Gavin Rudolph – Biography
Probably most stoked for his title as one of the first to surf the winding point perfection of Supertubes, Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa; Gavin Rudolph also lays claim to one of the most outrageous upsets in competitive surfing…ever.
In the winter of 1971 as the sun began its slow descent into the Pacific Ocean and the finals of the Smirnoff Pro/Am was set to begin, Sunset Beach was packed with locals, hippies and tourists. Eight surfers nervously waxed up for their moment. An unexpected finalist, 18-year-old South African Gavin Rudolph paddled out into perfect 12-foot west bombs and into surf history. Throughout the day, the dependable regular footer cautiously navigated a treacherous sea of usual Hawaiian suspects with names like Hamilton, Aikau, Blears, and Chapman in waves that were far more intimidating than those back home in South Africa. Relative to his Hawaiian and international counterparts, Rudolph had very little experience riding Sunset’s shifting peaks.
Reportedly, Billy Hamilton was scratching for the winning wave in the final when he realized Rudolph was deeper. Hamilton pulled back, allowing the teenager to score a perfect 20 and a cool $2,650 (major dough in those days) and enabling him to postpone a planned trip home to look for a job.
Gavin Rudolf was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and first jumped on a surfboard at 9 years old. He became known for his smooth and confident style in South Africa’s premier point breaks. His aggressive climb and drop approach earned him a slot at the 1968 World Surfing Championships in Puerto Rico. The same year, he and Keith Paul became the first surfers to ride Supertubes, the world-class right-hander that’s become a global destination for the planet’s best surfers as well as the site of major professional surfing events (including the Billabong Pro). He followed that with a win at the Gunston 500 in Durban. But it was his big upset in 1971 at the Smirnoff Pro/Am that put his name on the map alongside other notable winners Nat young, Ian Cairns, and Mark Richards. Rudolph’s Smirnoff trophy also marked the first ever professional win for a South African surfer outside his homeland. Rudolph appeared in Rod Sumpter’s surf travel film Come Surf with Me, which also featured Gerry Lopez, Eddie Aikau, and Shaun Tomson.
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