Stab Magazine | The Pick Up: The Winningest Men In Triple Crown History

Live now — Ep. 3 Of The Electric Acid Surfboard Test With Dave Rastovich

102 Views

The Pick Up: The Winningest Men In Triple Crown History

Only 5 people have won all three—Haleiwa, Sunset, and Pipe.

vtcs // Dec 7, 2017
Words by stab
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Winning a Triple Crown is hard. Winning all three events of the Triple Crown throughout the entirety of one’s career? Statistically harder. Since 1983 there have been 16 Triple Crown champions, but only five people — Gary Elkerton, Mark Richards, Joel Parkinson, Michel Bourez, and Andy Irons — have won each individual event of Haleiwa, Sunset, and Pipe. None has won all three events in the same year.

Some interesting outliers include Sunny Garcia, who holds a record six Triple Crowns but never won at Pipeline; Kelly Slater, who holds seven Pipe Masters titles but not a single win between Haleiwa and Sunset (if only Sunny and he could trade!); and more recently John Florence, who, despite being one of the best Pipe surfers in history, has failed to secure a win at his home break (his best result in a Pipe Masters is a second).

To win a Triple Crown, one needs to be comfortable in two-to-twelve foot conditions, have impeccable skills on rail and in the tube, and not falter once in an early round. To win all three Triple Crown events over the course of a career, one must possess these same skills in conjunction with an overflowing reservoir of good fortune. Oahu’s shifting peaks benefit the brave, but also the lucky.

Mostly the brave though. 

 

Still imagery by Dan Merkel + WSL, footage by the WSL + Freesurf magazine.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

The Women’s CT Will Expand To 24 Surfers In 2026

Should the WSL shrink the men's tour to achieve total parity?

Nov 13, 2024

The Dark Arts Joyride

Mick Fanning and friends sample the DHD 'DNA' in a carbon-wrapped construction.

Nov 12, 2024

Watch Now: ‘Revival’ A Rusty Team Surf Film

5000 A-clips boiled down to 55-minutes of high-powered surf cinema.

Nov 11, 2024

What Have We Learned From 133 Minutes With Dave Rastovich?

A look into the wandering mind of surfing’s reluctant messiah. 

Nov 11, 2024

Why Can’t We Agree On Wave Heights?

Nate Fletcher, Mason Ho, and more on the subjective science of telling your friends how…

Nov 10, 2024

Stab Interview: Mitch Crews On His Middle Eastern Life And Not Surfing An Ocean Wave In Over A Year

The Senior Director of Abu Dhabi Surf speaks.

Nov 9, 2024

Premium Peek: Mason Ho, Noa Deane, Clay Marzo & Harry Bryant Devour Tropical Delights

Welcome to Ind-Ho-nesia.

Nov 8, 2024

Abu Dhabi, Actually

Taj Burrow, Coco Ho + Lungi Slabb sample the largest, longest + saltiest man made…

Nov 7, 2024

Everywhere You Can Watch The EAST Series Finale 

Dates + venues for screenings in the USA, Oz, Japan and Indo. 

Nov 7, 2024

Pulse Check: The State Of The Surf Industry In 2024

Optimism in the face of collapse.

Nov 6, 2024

New Blood Rising: Snapt’s Last Chapter Will Now Feature A Grom Section

Logan Dulien adds a farewell gift to Snapt5.

Nov 6, 2024

Watch: Griffin And Crosby Are The Best Brothers On Tour Since…

Mikey and Owen? CJ and Damo? Shea and Cory? Andy and Bruce?

Nov 6, 2024

Has Surfing Finally Chilled The Fuck Out In The Arctic?

How surfing failed to ruin the high latitudes.

Nov 5, 2024

Scott Bass On Running The Biggest Surfboard Expo In The World + The Next Hottest Trend In Design

Which OG rhino chaser sells for $36k?

Nov 4, 2024

What Are The Most Common Injuries In Surfing, And How Can You Prevent Them?

We asked the experts to address your aching body.

Nov 3, 2024

Schizophrenic Drone Demolition And The Truth About Seth Moniz’s Torn MCL

The storylines that didn’t make the final cut of Trilogy: New Wave

Nov 2, 2024

Is There A More Barreled Father-Son Duo In Surfing Right Now?

Tosh and Joel Tudor offer 16 minutes of convincing evidence.

Nov 1, 2024

The Electric Acid Surfboard Test Starring Dave Rastovich, Episode 3

Rasta tests six boards and the Unified Theory of Fins is set forth.

Oct 31, 2024
Advertisement