look forward to being onsite to work with Na Kama Kai founder Duane DeSoto to ramp up the energy. November 18 | 15th Annual John Kelly Awards Waimea Valley, North Shore, Oahu Ticketed event open to public johnkellyawards.com The public is invited to check out the Vans movie screening on November 24 at Sunset Beach Elementary, for a doublefeature cinema presenting a new documentary about pro surfer Tomas Hermes, and a film by George Trimm chronicling the latest adventures from pro surfers Dane Gudauskas, Nathan Fletcher, Nathan Florence and others in the South Pacific. Sunset Elementary is also hosting their annual Surf Night on Friday, December 1; both events were created to involve the future professional surfers of the world and keep the grom stoke alive through family-friendly movies, goodie bags, athlete signings, giveaways and more. November 25 – December 6 | Vans World Cup of Surfing, Stop No. 2 of Vans Triple Crown Sunset Beach, North Shore, Oahu Public event, 8am – 4pm The North Shore Community Land Trust hosts the marque party of the winter season, the Benefit for the Country, which will take place at Turtle Bay Resort on Saturday, December 2. The nonprofit organization is credited for protecting and preserving open spaces around the North Shore, and Vans is partnering with them in new ways this year to enrich the evening and renew community commitments along Oahu’s Seven Mile Miracle, Vans’ home-away-from-home. To showcase the world’s best pro surfers in a raw, new element, the Vans Skate Jam will light up the Banzai Skatepark and feature a meet-and-greet on December 3 from 12 – 4pm. Part of the Duct Tape Festival, which aims to bring an international collection of people together inspired by surfing, the Vans Skate Jam will feature a fun, non-competitive format for skaters to mix alongside mavens, locals and fans.
December 6 | SURFER Awards, ‘red carpet’ awards event hosted by SURFER Turtle Bay Resort, North Shore, Oahu Private event
December 8 | Billabong Pipe Masters, Stop No. 3 of Vans Triple Crown, culminating event of WSL Men’s Championship Tour Pipeline, ‘Ehukai Beach Park, North Shore, Oahu Public event, 8am – 4pm
December 8 | Haleiwa Christmas Parade Main street in Haleiwa Town, Oahu Public event, 6pm
December 9 | 6th Annual Mauli Ola Foundation North Shore Benefit Concert Turtle Bay Resort, North Shore, Oahu Ticketed event open to public
December 13 | North Shore Chamber of Commerce Christmas Party Waimea Valley, North Shore, Oahu Ticketed event open to public, 6pm