Sunny Garcia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sunny Garcia
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Vincent Sennen Garcia
January 14, 1970 Mā'ili, Oahu, Hawai'i
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Vincent Sennen "Sunny" Garcia (born January 14, 1970) is a famous professional surfer from Waianae, Hawaii. He started his surfing career at a young age. In 1986, he made his first big appearance at the Gotcha Pro event in Oahu, Hawaii. There, he even beat the 1984 champion, Tom Carroll.
Sunny Garcia's biggest achievement in surfing was becoming the ASP World Champion in 2000. He also holds the record for winning the most WQS events, with 22 wins. On top of that, he has won the prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing six times. He was also one of the first professional surfers to earn over $1 million in prize money.
He decided to stop competing professionally in 2005 but later returned to the sport. In 2008, he hoped to qualify for the ASP World Tour again, but he was eliminated early from a key competition.
Contents
Surfing Career Highlights
Sunny Garcia was a very strong surfer in the Hawaiian Surfing Association. He joined the World Championship Tour (WCT) in 1986 when he was just 17. He showed great promise by beating former champion Tom Carroll. Even though he didn't make it into the top group in his first year, he finished 16th the following year.
Consistent Performance in the 1990s
Throughout the 1990s, Garcia was very consistent. He finished in the top ten every year and placed third four times. In 1995, it seemed like he might have reached the peak of his career. He didn't win the Pipeline Masters to claim the title that year, finishing third behind surfing legends Kelly Slater and Rob Machado. With many new, talented young surfers joining the tour, some thought Garcia's best days were behind him.
Comeback and World Championship
Four years later, Sunny Garcia found new inspiration from veteran surfer Mark Occhilupo, who won the WCT title in 1999. Garcia worked hard, lost weight, and moved to Kauai. There, he surfed with the talented Irons brothers, Andy and Bruce. This helped him improve his surfing skills even more.
In 2000, 14 years after he first started, Garcia achieved his biggest dream. He completely dominated the ASP WCT season. He won the first two events in Australia and secured the world title in Brazil, even before the final event. During this amazing year, he also won his fifth Triple Crown in his home state of Hawaii.
Later Competitions
After stepping away from professional surfing in 2005, Garcia started competing in the WQS again. In 2008, he had a slow start but moved into the top ten after finishing fifth in Scotland. He was determined to win the series, but an early exit from the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing in Hawaii prevented him from joining the 2009 Dream Tour.
In 2009, he had knee surgery. He finished that year strongly, placing in the quarter-finals at the Hawaiian Pro and coming in second to Joel Parkinson at the O'Neill World Cup. He hoped to win a seventh Triple Crown but missed his heat at the Pipemasters because he arrived late. However, he had a great performance at "The Eddie" big wave contest, where he finished third.
As of June 2010, he was ranked 67th in the ASP World Rankings. His best result that year was reaching the quarter-finals at the 'Sponsor me now Sunset Open' in January.
Beyond Surfing Competitions
Sunny Garcia has also been involved in other projects outside of competitive surfing.
TV and Video Games
In 2002, he appeared in North Shore: Boarding House, a reality TV show about surfers living together. However, he usually prefers to stay away from the busy North Shore scene. He often chooses to surf alone or ride motocross. Garcia is also featured in the Sunny Garcia Surfing video game. He has a clothing deal with Affliction Clothing, where his tattoos are even featured on his own custom shirts.
Charity Work
Garcia has volunteered for Surfers Healing, a charity that helps children with autism. His work with them has included beach clean-up days in Hawaii and along California's coast. In 2011, Garcia hosted a golf tournament fundraiser called "Surfers for Cystic Fibrosis." This event was organized by The Mauli Ola Foundation, a charitable group. The money raised helped fund special surf experience days for people with cystic fibrosis.
Personal Life
Vincent Sennen Garcia was born on January 14, 1970, in Mā'ili, on the Westside of Oahu, Hawaii. His family background includes Puerto Rican and Hawaiian heritage from his father's side. From his mother's side, he has Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Irish, and Native American heritage. His mother gave him the nickname "Sunny" because he was a very cheerful baby. After his parents divorced, Garcia lived with his mother near Mā'ili point, close to the beach.
He has been married three times. His most recent marriage was to Colleen McCullough in 2008. He has three teenage children from his first marriage.
Sunny Garcia has been open about his personal challenges. Since December 2014, he has talked about his struggles with mental health and encouraged others dealing with similar issues to share their feelings.
Achievements
Titles and Records
- 2000 ASP WCT World Champion
- 2004 Triple Crown of Surfing
- 2000 Triple Crown of Surfing
- 1999 Triple Crown of Surfing
- 1994 Triple Crown of Surfing
- 1993 Triple Crown of Surfing
- 1992 Triple Crown of Surfing
- 1987–1988 ASP's Men's Most Improved award
- 1990 ASP's Men's Most Improved award
- Most victories in WQS competition (22)
- Most Triple Crown of Surfing titles (6)
History of Wins
2004
- Vans Hawaiian Pro (Alii Beach - Hale'iwa, Hawaii)
2002
- G-Shock Hawaiian Pro (Alii Beach - Haleiwa, Hawaii)
2000
- Billabong Pro (Kirra Point - Gold Coast, Australia)
- Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, (Australia)
- Panasonic Shockwave US Open (Huntington Beach, California)
- G-Shock Hawaiian Pro (Alii Beach - Haleiwa, Hawaii)
- Rip Curl World Cup (Sunset Beach - Oahu, Hawaii)
1997
- Katin Team Challenge (Huntington Beach, California)
1996
- Rip Curl Pro (Bells Beach, Australia)
- Town and Country (Ala Moana - Oahu, Hawaii)
1995
- Rip Curl Pro (Bells Beach, Australia)
- Quiksilver Surfmasters (Grande Plage - Biarritz, France)
- Rusty Pro (Honolua Bay - Maui, Hawaii)
- Op Pro (Huntington Beach, California)
- T&C/Bud Surf Tour Championships (Mākaha - Oahu, Hawaii)
1994
- Reunion Pro (Saint-Leu, Réunion)
- Billabong Kirra Pro (Kirra Point - Gold Coast, Australia)
- T&C/Bud Surf Tour Championships (Mākaha - Oahu, Hawaii)
- Hapuna World Cup of Surfing (Sunset Beach - Oahu, Hawaii)
1993
- HIC Pro (Banzai Pipeline - Oahu, Hawaii)
- Op Pro (Huntington Beach, California)
- Wyland Galleries Hawaiian Pro (Alii Beach - Haleiwa, Hawaii)
1992
- Gunston 500 (Durban, Natal, South Africa)
- T&C O'Neill Pro (Kuhio Beach - Maui, Hawaii)
- Pukas Pro (Zarauz, Basque Country, Spain)
- Marui/Surfin' Life Qualifying (Hebara Beach - Chiba, Japan)
- Miyazaki Qualifying (Miyazaki, Japan)
- Xcel Pro (Sunset Beach - Oahu, Hawaii)
- Wyland Galleries Hawaiian Pro (Alii Beach - Haleiwa, Hawaii)
1990
- Pukas Pro (Zarauz, Basque Country, Spain)
- Seland Pro (Sopelana, Basque Country, Spain)
Awards
In 2010, Sunny Garcia was honored by being inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame at Huntington Beach.
