Association of Surfing Professionals

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body for professional surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best talent in a variety of progressive formats.^[1]

History

Predecessors to the ASP

• 1964 to 1968, International Surfing Federation (ISF) held the World Surfing Championships as a single event and was open to all comers.
• 1970 to 1975, Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships, often referred to as the defacto professional world championship because the International Surfing Federation had been unable to establish a format or sponsorship so no official amateur championships were held between 1973 and 1975.
• 1976 to 1982, International Professional Surfers (IPS) was the original world governing body of professional surfing.

The predecessors of the ASP relates to what organization predominantly represented individual professional surfers at that time. This is an important point because the International Surfing Federation (ISF) still functions to this day as the International Surfing Association (ISA) and also refers to competition winners as world champions (or variants thereof).^[2][3]

Creation of the ASP

Ian Cairns watched the demise of the IPS commence throughout 1982 and saw an opportunity. In January 1983, Cairns launched the ASP and lured the world circuit organizers to the new organization, which effectively pushed aside the IPS who were left to operate only the Hawaiian pro events. By December 1984, the ASP had sanctioned the IPS controlled Pipeline Masters as a specialty event available to ASP members to enter for the first time.^[4] The ASP has remained the predominant surfing organization and sanctioning body for professional surfers since its formation.

The ASP's first world champions were Tom Carroll (mens) and Kim Mearig (womens) in 1983.

ASP Membership

Membership to the ASP is only available to individuals.^[5]

ASP Sanctioned Tours

• ASP World Tour (consisting of ASP World Title Race, ASP PRIME and ASP Star events);
• ASP Women’s World Tour (consisting of ASP World Title Race and ASP Star events);
• ASP World Longboard Tour
• ASP Women’s World Longboard Tour and
• ASP World Junior Tour.^[6][7]

ASP World Title Race

The ASP World Title Race is used to determine the ASP World Title and the ASP Women’s World Title. The winner is referred to as the ASP World Tour Champion.^[8]

In 2011, the ASP World Title is given to the surfer with the most accumulated points from their respective best 8 results from the 11 ASP World Tour events (ASP Prime and Star events excluded).^[9]

In 2011, the ASP Women’s World Title is given to the surfer with the most accumulated points from their respective best 6 results from the 7 ASP Women’s World Tour events (ASP Star Events excluded).^[9]

ASP World Tour & ASP Women's World Tour

The ASP World Tour is the men's elite competition consisting of the best 36 professional surfers competing in 11 events (as of 2011).^[10][9]

The ASP Women's World Tour is the women's elite competition consisting of the best 18 professional surfers competing in 7 events (as of 2011).^[10][9]

Event results are converted to points and count towards the ASP World Title Race and the ultimate prize of being called the ASP World Tour Champion.

ASP Prime & ASP Star events

An ASP Prime event is held at premium venues with a restricted field and offers Prime ASP World Rankings points.^[11]

An ASP Star event is a lower level of competition, compared to an ASP Prime event, with their importance indicated by how many stars they are assigned: more stars means generally better competition and prize money.^[11]

ASP World Ranking

ASP World Tour and ASP Women's World Tour surfers accumulate points from each ASP World Tour, ASP Prime (ASP World Tour only) and ASP Star event they compete in which count towards their ASP World Ranking. Accumulated points are valid for 12 months from the final date of the scheduled event in which they were earned.^[11]

Promotion & Relegation

ASP World Ranking determines the promotion or relegation of surfers.

The ASP World Tour applies a surfers rank at Rotation Points.^[11]

The ASP Women's World Tour applies a surfers rank at the conclusion of a Tour year to determine the forthcoming Tour's list of surfers; the top 10 re-qualify with the remaining places derived from the ASP Star Ranking top 6 surfers.^[11]

ASP World Tour Rotation Point

From 2011 the ASP introduced the ASP World Tour Rotation Point system as a method of determining the promotion and relegation of surfers on the 36-man ASP World Tour.

Prior to the commencement of a new ASP World Tour year the ASP announces Rotation Points. When a mid-tour Rotation Point occurs the top 32 surfers according to ASP World Rankings qualify for the remaining ASP World Tour events for that year. The year-ending Rotation Point determines the 36 surfers for ASP World Tour for the forthcoming year.^[11]

For the 2011 season, the ASP announced the Rotation Points as:

• Mid-tour – the final day of the Quiksilver Pro, New York, or the 13th September 2011 should the Event not be conducted.
• Year-ending – the final day of the Billabong Pipe Masters or the 21st December 2011 should the Event not be conducted.

Any Surfers with a ASP World Rankings below 32 at the mid-tour Rotation Point can continue to compete in ASP Prime and ASP Star events provided they meet entry conditions for those events.^[11]

ASP World Tour Champions

ASP World Longboard Tour Champions

World Championship Totals

Qualifier for list is to hold a minimum of 2 world championship titles across the cateogories.^[16]

Calculations include world championship titles outside of the ASP as discussed in Predecessors to the ASP section.

See also

• 2011 ASP World Tour
• Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
• Rip Curl Pro
• Billabong Pro Teahupoo
• Quiksilver Pro France
• Billabong Pipeline Masters

References

External links

• ASP Official site