HIBT Founders

Inspired by the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Peter Fithian founded the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) in 1959 to draw people from all over the world to experience the big fish of Kona.

He is still running the event over 57 years later and the HIBT has been used as a model for many of today’s most successful and long-standing tournaments worldwide.

The HIBT was the birthplace of the original Great Marlin Race, which was established in 2009 during the tournament’s 50th anniversary, and many amazing IGMR tracks have since resulted from the annual event.

Fithian founded the Pacific Ocean Research Foundation (PORF) in 1975 to learn more about Pacific blue marlin and was instrumental in the foundation of the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA.) He served as an IGFA Trustee and has since been recognized as a Trustee Emeritus.