Hang 50

Surfer magazine chronicles the 50 greatest surfers ever

This year the legendary surf magazine, SURFER, celebrated half a century of publication. As a gift to its readers (as if they hadn’t done enough for us already) they unturned every stone, twisted every arm and called in every last favour to compile the daddy of all lists, the 50 greatest surfers of all time... ever.

Listing the likes of surfing revolutionary and three-world champion Tom Curren (3rd), seven-time women’s world champion and surfing hall-of-famer Layne Beachley (48th), and of course the inevitable appearance at the top of the list from a certain Kelly Slater (1st); the list is a comprehensive who’s who of the surfing world’s past and present.

“For our 50th birthday we wanted to get a picture of what people are reflecting on as the best surfing ever,” SURFER editor-in-chief Joel Patterson told WideWorld. “It took months to accomplish, but it’s the kind of thing a magazine with our history is obligated to do and to do well.”

Needless to say there are some surprises, but considering it is virtually impossible to both compile a list that will please everyone, and determine the impact of an individual’s influence on surfing culture, the list is alarmingly thorough.

“There were some people left off the list who were very unhappy, but the reality is that we just chose the number 50 because it is meaningful for us this year,” said Patterson.
“You could easily do ‘the 200 greatest surfers of all time,’ though you would undoubtedly still upset people. But what are you going to do, spend you life trying not to offend?”
Surfing is very much an art form, with each individual’s style as unique as the waves they catch, which is why this list is more than just a compilation of rankings based on number of titles won and general hearsay. What the list does do is recognise the importance of past innovators of the sport such as big wave rider Laird Hamilton (11th) and the Hawaiian legend Duke Kahanamoku (2nd), as well as the future talents, the likes of Mick Fanning (32nd), who just keep pushing the limits.

To ensure the credibility of the list, SURFER entrusted the ballots to 118 experts who really know what they are talking about. These included legendary surfers Gerry Lopez and Herbie Fletcher (to name just two); filmmakers such as Taylor Steele; a plethora of surf photographers including Jason Childs and Pete Frieden; and even industry big wigs such as the CEO of surf gear manufacturers Quiksilver, Bob McKnight, and ASP World Tour manager Renato Hickel.

Each surfer on the list is complemented with a testimonial by one of the experts telling stories of greatness, humbleness, randomness or straight-up gnarlyness.

The full list can be found here: http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/50_greatest_surfers_of_all_time_50-41/