1959 HIBT launched two days after Hawaii becomes state. George Woller sets 80- pound-class world record with 444-pound Pacific blue. Ala Moana Sportsman‟s Club wins with 611-pound blue on 130. Aussie and Kiwi entries make field truly “international.” 

1960 Women allowed to fish only in one-day preliminary event. Anglerette Pat Peacock stuns “old boys” with world record 540-pound blue on 130-pound line. Ala Moana repeats. 

1961 Balboa Angling Club becomes first winners from CA. Women allowed to compete fully. Yellowfin tuna division established. Catch by legendary Olympian Duke Kahanamoku disqualified when rod breaks. 

1962 Pat Peacock claims second world record for 721.5-pound “silver” marlin, a nonexistent species later determined to be a Pacific blue marlin. Pearl Harbor Naval Station wins. 

1963 Scientists join tournament to gather data on marlin physiology and natural history, beginning annual tradition. Panair Sportsman‟s Club wins with what will be lowest score in the event for many years, 677 points. 

1964 Kiwi Bay of Islands Swordfish Club becomes first international team to win. Largest marlin, 559-pound blue, disqualified when angler gives up after four hours. Actor and Kona fisherman Richard Boone (TV‟s Paladin) goes fishless. 

1965 IGFA VP Dudley Lewis loses monster when rod breaks during 4 -1/2 hour fight. A Kona team wins its own tournament for first time. 

1966 Florida team wins with 809-pound blue, biggest to date for HIBT. Rufus Spalding sets „ahi world record, 240 pounds. 

1967 West Palm Beach successfully defends title. Celebrities Lee Marvin, Jonathan Winters and Richard Boone compete. 

1968 Los Angeles Billfish Club beats Aussie team by 3 points, wins tenth anniversary event to become second-ever winner from California. 

1969 Southern California Sportsman‟s Club prevails in largest field to date, 79 teams. “Capt. Paladin” (actor Richard Boone), charters his boat to fisherman who never heard of him, earns $10 tip. 

1970 Most marlin caught in one tournament to date, 95. City of Portland catches nine billfish to win. Kevin Crosbie catches three blue marlin and one ahi to record most fish by one angler in one day in any HIBT.

1971 Mercury scare taints tournament. Marlin tagged with transmitter tracked by transducer. „Ahi outnumber marlin two to one. Michelle Spalding sets women‟s IGFA „ahi record. Saratoga Sportsmen‟s Association takes title. 

1972 HIBT hosts world scientific symposium on billfish with world‟s top marlin biologists. Record one-day total, 15 marlin, caught. IGFA VP Dudley Lewis leads Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club to victory with catch that includes four marlin in one day on the same lure. 

1973 Teams set three IGFA blue marlin records for men‟s 80 (916 pounds), women‟s 130 (669 pounds), and men‟s 50 (663 pounds). Home team Mauna Kea Fishing Club wins with greatest point total to date, 2,288. 

1974 HIBT goes big time with coverage by ABC‟s “Wide World of Sports.” Cabo San Lucas bests previous total-point record with 3,848, including new 50-pound-class blue marlin record, 762 pounds. Haku Baldwin sets new women‟s `ahi record. 

1975 New rule gives 40% bonus points for catches on 80-pound-test, starting trend toward lighter tackle. Judi Nakamaru and Mardi Jensen set IGFA world records for „ahi; Nakamaru adds another for skipjack tuna. Most ever billfish to date, 114, boated. HIBA establishes Pacific Ocean Research Foundation (PORF) to promote “preservation, knowledge and management” of big game. Southern California Sportsman‟s Club wins. 

1976 Cornhusker Billfish Club from land-locked Nebraska wins. Judi Nakamaru catches her third IGFA world record, 250.5-pound „ahi on 80. Japanese movie star Toshiro Mifune (“Seven Samurai,” “Throne of Blood”) boats big ahi. 

1977 Capt. Myrna Holdredge, first female HIBT skipper, boats three blue marlin in one day. Lily Call, 80, catches 422-pound blue marlin. Marlin estimated at 800+ rams Republic of California, leaves broken bill in hull. Las Vegas wins. William Conrad (“Cannon”) and Arte Johnson (“Laugh In”) compete. 

