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Many area residents and some out of state visitors had a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Senator and Surf Legend Fred Hemmings Saturday night, June 21. Fred visited the Cocoa Beach Surf Company and the newly re-opened East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame on the 3rd floor of the surf complex to meet with about 125 excited surfers, environmentalist and politicians. Fred covered a brief history of surfing, focusing on the part that some East Coast Legends played in the upward growth of the surf industry, before opening the night up for a Q&A session. Fred answered questions relating to a variety of issues including his feelings on the possibility of allowing oil drillers access to Florida’s East Coast. Fred closed the evening with a message to all the surf community. He stressed the importance of surfing as an asset to the area and the local environment. Fred feels that surfers need to get involved and speak with a unified voice on issues that effect the surf culture and environment. His hopes, for the future of surfing, are that surfing can be seen as a real asset to our community. Surfers are a rare breed of good people with good hearts, he stated, it is time we get together to do great things.
Fred Hemmings and Niki Wheat
Fred Hemmings
Claude Codgen
CBSC Promo Team, Niki Wheat and Shannon Early
(L to R)Niki Wheat, Mike Meyer and Fred Hemmings
Joe Twombly
Mike Meyer presenting Fred Hemmings with his personalized embroidered T-shirt
Cecil Lear introducing Fred
Rich and Phil Salick enjoying the evening
Fred had everyone captivated!
Cecil Lear
Dick Catri telling some hilarious stories about life in the 60's in Hawaii with Fred
WHO IS FRED HEMMINGS???
Born and raised on the big island of Hawaii, Fred was one of the original members of The Duke Surf Team, surfing with the most renowned legendary surfers of all time. In 1968 The surfer won his World Surfing Champion title, since which he has remained one of the most successful competitive surfers of all time, Hemmings became a prime mover in the establishment of professional surfing in the late 60’s and 70’s. In 1970 Fred founded his own company, Sports Enterprises. He helps bring the world's attention to the sport of surfing by capturing the interests of television networks. He inaugurated the Pipeline Masters Surfing Classic in 1971 and all the events in the Triple Crown of Surfing in the following years. Along with Randy Rarick he is credited with the founding of the first world pro tour of Surfing in 1976. Since then, Fred has been inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Hawaii State Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. He became a member of the Hawaii state legislature in the 1980s &1990s and reelected in 2002 for republican leader, Hemmings gained a reputation as an effective and vigorous leader with expertise as a political economist. He is also the author of three books including The Soul of Surfing is Hawaiian.
With a great love for Hawaii he has devoted his adult life to studying Hawaiian history and the natural environment. One of his crowning achievements is working with the Governor of Hawaii and the President of the United States in creating the world’s largest marine sanctuary out of the NW islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago. The monument will cover roughly 14,000 square miles and extend 50 miles east of Nihoa Island to 50 miles west of Kure Atoll, including the waters within 50 miles of any land or emergent reef. The only marine reserve that comes close is on the Australia Great Barrier Reef.
Fred, also is devoted to his wonderful wife Lydia Hemmings and being a father to his 4 children.
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© Cocoa Beach Surf Company 2007