A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as papa he'e nalu in the Hawaiian language, and were usually made of wood from local trees, such as koa. They were often over 460 cm (15 ft) in length and extremely heavy. Major advances over the years include the addition of one or more fins (skegs) on the bottom rear of the board to improve directional stability, and numerous improvements in materials and shape.
Mark Richards, known as MR, is an Australian surfer who became a four-time world champion (1979–1982).
Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, and holds 56 Championship Tour victories. He won the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year four-times. Slater is also the oldest surfer still active on the World Surf League, winning his 8th Billabong Pipeline Masters title at age 49.
Thomas Roland Curren is an American former professional surfer, known for being the first American to win the World Surf League Title. He secured three World Titles in 1985, 1986, and 1990, and achieved 33 event wins in his career, the second most of all time, surpassed only by Kelly Slater. Curren is celebrated for his competitive drive and distinctive surfing style. He retired from competitive surfing in the mid-1990s.
Tom Hugh Morey, also known by the moniker Y, was a musician, engineer, surfboard shaper, and surfer responsible for several technological innovations that have heavily influenced modern developments in surfing equipment design.
Skip Frye is an American surfer, surfboard designer and shaper, and environmental activist.
Simon Anderson is an Australian competitive surfer, surfboard shaper, and writer. He is credited with the 1980 invention of a three-fin surfboard design, called the "thruster".
Joel Tudor is an American surfer, primarily known for longboarding, and competitive grappler from San Diego, California.
Lorrin Carrell "Whitey" Harrison was an American surfer and surf equipment innovator.
A surfboard shaper is someone who designs and builds surfboards. The process of surfboard shaping has evolved over the years, and the shaper often tailors his or her work to meet the requirements of a client or a certain wave. Surfboard shapers can be independent or work in collaboration with mass-production companies.
Patrick O'Connell is a retired professional surfer who competed in the top ranks of the Association of Surfing Professionals before retiring and working in the surfwear industry and as a top executive with the World Surf League. He is best known to the general public as one of two surfers - along with Robert "Wingnut" Weaver - in Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer II. The film was a 1994 follow-up to Brown's landmark 1966 surf documentary The Endless Summer.
David Earl Weber, known as Dewey Weber, was an American surfer, a popular surfing film subject, and a successful surfboard manufacturing businessman. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he distinguished himself with a surfing style unique at the outset of that era. Out of the water, he had already become a national yo-yo champion and a CIF champion in wrestling, then appeared in several feature films, and eventually established a successful surfboard manufacturing company. On November 14, 2015, the city of Hermosa Beach unveiled at its Community Center a sculpture inspired by a photo of Dewey Weber taken by surf photographer Leroy Grannis.
Bob McTavish is an Australian surfboard designer and member of the surfing hall of fame.
Taylor Knox is an American professional surfer.
Colin Patrick "Col" McPhillips is an American professional longboard surfrider and three times ASP Longboard World Champion.
Carissa Kainani Moore is an American surfer. She was the first-ever winner of the Olympic gold medal in women's shortboard surfing at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She is also a five-time world champion, winning in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2021 on the World Surf League WSL Women's World Tour. Moore was the first surfer in history to win a WSL world title and the Olympic title in the same year.
Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew is an Australian world champion surfer, surf sports innovator, community advocate and politician. Bartholomew is the former CEO and president of the Association of Surfing Professionals and the creator of the Dream Tour format of professional competition surfing.
Peter Townend, also known as PT, is an Australian surfer and first IPS/ASP World Surfing Champion.
Tatiana Guimarães Weston-Webb is a Brazilian surfer based in Kauai, Hawaii. She is also both American and English. She was the only rookie on the WCT in 2015. Weston-Webb wears jersey number 9, and her 2016 'CT rank is number 4. She competed in both the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics for Brazil, winning silver in the latter.
