Corky Carrolls lifetime accomplishments in and out of the water
| • At age 11, places 3rd in his first surf contest, the inaugural U.S. Surfboard Championship, at Huntington Beach, the first major surf contest ever to be held in California • Helped design the first authentic surf trunks with Nancy Katin and are still in production today |
| • Wins the junior division of the San Clemente Surf Capades contest • Befriends Dick Dale, the “king of the surf guitar” |
| • Lands sponsorship with Hobie Atler, the largest surfboard manufacture in the world at that time, and becomes the youngest member of the surf team |
| • At age 16, becomes the first surfer ever to be paid to surf • Bruce Brown invites Corky to join the Endless Summer promotional tour in order to promote the most famous surf movie of all time • Appears on the Tonight Show with Johny Carson in New York and teaches Johny to skateboard • Appears on the first of three Merv Griffin Shows |
| • Wins first place at the tom Morey Nose riding Invitational – The first contest ever to pay prize money • Lands endorsement contract with Jantzen Sportswear appearing on the back cover of almost every Surfer Magazine for seven straight years |
| • Achieves USSA (surf tour) #1 ranking and the first of five consecutive “best all around surfer” awards |
| • Wins International Big Wave Championship in Peru • Designs the first production short board sold in the U.S. called the 1967 Hobie Corky Carroll “Mini-model” • Appears on the TV show “What’s My Line”, trying to stump the panel as the world’s first “professional” surfer • Befriends fellow surfer/musician Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys while filming his surfing for the background video • Meets Mike Nesmith and the rest of the Monkees. 10 years later, Mike produced Corky’s hit gold record, “Tan Punks on Boards” |
| • Voted #1 surfer in the world by his surfing peers, the greatest award of his career • Wins World Small Wave Championship in Florida • Pictured on the cover of Surfer Magazine “hanging ten” • His Hobie CC Mini model achieves record sales |
| • Corky wins over 100 surf contest worldwide |
| • Released 19 albums of original music • Only surfer with hit Gold Record “Tan Punks on Boards” (1979) |
| • Appears in 13 Miller Lite Beer commercials as himself… the quintessential Californian Surfer • Other endorsements include Ocean Spray, Coca Cola, and P.T. Cruiser |
| • Called “the most famous complete and total surfer ever” by Surfer Magazine |
| • Appeared in over 10 surf movies and feature films including, “Pacific Vibrations” (1970), “North Shore” (1987) and “Under the Boardwalk” (1989) |
| • Wrote and published 3 books Surf Dog Days and Bitchen’ Nights (1988), Pier Pressure (1988) Pier Pressure Book 2: Surf Bumps • Currently publishes a weekly column in the Orange County, California “The Register,” based in Santa Ana, CA • Currently publishes a weekly column on his website corkycarroll.com |
| • Co-founder of Corky Carroll surf schools where he shares his passion with a new generation of surf enthusiasts • Owner of Corky Carroll Surf Adventures at his home in Mexico |
| • Inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame alongside fellow surfing greats Kelly Slater and Laird Hamilton |
| • Currently the voice of Grubby Grouper on the hit TV show, “Sponge Bob Square Pants” |
