Laura Lee Ching, also known as Laura Blears, Laura Blears Ching and Laura Blears Cody (born December 25, 1950) is an American surfer.

Early life

On December 25, 1950, Laura was born. Her father was

Lord James Blears Lord Blears (born James Ranicar Blears, August 13, 1923 – March 3, 2016) was a British-American professional wrestler, ring announcer, promoter, actor, mariner, and surfing personality. Early life Blears was born in Tyldesley, Lancashire, E ...

(died 2016), a

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

and amateur surfer. Her mother was Leonora "Lee" Adelaina (died 2007). Laura had three siblings, Jimmy (also a champion surfer; died 2011), Clinton, and Carol.

Career

Laura won the 1972 Makaha Invitational and became the first woman to compete in the Smirnoff World Pro-Am Surfing Championships in 1973. She was the world number one female surfer in 1973. She also appeared on ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...

'' and ABC's '' Wide World of Sports Challenge of the Sexes.

Recognition

Laura appeared in a six page pictorial for

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

magazine in its July, 1975 issue. Her pictorial was shot at Yokohama Bay, while surfing nude on a Lightning Bolt

surfboard A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he'e ...

. In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Laura's name and picture. In 2022 she received the restaurant Kimo's Maui's first Pioneers of Surfing Award.

References

External links

Hawaii Surfers Surfing Past 60

What's My Line (March 22, 1974) (You Tube)

Laura Blears on Surf Stories (Soundcloud)

Aging Well: Former pro-surfer still good for body, soul (You Tube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ching, Laura Lee 1950 births Female models from New York (state) American surfers Living people Sportspeople from Buffalo, New York 21st-century American women