Top 10 Favourite Surfers
Surfer Magazine recently asked me to vote on their upcoming “50 Greatest Surfers Of All Time” list. It’s pretty heavy because when you can only list 50 guys some all-time legends will definitely be left out. Anyway, hopefully they get it right after everyone’s votes are tallied. I’m just sitting over here in Tahiti taking it easy between sessions so I decided to list my own personal top 10 favourite surfers of all time for ya. Here they are…
1. Mark Richards
MR is the man! He won four consecutive world titles and was the first guy to truly dominate the sport. I’ve always been a fan of his “Wounded Gull” style and he’s probably the nicest guy you could ever meet… a true legend.
2. Tom Curren
I love the way Curren reads a wave: He takes different lines and doesn’t flap between turns. His style and his carves are impeccable and his tube-riding is flawless. If you want to see what I’m talking about get your hands on the movie Searching for Tom Curren.
3. Mark Occhilupo
Occy has been one of my surfing heroes since I was a kid. His backhand is second to none. He’s a totally unique character too; every word that comes out of his mouth is hilarious. The other thing I admire about Occ is his longevity, he’s 40 and still attacking waves like Teahupoo and contending the world title. He’s an inspiration.
4. Sunny Garcia
Sunny’s sheer power was ridiculous. On tour there’s certain waves that can dictate and restrict how you surf – like Sunset and Haleiwa – yet Sunny always seemed to be able to overpower those waves. If you ask me Sunny’s surfing has always been extremely underrated.
5. Taylor Knox
When I first saw Knox surf in Taylor Steele’s earliest surf vids he became an instant favourite. I honestly believe he has one of the best forehand carves in surfing history. He’s also overcome a pretty serious back injury that threatened his career and I respect him for that.
6. Danny Wills
One of my very first boards was an old Willsy model. I loved it. He grew up not far from me so he was the hometown hero. I’ve always enjoyed watching him surf because he’s got one of the finest techniques I’ve ever seen. I think he’s amazing and his timing is really precise.
7. Michael Peterson
I’ve only seen Michael’s surfing in old films but what he was able to do on a single fin out at Kirra has always blown my mind. He was also a bizarre character and I’ve always loved hearing stories and reading about him. If you haven’t check out the MP book by Sean Doherty, make sure you grab a copy. It’s a great read. I’ve been lucky to hang out with MP quite a bit over the years and he even spoke at my World Title party. Legend!
8. Kelly Slater
I was 11 when Kelly took his first world title in 1992. There’s not much I can say about the guy that hasn’t already been said. He’s greatest surfer there’s ever been. He’s the guy responsible for taking surfing and the sport to where it is today. You gotta love the man even if you want to beat him as bad as I do.
9. Joel Parkinson
I’ve surfed with Parko forever and have always admired how smooth his style is in the water. It doesn’t matter if the surf is two-foot or 10-foot he always remains composed and doesn’t lose any of that gracefulness. Out of the water though he has none of that style, he’s just some lanky guy with a big nose! Just kidding. He’s one of my best mates.
10. Andy Irons
Andy is the most competitive person I know. He gets so pissed if he loses. On land he’s a good mate but in a heat he’s really in your face and it makes beating him really tough. As well as being a great competitor his surfing is incredible, it’s all about massive turns and monster pits. At Teahupoo and Pipe he’s absolutely bullshit.
Mick and Michael Peterson, one of his all-time favourite surfers. Image © Simon Williams