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
Currently the voice of Grubby Grouper on the hit TV show, “Sponge Bob Square Pants” |