1978 Twentieth anniversary sees Las Vegas successfully defend title in most productive HIBT to date; 116 billfish boated. Kona Hawaiian Billfish Tournament inaugurated as qualifying event. 

1979 Governor on hand to welcome teams in person. Nevada Gamefish Club claims HIBT title, gives Diamond State third straight win. 

1980 Longest battle to date in HIBT history, 20 hours, ends when line breaks. HIBT inaugurates Fishing Exposition, hosts tackle manufacturers from around the world. Beverly Hills Yacht Club breaks Nevada‟s three-year reign.

1981 Live bait and light tackle are winning formula as anglers use bonus points introduced for catches made on 50-pound test. Bait catches outnumber lure catches 70 to 64 (combining billfish and tuna). Balboa loses estimated 600 pounder to a school of piranha-like deep-sea triggerfish. Kona Game Fishing Club proves poor hosts, wins event to keep trophy in Kona for the first time in eight years. Actor Richard Boone dies: HIBT inaugurates Boone award for highest rated skippers. 

1982 Beginner‟s luck strikes first-timer Marshall‟s Billfish Club. A 711-pound blue, third largest HIBT catch to date on 50-pound test line, gives Marshall Islanders win. 

1983 San Buenaventura Fishing Club brings title back to California with lowest point total since „63. 

1984 Most “marlin,” 112, caught in HIBT to date. (Higher totals in past years included spearfish, sailfish and small stripers before 100-pound minimum was set.) Marianas Gamefish Club takes title back to the Central Pacific. 

1985 Laguna Niguel Billfish Club wins as catch total drops to 25. But all are big fish (average tourney catch weighs 300 pounds). 

1986 Laguna Niguel repeats with history-making grander. Gil Kraemer‟s 1062.5- pound blue sets new IGFA 50-pound class record, wrests title from early leaders, Pajaro Valley, and their 772-pound blue caught on 50 on opening day. HIBT introduces tag and release of fish under 150 pounds; 45 are released for bonus points. 

1987 Takachiyo Fishing Club of Japan becomes first Asian winner. Tagging gains momentum as 62 billfish are released. 

1988 Germany‟s Blinker Sport and Game Fishing Club becomes first European winner. PORF co-hosts second International Billfish Symposium. Scientists track marlin wearing sonic tags. 

1989 Largest billfish, 569.5 pounds, is biggest black marlin taken in all 30 years of HIBT to date. For the first time a winning team, American Samoa, gains most of its points through tag and release. 

1990 Bill Coombs, 81, bests 592-pound marlin to give Game Fish Club of South Australia the win. Coombs‟ teammate loses thumb in struggle during gaffing. Marina Del Rey team loses monster black marlin after 23-hour battle. 

1991 Four-hour fight with last minute 672-pound blue weighed after dark on final day wins for Lahaina Yacht Club. Hawaii Kai Yacht Club finishes second to give Hawaii teams top two places for first time in 26 years. HIBT Pro-Am replaces Kona Hawaiian Billfish Tournament as preliminary qualifying event.

1992 Tournament Anglers Association wins after closest contender Okinawa team loses last minute catch to shark. Tag and release promoted by increase in bonus points. 

1993 HIBT overshadowed by HIBT Pro-Am preliminary event when Balboa Angling Club‟s Ray Hawkes boats 1,166-pound blue on 50-pound-class line to set new IGFA record. Port Hacking Game Fish Club of Australia wins main event with 731- pound blue. Capt. Jeff Fay wins top skipper award for third time, an HIBT first. 

1994 San Rafael (CA) Billfish Club becomes first team in HIBT history to win with tagged and released fish (five blue marlin) only. 

1995 Oahu‟s Moana Kai Fishing Club wins after Nevada Gamefish Team‟s 807- pound blue is disqualified because of propeller injuries. 

