A legend amongst legends. A storyteller of the highest order. Neighbor to one of my favorite humans. Corky Carroll's one of a kind. Born September 29, 1947, he's also widely considered to be the first real professional surfer to make money via endorsement deals.
A product of the heady Orange County scene of the 1950s, he was a standout in the early Seal Beach, Surfside and Huntington Beach scene. By ’59 he’d fully dedicated himself to the pursuit of surfing. In 1963 he landed a sponsorship with Hobie Alter and became the youngest member of the
Hobie surf team. His signature model would enjoy record-breaking sales. In 1965 Carroll won the Tom Morey Nose Riding Invitational, which was the first contest ever to pay prize money. He also signed an endorsement contract with Jantzen Sportswear appearing on the back cover of almost every Surfer Magazine for seven straight years.
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From 1966 through 1970 he won the United States Surfing Championship and also won the International Surfing Championship three times. By the time he “retired” from competition in 1972—at the age of 24—he’d amassed over 100 victories. Also, a prolific writer and musician, Carroll has recorded numerous albums over the years and continues to publish books and a regular newspaper column in the Orange County Register.
These days he's hunkered down in Mainland Mexico, living and surfing with his old buddy Tim Dorsey. Another legend, one of John John Florence's favorite spots on the North Shore, Rockpiles, was originally called Dorsey's Rockpile. Timmy surfed in the World Surfing Championship in Peru in 1965 and starred in Bruce Brown's early movies. But that's a story for another time. For now, dig on two hours of pure, solid, surf gold on the new installment of "L8night With Choccy."
