Surfing Legends Every Surfer Should Know

From early Waikīkī watermen to world champions and big-wave pioneers, meet some of the people who shaped surfing, and what each one can teach anyone just starting out.

Surfing’s history is full of people who pushed limits, built boards, protected others, and inspired generations. This isn’t a ranking, and it’s far from complete. It’s an introduction to some widely recognized figures whose stories are worth knowing.

For the father of modern surfing, see our full feature on Duke Kahanamoku. For more women who shaped the sport, read Women in Surfing.

The Pioneers

George Freeth

Born in Honolulu, George Freeth was one of the Waikīkī surfers who helped revive surfing in the early 1900s. In 1907 he traveled to California, where he gave surfing demonstrations at Venice and Redondo Beach. He also became one of California’s first professional ocean lifeguards and was honored for daring rescues. Freeth died in 1919, during the influenza pandemic, but his influence on both surfing and lifeguarding lives on.

Tom Blake

A Wisconsin native who fell in love with Hawaiʻi, Tom Blake was an inventor and waterman. He developed hollow paddleboards and surfboards, patented in 1932, and in 1935 attached a fin to a surfboard, a breakthrough that changed how boards handle. His 1935 book Hawaiian Surfboard is often described as the first book about surfing. He also built early waterproof camera housings to photograph surfing from the water.

Phil Edwards

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Phil Edwards was known for a smooth, graceful style that many surfers admired. In 1961 he became widely recognized as the first person to ride the Banzai Pipeline on ʻOʻahu’s North Shore, a moment captured on film. He later became one of the first surfers to have a signature board model.

Miki Dora

Miki Dora was one of Malibu’s most famous surfers in the 1950s and 1960s, known for his stylish, flowing longboarding. He was also known for his rebellious, independent attitude toward crowds and the commercialization of surfing. His mystique made him one of surf culture’s most talked-about figures.

Hawaiʻi’s Heart

Rell Sunn

Known as the “Queen of Mākaha,” Rell Sunn was a champion longboarder, a lifeguard, a community leader, and an ambassador of aloha. She is widely remembered as Hawaiʻi’s first female lifeguard and helped create early professional opportunities for women. She founded a surf contest for children at Mākaha that still carries her name. Rell died in 1998 after a long battle with breast cancer, and she’s remembered for her generosity as much as her surfing.

Eddie Aikau

Eddie Aikau was a big-wave surfer, a lifeguard, and a Native Hawaiian waterman. In 1968 he became the first lifeguard hired by the City and County of Honolulu to work the North Shore, at Waimea Bay, where he made many rescues in huge surf.

In 1978, Eddie joined the crew of the voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa on a journey to Tahiti. When the canoe capsized in rough seas, he paddled away on his surfboard to seek help. The rest of the crew was rescued, but Eddie was never found.

His courage inspired the saying “Eddie Would Go.” The big-wave contest held in his honor at Waimea Bay runs only when the waves are giant, which is why it has run only on rare occasions since it began in the mid-1980s.

Gerry Lopez

Gerry Lopez became famous in the 1970s for his calm, flowing style at the Banzai Pipeline, earning the nickname “Mr. Pipeline.” He is also a respected surfboard shaper, co-founded the surf brand Lightning Bolt, and appeared in films including Big Wednesday. In later years he became known for his love of yoga and a thoughtful, simple approach to surfing and life.

Champions of the Modern Era

Kelly Slater

From Cocoa Beach, Florida, Kelly Slater is widely considered the most successful competitive surfer in history. He won 11 world titles, the first in 1992 and the last in 2011, making him both the youngest and the oldest men’s world champion at the time. In 2022, just days before turning 50, he won the Pipeline contest in Hawaiʻi. He also helped develop the Surf Ranch wave pool in California.

Layne Beachley

Australia’s Layne Beachley won seven world titles, including six in a row from 1998 to 2003. She was also a powerful big-wave surfer and has worked to open doors for young female athletes.

Stephanie Gilmore

Australian Stephanie Gilmore won the world title in her rookie season in 2007 and went on to collect eight world titles, the last in 2022. Her graceful, flowing style has made her one of the most admired surfers of her generation.

Carissa Moore

Honolulu’s Carissa Moore won five world titles and became the first-ever women’s Olympic surfing gold medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Games, held in 2021. She is known for powerful surfing, kindness, and her work encouraging young girls through her foundation.

John John Florence

Raised on ʻOʻahu’s North Shore, John John Florence grew up surfing Pipeline from childhood. He won world titles in 2016 and 2017 and returned from serious knee injuries to win a third in 2024. He is known for his creativity and comfort in heavy waves.

Courage and Big Waves

Bethany Hamilton

In 2003, at age 13, Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm in a shark attack while surfing on Kauaʻi. Remarkably, she returned to surfing and went on to compete at the highest levels. Her story was told in the book and 2011 film Soul Surfer, and she has inspired countless people facing their own challenges.

Laird Hamilton

Laird Hamilton helped pioneer tow-in surfing in the 1990s, using personal watercraft to whip surfers into waves too big and fast to paddle into. His 2000 ride at Teahupoʻo in Tahiti became one of the most famous rides in surfing history. He has also been an early champion of stand-up paddleboarding and foil boarding.

What the Legends Teach Us

Look closely, and you’ll notice that these legends share some things:

• They started as beginners. Every one of them was once a kid figuring it out.
• They respected the ocean. Many were lifeguards or watermen first.
• They gave back. Through mentoring, rescues, contests, and foundations, they made room for others.
• They kept learning. New boards, new waves, new ideas, all the way through their careers.

Legends aren’t born on the podium. They’re built one wave, one wipeout, and one lesson at a time.

That’s the white belt spirit. Ready to start your own story? Visit our Learn to Surf guides or brush up on the language in our Surf Lingo dictionary.