Protected: A Visual History of the ASP and Professional Surfing
1976: The IPS (International Professional Surfers) was formed in 1976 as the first ever world governing body of professional surfing. It remained in existence until 1983. Images: ASP
1976-1977: Peter Townend at the Smirnoff Pro-Am, which was considered one of the most prestigious events in the world during its nine-year run. Images: ASP
1981: Simon Anderson, creator of the thruster, has affected every surfer on the planet. An accomplished professional surfer, Anderson has created a great fallback with his in-demand board design and shaping. Images: ASP
1983-1989: The ASP was created in January 1983 by Ian Cairns as the definitive governing body of professional surfing. The top logo was the first ever. Below, Tom Carroll and Tom Curren spray each other after the OP Pro in Oceanside. The bottom logo was the ASP's logo starting in 1984-1989 and OP was out as main sponsor in 1984. Images: ASP
1989: On August 31, 1986, the OP Riots occurred in Huntington Beach, California. Riotous crowd members hurled bottles, drinks and sand at police officers then moved their uproarious behavior to the streets of Huntington Beach. Police cars, a lifeguard Jeep and an ambulance were set ablaze by flares found in police HQ by rioters. Clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky, signaling the day's destruction. As a result, the affair made front page news on the LA Times and Ian Cairns resigned from the ASP and returned to Australia. Photo courtesy of ASP
1990-1992: These three years saw three different logos. Images: ASP
1993: The ten-year anniversary of the ASP meant a new logo and Coca Cola came on board as the main sponsor. Images: ASP
1995-1997: In 1997, Kelly Slater won his fifth World Title, which was his fourth consecutive title. Images: ASP
1998-1999: G-Shock comes on as main sponsor of the ASP. Mark Occhilupo wins the World Title in France. Layne Beachley begins a tear of five World Titles in six years between 1998-2003. Images: ASP
2000-2012: These ASP World Champions won their respective world tours between 2000 and 2012. Some had streaks, others were momentary flare ups, but all had the honor of raising the ASP World Title trophy. Images: ASP
2013: The ASP breaks ground with new media deals with ESPN, Facebook and YouTube. Images: ASP
