Corky Carroll's Legendary Timeline

Corky Carrolls lifetime accomplishments in and out of the water

1959

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

1962

Wins the junior division of the San Clemente Surf Capades contest 

Befriends Dick Dale, the “king of the surf guitar”

1963

Lands sponsorship with Hobie Atler, the largest surfboard manufacture in the world at that time, and becomes the youngest member of the surf team

1964

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

1965

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

1966

Achieves USSA (surf tour) #1 ranking and the first of five consecutive “best all around surfer” awards

1967

Wins International Big Wave Championship in Peru 

Designs the first production short board solid 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”

1968

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

1962–72

Corky wins over 100 surf contest worldwide

1971–97

Released 19 albums of original music

Only surfer with hit Gold Record “Tan Punks on Boards” (1979)

1980–Present

Appears in 13 Miller Lite Beer commercials as himself… the quintessential Californian Surfer

Other endorsements include Ocean Spray, Coca Cola, and P.T. Cruiser

1983

Called “the most famous complete and total surfer ever” by Surfer Magazine

1970–89

Appeared in over 10 surf movies and feature films including, “Pacific Vibrations” (1970), “North Shore” (1987) and “Under the Boardwalk” (1989)

1989–Present

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

2000–Present

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

2002

Indicated into the Surfing hall of Fame alongside fellow surfing greats Kelly Slater and Laird Hamilton

2003–Present