Tom Curren
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Tom Curren | |
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Personal information | |
Born | Santa Barbara, California, United States |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
Weight | 143 lb (65 kg; 10.2 st) |
Tom Curren is an American surfer.
Professional career[]
By the time Curren hit the ASP World Tour in 1983, he was taking out pros such as , Shaun Tomson, and .
He was world champion three times - 1985, 1986, 1990, and won 33 championship events in his professional career, the latter being a total only bettered by Kelly Slater. He achieved status both for his competitive drive and for his surfing style. He made a decision to retire from competitive surfing in the mid-1990s.
In 1990, at Margaret River, Curren rode a wave all the way from the take-off zone to the Rivermouth - roughly a 1200-foot ride. He then had to walk back to Mainbreak from the Rivermouth to re-enter the surf. Those who saw it say it has never been repeated, in or out of competition.[1]
Curren still surfs in contests on the ASP (WQS.) He is also often invited to surf in World Championship Tour (WCT) trials or contests as a wildcard. He has competed in the Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am Surf Contest[2] for 3 years in a row, surfing on the Switchfoot team.
In his five-year rise to World Surfing Champion Curren appeared under a contract with surfboard company Channel Islands. He co-produced and rode pro surfboard models such as the Black Beauty and the Red Beauty. [3]
Early in his professional career he signed with OP swimwear then later changed sponsorships deals to Rip Curl Wetsuits and Clothing.
The Fish Revolution[]
After his hiatus, Curren temporarily re-appeared at an ASP Surfing Competition in France in 1993, armed with a 1970s 5'5" Twin Fin he'd reportedly bought second hand in a New Jersey Surf Shop (Surfers Supplies in Ocean City, NJ). He entered and proceeded to beat , who was ranked 8th in the world at the time. Curren showed the world how to use the fish board and how to use it with a modern style of surfing. Curren has collaborated on retro fish and egg designs with surfcraft design engineer and fellow Santa Barbaran George Greenough.
Video game appearances[]
Curren is a playable character in the video game Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer.
References[]
- ^ "Live - 2015 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro". World Surf League. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
- ^ "Bro-Am Foundation | music, surfing, and youth development programs". Switchfoot.com. 2015-07-11. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
- ^ "Photographic image" (JPG). Surfing.about.com. Retrieved 2015-10-03.
- 1964 births
- American surfers
- World Surf League surfers
- American multi-instrumentalists
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Santa Barbara, California