Hang ten, groms! We are identifying the ten best surfers to ever hit the water.
The world of surfing has had its legendary riders that have turned the
sport upside down and paved the way for the modern era. These legends
are the top ten best surfers of all time.
Greg ‘Da Bull’ Noll
Noll , a California native, moved to Hawaii in 1954 where he would gain
his legendary status. Noll is widely known for his accomplishments in
large Hawaiian surf. His flashy and aggressive style earned him the
nickname of ‘Da Bull.’
You know that pipe dream so many have of moving to the beach and living in a shack just to surf every day? Well, Noll was one of the first to do it. In 1957, this crazy guy was leading the way in taking on Waimea Bay. However, the big wave riding Noll, is most known for his epic 35-foot wave he rode at Makaha in 1969, that nearly cost him his life. That wave is still considered the ‘biggest wave ever ridden’ without being towed out.
Shaun Tomson
Tomson defined an era and is the inspiration for the modern ‘pro
surfer’, where he was ‘Hollywood’ before Hollywood was cool. His style
was unique and completely changed the way that barrels were ridden.
Tomson’s performances at Backdoor Pipeline are still discussed today as
if they were straight out of a comic book.
Tomson surfed for over 20 years, revolutionizing the sport, and managed to win the surfing World Championship in 1977. Oh, and if you want to see the downside of his career. Just watch In God’s Hands…horrible film.
Andy Irons
The late Andy Irons won three ASP World Championships along with four
Triple Crowns. Irons is only one of four surfers to have that many
titles. He’s also, the only surfer of the last decade that could hang
with Kelly Slater. Speaking of which, Irons is probably most known for
his intense rivalry with Slater.
Irons and Slater were the subject of the famous New York Times article. When surfing news gets into that paper, you know the heat is legit. Irons' proudest moment has to be when he defeated Slater to win the 2003 ASP world title. Tragically though, Irons died in November of 2010 at the age of 32 due to heart issues.
Laird Hamilton
This big wave surfer is a jack of all trades. Hamilton is a former
model, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, clothing line designer, actor (he
can be seen as the villain in North Shore and having an affair with
George Clooney’s wife in The Descendants), and the best big wave rider
ever.
Laird’s Millennium Wave at Teahupoo in 2000 blew the minds of anyone that had eyeballs.
Tom Carroll
The small Australian surf rat was the first ‘goofy foot’ surfer to win
the world title. Carroll also made his mark on surfing by becoming the
first surfer to receive a million dollar contract from a sponsor.
Carroll collected 26 world tour victories during his career and his
fearlessness and historical impact in the 1980s shows why he belongs on
this list.
Gerry Lopez
Lopez is often referred to as ‘Mr. Pipeline’ and rightfully so. The
Hawaiian surf legend dominated Pipeline so much with his victories at
Pipeline Masters, that they actually renamed the contest after him.
Lopez is considered by most surfers to have been the best tube rider in
the world. We agree.
Mark Richards
Richards racked up titles like fat kids rack up pounds. Richards is a
five time world champion and only second to Kelly Slater in that
department. Richards was never hesitant in bucking tradition surfing
trends. He took shaping lessons to perfect the design of boards and was
the first surf champion to go to a multi-fin design when the entire
surfing world was using single fins. Come to think of it, this ranking
may be too low.
Tom Curren
Curren came from a family of surfers and when the dust settled, he
claimed his spot as one of the best surfers to ever hit the ocean.
Curren was a three time world champion but his style and his personality
is probably what he is most known for. Some called him flighty and a
jerk but fans and surfers loved him. Curren had a reputation of winning
contests and then leaving the checks uncashed and even once during a
contest, stripped off his sponsor’s logos and went out to win the event.
Regardless, he’s one of the best.
Duke Kahanamoku
The father of modern day surfing was a three time Olympic gold
medalist. He was one of the first showmen of surfing before surfing
became what it is today. He is probably the most revered Hawaiian in
history and his popularity cannot be denied. Even today, you see his
chain of restaurants all over the place; you see his statue down by
Waikiki beach; and when you think of surfing, you will always think of
Duke.
Kelly Slater
(pictured above)
Who else could possibly hold this spot? Kelly Slater is the Michael Jordan of surfing. No one has dominated the sport like Kelly has.
Slater is an 11 time world champion. No one has even come close to matching that total. NO ONE! Even today he is still tearing it up and competing for titles. Kelly Slater is responsible for making surfing mainstream and anchoring its popularity. He does it all. He’s won every award possible; he starred in Baywatch; his band opened for Pearl Jam; he’s best friends with musician Jack Johnson; he dated Pamela Anderson and a ton of models and celebrities; and he modeled for Versace. He’s like surfing’s version of James Bond and by far the best to ever pick up a surfboard.
Joshua Caudill is a writer for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow
him on Twitter @JoshuaCaudill85 or subscribe at
Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports
Photo Credit: Getty
