Famous Surfers

Malia Jones, born March 27, 1977, is an American model and surfer.

Alana Rene Blanchard, born March 5, 1990, is an American professional surfer and model. Blanchard surfed the ASP World Tour. She designs and models Rip Curl swimwear, including wetsuits for surfing. Blanchard remains a close friend and supporter of Bethany Hamilton.

Bethany Meilani Hamilton-Dirks, born February 8, 1990, is an American professional surfer. She survived a 2003 shark attack that bit off her left arm but returned to professional surfing. She wrote about her experience in her 2004 autobiography, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. The film Soul Surfer was released in April 2011.

Robert Kelly Slater, born February 11, 1972, is an American professional surfer, author, actor, model, environmental activist, businessman, and innovator. He is famous for his 11 world surfing championships. Many regard him as the greatest professional surfer ever.

Jack Johnson grew up on the North Shore of Hawaii. His youth immersed him in his home state's natural beauty. This early nature exposure fostered a deep love for the environment, which later influenced his music and activism. As a child, he excelled at surfing. Surfing brought him international fame when he became the youngest invitee to the finals at the Pipeline Masters, a major surfing event. A severe accident at age 17 forced Johnson to change his direction.

Daize Shayne is a surfer, recording artist, and model. The two-time world champion longboard surfer appeared in *Maxim* and two issues of *ReadyGo Magazine Japan*. Those issues showed sixteen full-page color photos of her modeling with Britney Spears and others. Other international magazines featured Daize too. Daize states she was born April 25, 1978, in Ukiah, CA. She says, "My full name is Sarah Rose Shayne, but Daize is the nickname that’s stuck." She is married.

Maya Reis Gabeira, born April 10, 1987, is a Brazilian big wave surfer.

Erica Hosseini is a professional surfer from Newport Beach, California.

Gregory Michael Cipes is an American actor, voice actor, and musician. He was in the reality television program twentyfourseven. He had recurring roles in MDs and Peacemakers. His most notable roles involve voicing cartoons. He voices Beast Boy in Teen Titans, Kevin Levin in Ben 10, and Michaelangelo in the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles edition.

Lena Yada-Draiman, born November 12, 1978, is an American model, actress, and professional tandem surfer. She gained recognition in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a backstage interviewer, valet, and professional wrestler.

Stacy Peralta, born October 15, 1957, is an American director and entrepreneur. He was a professional skateboarder and surfer for the Zephyr Competition Team, also known as the Z-Boys from Venice, California.

Dave Kalama is a big wave surfer, tow-in surfer, stand-up paddle (SUP) surfer, and racer. He also shapes surf and SUP boards, windsurfs, races outrigger canoes, guides private adventures, and is a celebrity watersports enthusiast. Kalama, his wife, two sons, and one daughter live in Kula, Maui. Kalama co-developed the tow-in surfing technique with Laird Hamilton, Darrick Doerner, and Buzzy Kerbox. Recently, Kalama and close friend Laird Hamilton actively promote and master an ancient Hawaiian water transportation and watersport style.

Philip Andrew Irons, born July 24, 1978, died November 2, 2010, and was an American professional surfer. Irons started surfing with his brother Bruce on the shallow, dangerous waves of Kauai, Hawaii. A local surfboard brand spotted him and flew him to North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii to compete and build his skill. During his career, Irons won three world titles (2002, 2003, 2004), three Quiksilver Pro France titles (2003, 2004, 2005), two Rip Curl Pro Search titles (2006 and 2007), and 20 elite tour victories, including four Vans Triple Crown of Surfing wins.

Jay Moriarty is an American surfer, known best for his big-wave accomplishments.

Laird John Hamilton, born March 2, 1964, is an American big-wave surfer and co-inventor of tow-in surfing. He occasionally models for fashion and action sports. Hamilton is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model.

Dean Morrison, born December 22, 1980, is a professional surfer from Tweed Heads, Australia.

Ashley Cheadle is an Australian actress, surfer, and singer who lives in Australia. Cheadle has acted in many independent films that gained international attention. Her popularity in surfing brought her to Australian television, including roles in Home and Away, Rescue special ops, and Rake. She won Tropfest's best film for best cinema photography, No dice Hollywood, on ABC television's Blue Water High, and in the 2008 film Fool's Gold. She starred in the MTV mini movie "The Sellars" and played various roles in Vogue photographer Max Doyles' "Arc".

