Stapelberg Trying to Build Support for Pro Surfing Tour

Chances are if you ask most surfers who is Graham Stapelberg, you’ll receive a blank look. Yet, as far as professional surfing goes, Stapelberg is as important to the sport as are Kelly Slater and Rob Machado.

Stapelberg is executive director of the Irvine-based Assn. of Surfing Professionals, the governing body of professional surfing.

Stapelberg’s job can be a bit harrowing when you consider the ASP international membership of 1,700 surfers, many of whom march to their own drummer.

But Stapelberg, quiet and reserved, apparently has no trouble dealing with the inherent chaos. In fact, if you measured by the tone of his voice, everything is fine.

It’s been nearly two years since Stapelberg was appointed executive director, and the total purse at ASP-sanctioned events in that time has grown from $4.1 million to $6 million. In 1989, the total purse was $1.5 million.

Stapelberg, 34, believes the sport has plenty of room to grow. He has been working hard at obtaining more corporate sponsorships.

“I think surfing relies far to heavily on the surf industry for the growth of the sport,” Stapelberg said. “We need to get more corporate interest and dollars. We need more Coca-Colas involved.”

Stapelberg, who lives in Laguna Beach, also would like to see the ASP involved with more grass-roots functions such as the operation of surfing clinics.

In addition to the “nurturing of the young surfer,” Stapelberg said, the ASP has a duty to work harder on making the environment a top issue.

Working closely with the Surfrider Foundation, Stapelberg said education and responsibility regarding the ocean must become a driving force within the sport.

“Our competing arena is the ocean, and clearly we have a responsibility to keep it clean,” he said.

Before coming to the United States, Stapelberg, a native of South Africa, served in 1986 as treasurer of the South African Professional Surfing Assn. and South African Assn. of Surfing Judges. In addition, he was a scoring judge for eight years until 1993.

Ian Cairns, executive director of U.S. Surfing, said that Stapelberg, besides being a “regular surfer,” is a very effective behind-the-scenes organizer.

“He [Stapelberg] has spent years on the tour judging and has spent a number of years as an understudy to former ASP [executive] director Graham Cassidy,” Cairns said. “He has a good relationship with the [surfing community] worldwide. All those years of experience have given him an understanding of existing ASP business.”

Cairns said Stapelberg’s background as a certified public accountant and his keen organization skills have made him particularly suited for courting corporate interests. “He’s working effectively at putting all the pieces together.”

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Alisa Schwartzstein-Cairns of Laguna Beach had little trouble defending her title in the Bud Surf Championships earlier this month, defeating Australian Kim Woolridge and Hawaiians Megan Abubo and Keala Kennelly in the Wahine women’s championships at Turtle Bay in Hawaii.

Schwartzstein-Cairns’ victory was impressive considering she also faxed the results and wrote about the event for U.S. Surfing.

“I’m used to it now,” she said. “Surf, then run back to the trailer and do some work. Sometimes I wonder how well I would do if I could focus only on surfing. But I would probably be so nervous that maybe keeping my mind occupied with faxing and writing is the best thing.”

Schwartzstein-Cairns finished No. 1 in the Bud Surf Tour rankings. Kim Hamrock of Huntington Beach was second, Jayme Lee of San Clemente seventh and Saori Zurita of Huntington Beach eighth.

Erik Barton of Honolulu won the men’s division of the Bud Surf Tour Championships when he edged fellow Hawaiian Derek Ho, 29.03-27.90, in Turtle Bay.

Despite not making it past the quarterfinals at Turtle Bay, Joel Tudor of La Jolla accumulated enough points during the season to win the overall title. Bonga Perkins of Mililani, Hawaii, won the event at Turtle Bay.

Mike Stewart won the title in men’s bodyboarding and Brazilian Daniela Freitas won the women’s division.

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The Quicksilver Pro in Sunset Beach, Hawaii, starts Nov. 26. The contest will determine the 1996 women’s world champion in the Coca-Cola ASP World Tour.

Pauline Menczer of Australia will defend her title against Americans Lisa Andersen and Rochelle Ballard. For further information, check out the internet website: https://holoholo.org/triple crown/ or https://www.asp-intl.org

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Ever wanted to learn how to operate a yacht?

Students at Orange Coast College soon will be able to learn thanks to a generous donation from the estate of long-time Newport area sailor Richard Steele.

Steele’s estate recently donated a 69-foot motor-yacht to the Orange Coast marine program.

Steele, who skippered his boats on races throughout the Pacific, died in March at age 77.

Steele’s boat, Wide Waters, is the most valuable gift ever given to the school program. It has been valued in excess of $1 million. Built of aluminum in 1993, Wide Waters is powered by twin 735-horsepower diesels and tops out at 23 knots.

Wide Waters will be launched by the school in January and will be used by marine biology and coastal oceanography students studying the local ocean environment.

The Orange Coast marine program also will develop a motor-yacht program that features courses for professional crews and recreational operators.

“We’re a point of access for the public to become involved in a variety of ways with sail and power boats, and donated vessels make it possible,” said Brad Avery, director of the marine program. “Wide Waters represents a tremendous opportunity.”

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For more adventurous water lovers, the Orange Coast Sailing Center offers trips all over the world.

The center’s four, large cruising yachts travel throughout the Pacific on trips that are open to adults, ages 18-70. Crew members are selected by application.

Orange Coast’s Volcano, a 64-foot yacht, will be making many trips to Mexico and the South Pacific next year. Spots are still available on the Volcano’s Nov. 16-17 weekend trip to Catalina, a cruise designed for intermediate sailors.

For more daring sailors, the 54-foot Polar Mist is scheduled to make five trips over the next two years to South America, Cape Horn, Antarctica and the Falkland Islands.

The Polar Mist was built for Arctic exploration and the brochure warns that applicants should be “willing to tackle the challenges of marginal weather, tentative itineraries, and remote landfalls.”

The Alaska Eagle voyages to New Zealand and back via Hawaii, and the Serena travels between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland.

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For those interested in seeing what adventure sailing is all about, the Orange Coast Sailing Center will hold its Adventure Sailing Extravaganza at 7 p.m. Dec. 7.

The show will include slides and stories from sailors who have crewed the school’s vessels all over the world.

Tickets are $6 in advance or $8 at the door. For information call, (714) 645-9412.