My friend says Corky Carroll was the best surfer ever because he was an innovator in the sport. I say Kelly Slater, 9-time World Champion takes the cake. Anybody got any opinions on this, the Aussies and South Africans have had a few stalwarts too, eh?
Laird Hamilton, the first guy to surf Teahupoo ('cho-poo') would have to be right up there.
Wow. How tall was that wall of water?!
duh...shaun white
malmo wrote:
Laird Hamilton, the first guy to surf Teahupoo ('cho-poo') would have to be right up there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYQQtxb8wv0
An excellent book on the world of big wave surfing came out earlier this year. Hamilton, of course, figures prominently:
http://www.amazon.com/Wave-Pursuit-Rogues-Freaks-Giants/dp/0767928849/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293456230&sr=8-1Andy Irons
1. Rick Cane
2. Slater
2. Curran
3. Mark Richards
4. Laird Hamilton err I mean Lance Burkhart
5. Christian Fletcher for a short period was very good
Soon to be on the list
Jordy Smith
Slater is not only the greatest surfer ever, he is also currently the most dominant sportsman on the face of the earth. He won his tenth world title this year.
Corky Carroll did an excellent job annoucing the Pipeline contest where Lance cheated, but I don't think he is the best ever.
Arizona?
In no order of best all time
Kelly Slater
Mike Stewart
Mark Richards
Mark Cunningham
Tom Curran
Carroll was a very good competitive surfer. He won the United States Surfing Championship held at HB I think 4 times. That was a big time event for that era.
I think he won the ISC championships two or three times too.
I think he has said he was the first person to be sponsored by a company and be paid to surf regardless of how he finished in a contest.
I think the most impressive thing he has done is that he has managed to go through life without getting a real job. He currently writes a fun to read column each week for the OC Register where he discusses various surf related issues of the past and present and tells wise crack jokes. Another day each week the OC Register has a column where he answers surf related questions. He announces local surf contests and runs surf schools.
Probably should add Gerry Lopez to the all-time list.
Keith Stone wrote:
This guy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64421617@N00/295154675/
Most people here don't know who he is. ;-)
Well.... wrote:
An excellent book on the world of big wave surfing came out earlier this year. Hamilton, of course, figures prominently:
http://www.amazon.com/Wave-Pursuit-Rogues-Freaks-Giants/dp/0767928849/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293456230&sr=8-1
Excellent DVD on the science of big waves.
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Big-waves-North-Pacific/dp/B000AOK9M0Keith Stone wrote:
This guy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64421617@N00/295154675/
Famous runner. Not so famous surfer.
Wow, I am flattered that anybody would say that about me. But honestly nobody can deny that Kelly Slater is the best and he has proved it to the max. I am a huge fan of his along with Laird, who is beyond words, and a whole list of other dudes that is too long to mention. I had a good surfing career and am happy with it, but more happy that I can still surf everyday and love it as much now as when I was a little grom growing up. Its nice to be remembered as somebody who did something good. But I am not the best ever by far. But not bad for an old geezer...
corky
Gerry Lopez the king of pipeline! Greg Noll, if you are going on innovation. Kelly Slater is pretty awesome, but I don't think its fair to say he is the hands down best surfer ever. Taj Burrow is really talented. But think of who they took inspiration from, Mark Richards, Shaun Thompson, Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew, they are the best.
corky carroll wrote:
Wow, I am flattered that anybody would say that about me. But honestly nobody can deny that Kelly Slater is the best and he has proved it to the max. I am a huge fan of his along with Laird, who is beyond words, and a whole list of other dudes that is too long to mention. I had a good surfing career and am happy with it, but more happy that I can still surf everyday and love it as much now as when I was a little grom growing up. Its nice to be remembered as somebody who did something good. But I am not the best ever by far. But not bad for an old geezer...
corky
If this is really Corky Carroll, then today is one of those rare treats we get here every now and then.
Do you know the famous runner/no-so-famous-surfer in the photo? He lives near you.