Mark Sheldon Foo, born February 5, 1958, died December 23, 1994, and was a professional surfer. Foo drowned while surfing at Mavericks, Half Moon Bay, California.

Koby Abberton, born June 2, 1979, in Maroubra, New South Wales, is an Australian former professional surfer. He joined the Australian surf gang, the Bra Boys. Koby gained local fame in 2006. That year, he faced guilt for perverting the course of justice in an incident involving his brother, Jai Abberton, who was charged but found not guilty of the 2003 murder of stand-over man, Anthony 'Tony' Hines. Abberton and his brothers earned national and international attention in 2007 with the release of the feature film, Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water.

Bob McTavish, born 1944 Mackay, Queensland, designed surfboards. He invented the V-bottom surfboard. McTavish shaped shortboard surfing. His work helped develop shortboard surfing. Bob McTavish and George Greenough created the shortboard in 1966. Australia’s Surfing Life magazine voted McTavish the most influential shaper of all time in 1

Keala Kennelly is an actress. She appeared in "John from Cincinnati" and "Blue Crush."

Sally Fitzgibbons, born December 19, 1990, is an Australian professional surfer. She competed on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour from 2009 to 2013. In June 2019, she ranked No. 1 in women's surfing after winning the 2019 Rio Pro.

Clay Marzo, born July 17, 1989, is an American professional surfer. Marzo is known for his unique "double-jointed" style of turns and spins. He grew up in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, where he lives now. Marzo earned acclaim for his creativity and innovation as a young surfer and appeared in several films.

David Carson, born September 8, 1955, is an American graphic designer, art director, and surfer. Carson is famous for his innovative magazine design and use of experimental typography. He served as the art director for the magazine Ray Gun, using the typographic and layout style he is known for. His aesthetic defined the "grunge typography" era.

Character actor Don Stroud made a career playing vicious killers with killer tans. Stroud was beach blond, hulky, and handsome. He was the son of vaudevillian Clarence Stroud and grew up in Hawaii. There, he learned to surf and competed professionally. After working as a stunt-double on the TV series "Hawaiian Eye," Stroud sought acting work in Los Angeles. He landed small TV roles and gained a villain reputation after director Don Siegel cast him in "Madigan" and later "Coogan's Bluff," which starred Clint Eastwood.

Brian Keaulana is a surfer, actor, and stunt performer.

Gerry Lopez, born November 7, 1948, became Mr. Pipeline. He is an American surfer, shaper, journalist, and film actor.

Clifton James "C.J." Hobgood, born July 6, 1979, is a World Surf League (WSL) World Championship surfer. He has a twin brother, Damien. They both compete in top-tier professional surfing events globally. C.J. Hobgood entered his first contest in 1989 and reached the Open Boys final. He placed second in a national competition the next year. He won several championships. In 1998, he became the model for the new National Scholastic Surfing Association logo. In 1999, CJ was the Association Surfer Professionals Rookie of the Year. He won the WSL World Champ in 2001.

Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, born March 3, 1921, died November 10, 2014, was an American surfer and physician. Doc gave up medicine to become a professional surfer. In 1972, he founded a surf camp run by his family. Campers lived and surfed with Paskowitz family members. His family is known as the "First Family of Surfing".

Brad Gerlach is an American professional surfer. He qualified as a seed for the ASP World Tour in 1986. In 1991, Gerlach nearly won a World Title, taking second place at Australia's Coke Classic and Durban's Gunston 500 after faltering. He finished runner-up to Damien Hardman. Brad retired from the ASP at age 25. Recently, Brad Gerlach has led tow-surfing. In 2001, he was one of the first crews to surf Cortez Bank, a reef breaking in twenty feet of water 100 miles off the California coast. On that first session, Gerlach towed partner Mike Parson.

Rob Machado is an actor. He appeared in "Surf's Up," "Animal Kingdom," and "Cupcake Wars."