1996 Game Fishing Club of South Australia first foreign team to win HIBT twice. 2nd place Funbirds of Aloha boat HIBT‟s biggest, 555, after 7-hour fight with broken reel. 

1997 After 36 years of trying, the Pajaro Valley (CA) Gamefish Club wins HIBT without boating a fish (all 1,400 points come from releases). All-tackle world record black marlin holder (1,560 pounds) Albert Glassell is parade Grand Marshall. 

1998 HIBT marks Fortieth Anniversary. Mauna Kea Sport Fishing Club wins with 1,529 points, including 697.5-pound blue for Kohei Ushimura. Capt. Scott Fuller and crew of Tara win Henry Chee Award. Capt. Marlin Parker chosen for Richard Boone Award. 

1999 HIBT takes sabbatical to explore options. Plans return as a smaller, more efficient competition. 

2000 Indiana Jones Tokyo Fishing Club wins with lowest total in history, 561 points. Skipper Allan Ayano wins Henry Chee Award for Lady Dee. 

2001 For first time in HIBT history, no team gets skunked. Rocky Franich, captain of winning Pajaro Valley Gamefish Club calls it the greatest week of Kona fishing he has ever seen. Anglers caught 70 qualifying billfish and released all but two. Koji Otsuka of King Marlin Big Game Fishing Club catches biggest marlin, 617 pounds, after fight lasting nearly seven hours on Chiripa. Another HIBT first, Pajaro catches all of its winning fish on the same charterboat, Illusions as HIBT suspends rotation system for the year. 

2002 Malindi Sea Fishing club of Kenya wins title in low-scoring HIBT. Malindi earned 482.5 of its 682.5-point winning total with one 482.5-pound blue caught on Lady Dee. The 482.5 also boosts Lady Dee crew Allan Ayano and Steve Sahines to Henry Chee Title. “No Rules Fishing Club” wins `ahi title with two tuna on blind strikes. “No HIBT History in Headlines 5 Rules” team member Bill Jardine declares “If you have seen our lures, you know they had to be blind strikes.”

 2003 Pajaro Valley wins unprecedented third HIBT title with a 516-pound blue for Rocky Franich and a 518-pound blue for Jim Ramsey. Ramsey finished out the winner‟s scoring with a release. All Pajaro catches are on 80, missing out on bonus points but securing the title without them. Capt. Marlin Parker loses a grander at gaff but wins second Henry Chee award with points scored for Pajaro and other teams. 

2004 Game Fishing Club of South Australia takes third HIBT title, all with legendary Aussie angler John Johnston as captain. Capt. Boyd DeCoito wins Henry Chee Award for Foxy Lady. 

2005 Team Bahamas wins with largest point total since 1986, including 562.5- pound blue on 50 for Jeff Waugh. Carlton Taniyama wins Henry Chee Award for Five Star. Malindi‟s Bryan Reece boats 636,5-pound blue, sixth largest HIBT catch ever on 80. 

2006 Captained by Fred Duerr, a 40-year HIBT angler and president of HIBA, Malibu Marlin Club wins. Philip Chan of New Britain Gamefish Club catches event‟s largest blue, 594 pounds, but team finishes second. Humdinger catches four marlin for competing teams, giving Captain Jeff Fay and his crew the Henry Chee award. 

2007 Hilton Grand Vacations Fishing Club sends title back to Japan for first time since 2000. In a 3-1/2 hour fight, Haruoa Kaneko catches 689-pound blue on Monkey Biz II to record third largest HIBT catch ever on 80. Monkey Biz II skipper Chip VanMols takes Henry Chee Award. 

2008 Angler Bob Dudley leads Laguna Niguel (CA) team to victory. After not catching a single billfish in 10 previous HIBT attempts, Dudley boated a 973-pound blue on Marlin Magic and a 695-pounder on Medusa. The 973 is the second largest billfish in the 50-year history of the HIBT. Capt. Neal Isaacs of Anxious wins Henry Chee award with “small-fish strategy.” Anxious piled up 2,000 points with releases of multiple fish under 300 pounds. 

2009 HIBT – 50th Anniversary