Layne Beachley
Layne Beachley is an Australian former professional surfer, born on May 24, 1972, in Sydney.
She is the most successful competitive Australian surfer of all time, having won the World Championship seven times. Beachley overcame personal struggles, including being adopted and the loss of her adoptive mother at a young age.
She is also known for her work as a motivational speaker, author, and environmentalist.
Beachley is the chair of Surfing Australia and has been recognized for her contributions to the sport, being inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service.
She is a prominent figure in the world of surfing and a source of inspiration for many.
John John Florence
John John Florence, also known as John John, is an American professional surfer born on October 18, 1992, in Honolulu, Hawai’i.
He is considered one of the most dominant pipe surfers of his era and has achieved significant success in the world of surfing. Florence won back-to-back World Surf League (WSL) titles in 2016 and 2017, making him the first Hawaii-born surfer to achieve this feat since the late Andy Irons.
He has also won the prestigious Triple Crown of Surfing five times between 2011 and 2021, showcasing his exceptional talent and skill in the sport.
Florence’s surfing style is characterized by his prowess in riding the powerful waves of Banzai Pipeline, a world-famous surf reef break at Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea, where he grew up.
His achievements and contributions have solidified his reputation as one of the greatest surfers of all time, particularly in the realm of big-wave and competitive surfing
Gabriel Medina
Gabriel Medina is a Brazilian professional surfer born on December 22, 1993, in São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil. He is a two-time World Surf League (WSL) champion, having won the title in 2014, 2018, and 2021.
Known for his exceptional surfing skills, Medina has a significant impact on the world of surfing and is considered one of the sport’s most popular and successful riders.
He has a strong presence on social media, with a large following on platforms like Instagram. Despite his professional success, he has also been the subject of media attention due to personal matters, including his relationships.
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian competition swimmer and surfer born on August 24, 1890, near Waikiki, Hawaii.
He is considered the father of modern surfing and is known for popularizing the sport of surfing. Kahanamoku won three Olympic gold medals for the United States and developed the flutter kick, which largely replaced the scissors kick.
He set three universally recognized world records in the 100-yard freestyle between July 5, 1913, and September 5, 1917.
Kahanamoku won the 100-meter freestyle event at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912 and repeated that triumph at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, where he also was a member of the victorious U.S. team in the 800-meter relay race.
He also excelled at surfing, and nearly every board-riding sport we know today was inspired by Hawaiian surfing, and the evolution can be traced back to Duke Kahanamoku.
He is also known for his contributions to lifesaving techniques in the water, and modern lifesaving techniques are a direct result of his expertise in the water.
Beyond the countless people he personally saved during his lifetime, he saved untold more by proxy since he gave rise to the widespread use of rescue boards.
Stephanie Gilmore
Stephanie Gilmore is widely regarded as one of the greatest female surfers of all time. She has eight World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour titles and is the first surfer to win a title as a rookie since 1993.
Gilmore is known for her outstanding paddling strength, elegant surf lines, explosive performances, and excellent wave-reading skills.
Her surfing style is often compared to her fellow Gold Coast surfer, Joel Parkinson.
She won the inaugural Swatch Girls Pro France in 2010, was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award in 2010, considered the most prestigious award in action sports worldwide, and was inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in 2010, becoming the youngest inductee at the time.
Gilmore has won 34 Championship Tour events, including the Rip Curl WSL Finals Surf City El Salvador Pro in 2022, the Corona Open Mexico in 2021, the Corona Bali Protected in 2019, the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach and the Oi Rio Women’s Pro in 2018.
Mick Fanning
Australian former professional surfer, Mick Fanning is one of the most successful surfers of his generation, having won three Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Surfing Championship titles in 2007, 2009, and 2013. Fanning’s surfing style is characterized by his explosive and powerful maneuvers.
Some of his most memorable surfing moments include winning three Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Surfing Championship titles in 2007, 2009, and 2013 and surviving a shark attack during a competition at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa in 2015, which garnered widespread media attention and showcased his remarkable composure and bravery.
He is also known for his philanthropic commitment, having created the Mick Fanning Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to support young surfers and promote education.
In addition to his professional achievements, Fanning has built a business empire after retiring from competitive surfing, including his own line of surfboards and a successful beer brand called Balter.
Fanning’s career was also marked by a widely publicized incident in 2015 when he was attacked by a shark during a competition at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa but managed to escape unharmed. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest surfers of all time and a legend of Australian sport.
Mark Richards
Mark Richards, also known as “MR,” is an Australian surfing legend and a four-time world champion (1979–1982). He is widely regarded as the most influential Australian surfer of all time and a master surfboard shaper.
His victory at the first-ever World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach in 1975 was a significant achievement in his career.
Richards is Known for his unique and trademark surfing style, characterized by his exceptional bottom turns on high-performance waves and full-speed cutbacks, which are instantly recognizable from 1970s and 1980s videos.
Some of his achievements include winning four world titles, making him a three-time world champion and the first surfer to achieve four back-to-back world titles.
He was the first professional surfer to win multiple world titles, and his innovative board designs and surfing techniques have had a lasting impact on the sport. Richards’ influence on surfing culture and history is significant, and he continues to be a revered figure in the surfing community. Born on March 7, 1957, in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, Mark Richards has left an indelible mark on the world of surfing, both through his competitive achievements and his contributions to the evolution of the sport.
Tom Curren
Tom Curren is an American former professional surfer from Santa Barbara, California. He is a three-time world champion, having won the World Surf League Title in 1985, 1986, and 1990.
His victory at the inaugural Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in 1983 was a significant achievement in his career. He also won the Pipeline Masters in 1991.
Curren is known for his elusive and fiercely competitive surfing style, characterized by his exceptional bottom turns on high-performance waves and full-speed cutbacks. He is also a talented musician and has left a significant mark on the world of surfing, being the first American to find success on the Australian-dominated Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour.
Andy Irons
Andy Irons was an American professional surfer, born on July 24, 1978, in Lihue, Hawaii. He is known for his fast, explosive surfing style and renegade attitude. Irons’ popularity as a surf star was confirmed by the public with two Surfer Poll Awards in 2002 and 2003.
Some of the most memorable surfing achievements of this surfer include winning three World Titles in 1998, 2000, and 2003, making him one of the most successful surfers of his generation. He also won the 1998 US Open of Surfing, the 2002 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, and the 2004 Billabong Pro at Teahupo’o, which showcased his exceptional skill and influence in the world of surfing.
Kelly Slater
Kelly Slater is considered the best surfer of all time due to his unparalleled competitive success and longevity in the sport.
He is the winningest athlete in surfing history, having won 11 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour titles and 55 elite events, along with numerous other second-tier trophies, including the US Open of Surfing.
Slater with his record-winning streak is the first professional surfer to compete at the highest level, aged 49, and one of the few to stay on top of their game for three decades.
He has also broken and added records to his career stats, including becoming the youngest (20) and the oldest (39) to clinch a world title.
He started surfing at the age of five and was already winning contests in Atlantic Ocean waves by the time he was ten.