Michael Eugene Fanning, nicknamed "White Lightning" (born June 13, 1981), was a former Australian professional surfer. Fanning won the 2007, 2009, and 2013 ASP World Tour events. In 2015, Fanning survived an encounter with a suspected great white shark during the J-Bay Open finals in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

Taylor Knox, born May 15, 1971, is an American professional surfer. Knox was born in Thousand Oaks, California. He started surfing at age 8. He moved to Carlsbad at 13 with his family and pursued pro surfing. At age 15, Knox needed back surgery after a skateboarding accident damaged a lumbar vertebra, which threatened paralysis. He spent six months in a body cast. In 1990, Knox competed in the World Amateur Championships in Japan. He finished fourth, ahead of USA teammate Kelly Slater, who placed fifth.

Cory Lopez, born March 21, 1977, in Dunedin, Florida, USA, is a professional surfer. Lopey is his preferred nickname. Cory has ranked highly on the ASP World Surfing circuit (ASP World Tour) for years. Many consider him one of the best 'Free Surfers' globally.

John Philbin, born April 27, 1960, is an American actor. He gained fame in films like Return of the Living Dead, Point Break, and Tombstone.

Shaun Tomson, born August 21, 1955, is a South African professional surfer. He was a former world champion, environmentalist, actor, author, and businessman.

David Earl Weber, known as Dewey Weber, was an American surfer, a surfing film subject, and a successful surfboard manufacturing businessman. Born August 18, 1938, in Denver, Colorado, he died January 6, 1993. Weber showed a unique surfing style in the 1950s and 1960s. Out of the water, he won a national yo-yo championship and a CIF wrestling title. He later started a successful surfboard manufacturing company. On November 14, 2015, Hermosa Beach unveiled at [omitted text].

Chris Ward, born December 11, 1978, is an American professional surfer. He first entered the ASP World Championship Tour in 2005.

LeRoy "Granny" Grannis, born August 12, 1917, and died February 3, 2011, was a veteran photographer. His 1960s surfing and sea photography portfolio earned him the title "godfather of surfphotography" from The New York Times." He was born in Hermosa Beach, California.

Woodbridge "Woody" Parker Brown, who lived from 1912 to 2008, was an American surfer and watercraft designer. He invented the modern catamaran. Brown also helped grow surfing in the mainland United States. His surfboard shaping work included an early fin design.

Carissa Kainani Moore, born August 27, 1992, is an American professional surfer. She won the 2011, 2013, and 2015 WSL Women's World Tour Championships. Glamour magazine named her a Women of the Year in 2013. The Surfers' Hall of Fame added her in 2014.

Taj Burrow, born June 2, 1978, is an Australian retired professional surfer. Taj retired from the ASP World Tour in June 2016.

Sunny Garcia, born Vincent Sennen Garcia on January 14, 1970 in Mā'ili, on the Westside of Oahu, Hawaii, is a professional surfer. He grew up in Wai'anae. After school, he debuted on the 1986 Gotcha Pro at Sandy Beach, Oahu, beating the 1984 champ Tom Carroll. Garcia became the ASP WCT World Champion in 2000. He also holds the record for most WQS event wins, 22, and has six Triple Crown of Surfing titles. Garcia was the second professional surfer to win over $1 million in prize money. He retired in 2005 but competes again now.

Jeff Clark, born March 26, 1957 in Redwood City, California, remains a respected big-wave surfer. He surfed Mavericks for 15 years until the big-wave surfing community found it. Clark moved with his family to Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay when he was young. He started surfing and sought bigger, stronger waves along the rugged Northern California coast. In winter, Clark and friends watched large waves break off Pillar Point from the Half Moon Bay High School hillside.

George Greenough (born 1941) is an influential surfer. He gained recognition during the 1960s and 1970s. He made contributions through his designs and work in film, board design, fin characteristics, and other creations for the aquatic medium. Greenough and McTavish's work developed shortboards. This created new surfing technology and board shapes.

Tom Curren is an American surfer.

Joel Parkinson, born April 10, 1981, is an Australian surfer. He competes on the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour. Parkinson competed at the elite level for twelve years. During that time, he won eleven ASP World Title Events and nine other ASP tour events. He finished second place to the ASP World Title four times. Parkinson won the ASP World Championship Tour Surfing Title on December 14, 2012, in Hawaii at the Banzai Pipeline. This was the final event for the 2012–the Billabong Pipeline Masters season.