Boobies!... now read my post

Keith malloy

 

Buttons.....

 

Bunker Spreckles, the heir to the Spreckles Sugar fortune. The guy was a combination of a drug dealer, rock star, porn star, surf star and surf recluse. While all the other surfers at the time were into "Country Soul", Bunker would pull up to Honolua Bay in a Mercedes and a mink coat. Was a damn fine surfer, and was shaping and surfing some of the craziest shapes in the water during the first "short board revolution" in the late 60's and early 70's. As with all who live so fast, he surely died young.

Mike Purpus has a great story, too. And don't ever forget about MIKI DORA

 

There was mention of Larry Bertlemann. Check this video of Bertlemann. It's taken from on old 16mm film:

http://www.korduroy.tv/2011/larry-bertlemann-16mm-shredding-sea-movies

Definitely up there for me, but I'll be back with my top shortly. Bertlemann was ahead of his time and had such a big influence on surfing, but really influenced skateboarding as well. The post above was right...He really influenced the Dogtown crew and the direction their skateboarding went. AND those guys just completely pushed skateboarding ahead of it's time and opened the potential. I've also heard from people that knew him that he was an extremely nice guy as well. I think it's rad to not only influence surfing such a great deal, but cross over and have just as big of influence on skating.

 

Rabbit Kekai
Simmons
Phil Edwards
Dora
Lopez
Curren
Bruce
I think these are my choices that account for almost every decade since the 30s.

 

Absolutely, he was so futuristic at his time..... also, makes me think of Christian Fletcher on a totally different level. He was doing airs 20 years before they were cool, on boards that weren't built to do airs, and he was just a total badass in his day. "Tweak Freaks" showcased it all, "Wave Warriors" series cool too. He wasn't as fluid as Curren or Buttons, but progressive as hell. I used to get sooo pumped watching his videos, then I'd go surf and get frustrated I couldn't do anything like him

http://youtu.be/1lstb57IdVs

http://youtu.be/tgjEW9mDGAg

 

I'll go with Tom Curran as well. As nj42 said, stylish, powerful and skilled, but also controlled with such smooth flow. One of my favorite pieces of video tape is Curran at Jbay in Ultimate Sessions.

You've gotta love Jeff Clark too. I mean to paddle out at mavericks, which is not exactly a few hundred feet and the water is not exactly warm, by yourself, when nobody else had ever done it............what words would you use to describe him; sick, nuts, ZOO MAN...............

 

And the crazy thing about Clark was that he did that s.hit ALONE for 15 YEARS WITHOUT ANYBODY OR ANY ASSISTANCE IN THE WATER. Guy is nuts haha.

 

Present: Dane Reynolds
Past: Shaun Tomson
Fictitious: Bodhi...naturally

I just like Dane and Shaun's style and demeanor on and off the waves, seems like they'd be cool guys to hang out and surf with.

 

Westside Oahu heavies from Buffalo, the Rothmans, up to John Gomes and Sunny. Those guys DEMANDED respect. You got what you gave. Give respect and you get respect in and out of the water. Stayed over there in the early 90s and witnessed some crazy sh!t and some SICK SICK surfing on waves and on a level I could barely comprehend back then.

 

how's this? Slater vs. Curren with commentary by Gerry Lopez!

[video=youtube;0kaQRc9fXt4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kaQRc9fXt4[/video]

 

Shane Dorian

Have a second to jump on here. This is a fun thread!

So many great surfers have been named and talked about on this thread, but for me, I have always just plain enjoyed watching Shane Dorian surf. He absolutely kills it in any type of wave, any type of conditions, and on any surfboard. I think he is one of the best to ever step foot on a surfboard and as a crazy well rounded surfer and as a human being period. I know he has gotten crap for In God's Hands, but hey, whatever. As a small tidbit into his attitude, look at him in the Drive thru videos....He's always smiling and just psyched to surf. Plus, he seems like a great family man and really considers family to be at his core. A sick and humble surfer/person in my opinion.

I also have to throw in Mark Healey as well....Even all the big wave guys think he's nuts! Anyone see the interview with him riding Great Whites!!!!! Crazy!

 

Easy. Dean Randazzo.

 

Way too cool..... Richard Chram is the ****, silky smooth like that red headed soul singer from the 80's, Brian or Richard something. Ha. And how could we all forget about Occy with his double handed fist planting power slides? Joel, though, is a beast and is a combination of a lot of older surfers. Next gen for sure.

 

All I can do is add to the greats mentioned in this post. David Nuuhiwa (the stylemaster) goes down here.

 

moved to Hatteras in the 1970's when not much was there,set up a surf shop right in the heart of it,is a shaper,and 35 years later is still the first guy up checking the waves at the lighthouse every morning,surfs all the time,his boards are ridden all over the island significantly outnumbering any other brand, a totally stoked surfer,Scott Busbey-In The Eye Surfboards,Natural Art Surf Shop,Cape Hatteras,North Carolina,1977-present.