As a contest-within-a-contest that takes place during the three-event competition, the winner is determined by points accumulated through placement in the men's OP® Pro Surfing Championships, Zeal Optics presents the GSHOCK World Cup of Surfing, and the Chiemsee Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters.

Over the years since this championship was inaugurated only an elite few have won the title. Kelly Slater, from Florida, had a remarkable three way win in 1995. He not only won the Triple Crown Championship, he also won the Chiemsee Gerry Lopez Pipe Masters and the Coca-Cola/ASP World Championship.

Other Triple Crown Champions are Derek Ho, Tom Carroll, Michael Ho and Gary Elkerton. Sunny Garcia, from Hawai`i, is the only competitor to win back-to-back championships, taking the title in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

The 1996 champion will not only win the trophy and the title, but Red Dog is offering a purse of $15,000 to be divided between the Association of Surfing Professionals and the top three finishers of the Triple Crown Championship