Born: Melbourne, Victoria
24 July, 1952
Master of the big waves was the appellation bestowed on Victorian-born Ian Cairns, who made the surf off Cottesloe his domain from the age of 13.
By the time Cairns was 21, he was regarded as the best surfrider in the world. He proved the accuracy of that judgment on huge waves of Lanikia Beach, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, during the 1970s.
Cairns was a pioneer in the art of riding big waves in the day before a world surfriding circuit had been established.
He set his sights on the Smirnoff event, the virtual pro-am championship if the world, and achieved his ambition in December 1973.
At that time there were only two other major events on the world surfriding calendar and Cairns won them both in big surf of Hawaii. The events were the Duke Kahanamoku Classic in 1975 and the World Cup in 1976 and 1980.
Before heading overseas, Cairns dominated surfriding in W.A. as a junior from 1967 and as a senior from 1969 to 1973, never having his colours lowered in a State championship event.
As surfriding took on a more professional image in the 1980s, Cairns worked hard at establishing a world circuit.
He is a foundation member of the Australian Professional Surfing Association and a founder of the world-wide Association of Surfing Professionals, of which he is a life member.