The Legacy of the Surfer Poll          

In 1963, SURFER Magazine launched its first annual SURFER Poll Awards, with the winners selected by readers' votes. Now, 42 years later, the SURFER Poll is as vital as it ever has been, with thousands of votes pouring in each year, both through traditional balloting and electronic voting, and readers ranking their favorite 10 male and five female surfers in the world. With international surfers being recognized each year, and an equally diverse voting pool, the SURFER Poll truly is a barometer of what's happening in the surf world, and what the surfers in the lineup think of the stars they see in the magazine.

Back in the '60s, the tradition started with a simple mail-in ballot and the SURFER staff tallying each vote. The winners were announced at a semiformal banquet at a small restaurant in Capistrano Beach. Today, the party may be a bit bigger and a bit more lavish, but the awards are still tallied by SURFER staff, and the essence of the Poll and the party is to connect the readers to the surfers.

In 1963, in the Poll's infancy, the first winner of the SURFER Poll was a powerful 25-year-old surfer from Oceanside, California, named Phil Edwards. For the next six years the Poll thrived as one of the most exciting events in the surf world, but in 1969, when boards had gone short and surfing had gone counterculture, surfers didn't want to associate with anything that was perceived to be structured, or having to do with authority, and so the SURFER Poll was done away with. Resurfacing in 1978, the Poll picked up where it left off, and readers seemed eager to have their voices heard again. Along with the Poll, the banquet was resumed, and the entire event flourished. From 1987 to 1995, Poll awards were announced, but there was no banquet. When the event resumed in 1996, it came with the addition of the SURFER Video Awards, an augmented section of the show in which the SURFER staff rewarded the best videos of the year in categories such as Best Tuberide, Best Male Performer, Best Female Performer, Humor, Cinematography, and Best Overall Video. In 1999, SURFER instituted the Breakthrough Performer of the Year, and in 2004, a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Today, the SURFER Poll and the party are considered the biggest night out in the surf world. And while there's a lot of glitz, glamour and beautiful people, the essence of the event remains the same: Connecting readers to the surfers they admire, and reminding ourselves of the community we belong to.