# Ian Cairns > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ian_Cairns > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ian_Cairns.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Cairns > Source revision: 1321177216 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the Scottish actor, see [Ian Cairns (actor)](/source/Ian_Cairns_(actor)). Australian surfer (born 1952) Ian Cairns Personal information Born (1952-07-24) 24 July 1952 (age 73) Kew, Victoria, Australia Surfing career Sport Surfing Surfing specifications Stance Regular (natural foot) **Ian Cairns** (born 24 July 1952 in [Kew, Victoria](/source/Kew%2C_Victoria)) is a former champion [surfer](/source/Surfer) who was also influential in establishing the world professional surfing circuit and particularly the [World Championship Tour](/source/World_championship_tour_(WCT)_surfing). He was described as "the premier "power" surfer of his era [who] dominated the [North Shore](/source/North_Shore_(Oahu)) during the mid to late-seventies".[1] Growing up in the Sydney suburb of Avalon where he first learned to surf, Cairns moved to [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) with his family in early 1967, to [Perth](/source/Perth%2C_Western_Australia)'s western suburbs, attending [Swanbourne Senior High School](/source/Shenton_College).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Cairns dominated the surfing scene in his adopted state. From the age of 13 he consistently won every competition on offer, winning state Junior and Open titles. He moved to [Hawaii](/source/Hawaii) in the early 1970s in search of big waves and before a professional circuit had established.[2] Cairns joined the Australian team at the 1970 and 1972 World Surfing Championships and at [Laniakea](/source/Lani%C4%81kea_Beach) off [Oahu](/source/Oahu) in December 1973 he won the [Smirnoff Pro](/source/Smirnoff_World_Pro-Am_Surfing_Championships) event at [Sunset Beach](/source/Sunset_Beach_(Oahu)) from Hawaiian [Jeff Hakman](/source/Jeff_Hakman).[3] He won other big events in the [Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship](/source/Duke_Kahanamoku_Invitational_Surfing_Championship) in 1975 and World Cup events in 1976 and 1980. In 1975, Cairns and fellow Australian [Peter Townend](/source/Peter_Townend_(surfer)) devised a rating and scoring system for surfing events. In 1979, he moved to [California](/source/California) and with Townend formed the [National Scholastic Surfing Association](/source/National_Scholastic_Surfing_Association) (NSSA).[3] In 1983 he became the first director of the [Association of Surfing Professionals](/source/Association_of_Surfing_Professionals) (ASP) of which he is a life member. He returned to Australia in 1986 where he farmed at [Margaret River, Western Australia](/source/Margaret_River%2C_Western_Australia). In 1996 he returned to California where he now lives with his wife Alisa Schwarzstein, his son Jonathon (daughter Amy lives in Australia) and twin sons.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Alisa Schwarzstein is a former ASP professional. She was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame as that year's Woman of the Year in 2012; the Walk is in Huntington Beach, California.[4] Cairns is currently Head Coach of the [PacSun](/source/PacSun) USA Surf Team.[5] Cairns was inducted into the [Western Australian Hall of Champions](/source/Western_Australian_Hall_of_Champions) in 1990, into the [Surfing Walk of Fame](/source/U.S._Open_of_Surfing#Surfing_Walk_of_Fame)) at Huntington Beach, California, as a Surf Champion in 2010, and into the [Surfers' Hall of Fame](/source/U.S._Open_of_Surfing#Surfers'_Hall_of_Fame), also in 2010.[1][6] The Western Australian Surfers' and Waveriders' Association awards the **Ian Cairns Award** to the Western Australian male surfer of the year.[7] ## See also - [Shaun Tomson](/source/Shaun_Tomson) - [Mark Richards](/source/Mark_Richards_(surfer)) - [Bustin Down The Door](/source/Bustin_Down_The_Door) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-shf_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-shf_1-1) ["Kanga to enter the Surfer' Hall of Fame this Summer"](http://www.hsssurf.com/shof/?p=217). *Surfers' Hall of Fame*. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-wais_2-0)** *W.A. Hall of Champions* inductee booklet. (2006) Published by the [Western Australian Institute of Sport](/source/Western_Australian_Institute_of_Sport) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-surfline_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-surfline_3-1) Jason Borte (July 2001). ["Ian Cairns (July 24, 1952– )"](http://www.surfline.com/surfaz/surfaz.cfm?id=776). *Surfline*. Retrieved 14 November 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Woman of the Year – Alisa Schwarzstein-Cairns 2012"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140821223215/http://www.surfingwalkoffame.com/woman/Alisa_Cairns.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.surfingwalkoffame.com/woman/Alisa_Cairns.html) on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Surfing America introduces the 2012 PacSun USA Surf Team"](http://surf.transworld.net/1000133646/news/surfing-america-introduces-usa-surf-team/). *TransWorld Surf*. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Ian Cairns 2010"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100916072509/http://www.surfingwalkoffame.com/champion/Ian_Cairns.html). Surfing Walk of Fame. 5 August 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.surfingwalkoffame.com/champion/Ian_Cairns.html) on 16 September 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2011. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The Ian Cairns Award"](http://www.srosurf.com/wasawa/wasaic.html). *wasawa*. Retrieved 14 November 2007. ## External links - [Ian Cairns](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0129069/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [Ian Cairns](https://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes/5379/-) at the [World Surf League](/source/World_Surf_League) Achievements Preceded by Jimmy Blears Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships World Champion 1973 Succeeded by Reno Abellira Authority control databases International VIAF WorldCat National United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ian Cairns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Cairns) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Cairns?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.