The Greatest Surfers of All Time (2026)

How We Chose

There's no single way to rank surfers, so this list blends competitive records (world titles and Olympic medals), influence on how surfing is ridden and shared, and big-wave and style legacies. World title counts below are from the official men's and women's champions lists through the 2025 season; the 2026 title will be decided at Pipeline in December 2026.

World Title Leaders

Counts cover the professional world tours (IPS from 1976, ASP from 1983/84 and the World Surf League from 2015). Other multiple champions include Freida Zamba and Wendy Botha (four each), Margo Oberg (three pro-era titles), and Tom Carroll, Damien Hardman, Tyler Wright and Filipe Toledo (two each).

The Pioneers

Duke Kahanamoku

The "father of modern surfing." A Hawaiian swimmer who won five Olympic medals (three gold) between 1912 and 1924, Duke used his fame to spread surfing, famously demonstrating it in Sydney in 1914 and surfing in California. He proposed surfing for the Olympics a century before it arrived.

Tom Blake

An innovator who built lighter hollow boards in the 1930s, added the first fin in 1935 and developed waterproof camera housings for surf photography.

Greg Noll

Nicknamed "Da Bull," Noll was a big-wave pioneer who rode the outside reef at Pipeline in 1964 and helped popularize giant-wave surfing in Hawaii.

Eddie Aikau

A legendary Waimea Bay lifeguard and big-wave surfer, Aikau was lost at sea in 1978. The Eddie Aikau big-wave event at Waimea Bay, held only when waves are big enough, honors him.

Style Icons

Gerry Lopez

"Mr. Pipeline," celebrated for his calm, graceful tube riding at Pipeline in the 1970s, and a respected shaper.

Mickey Dora

"Da Cat," the stylish, rebellious face of Malibu in the 1950s and 1960s.

Tom Curren

Three-time world champion and one of the most admired stylists in surfing history, Curren became the first American man to win the professional world title.

Shaun Tomson

The 1977 world champion from South Africa, credited with pioneering a new approach to riding deep inside the barrel at Pipeline.

The Champions

Kelly Slater

The most decorated surfer in history, with 11 world titles. He won his first in 1992 at 20, the youngest men's champion at the time, and his 11th in 2011. His competitive career spans more than three decades, and he also created the Surf Ranch wave pool.

Stephanie Gilmore

Australia's eight-time world champion, the women's record. Gilmore won her first title as a tour rookie in 2007 and her eighth in 2022, admired for her smooth, flowing style.

Layne Beachley

A seven-time world champion who won six titles in a row from 1998 to 2003, and a fearless big-wave surfer.

Carissa Moore

A Hawaiian five-time world champion who won her first title in 2011 at 18 and became the first women's Olympic surfing gold medalist at Tokyo 2020.

Mark Richards

Australia's "MR" won four straight world titles from 1979 to 1982 and popularized the twin-fin board.

Lisa Andersen

A four-time world champion (1994–1997) who helped grow women's surfing worldwide in the 1990s.

Andy Irons

A Hawaiian three-time champion (2002–2004) whose fierce rivalry with Kelly Slater defined an era.

Mick Fanning

Australia's three-time champion, also known worldwide for surviving a shark encounter during a contest final at Jeffreys Bay in 2015.

Gabriel Medina

Brazil's three-time world champion (2014, 2018, 2021) and an Olympic bronze medalist at Paris 2024, a leader of the "Brazilian Storm" of world champions.

John John Florence

A Hawaiian three-time champion (2016, 2017, 2024), admired for his skill at Pipeline and in powerful waves.

Italo Ferreira

The 2019 world champion and the first men's Olympic surfing gold medalist at Tokyo 2020.

Margo Oberg

Hawaii-based Oberg is often cited as the first female professional surfer, in 1975, and won three pro-era world titles (1977, 1980, 1981), helping build women's professional surfing.

Big-Wave Legends

Laird Hamilton

A pioneer of tow-in surfing, using personal watercraft to reach giant waves, famous for his 2000 ride at Teahupo'o often called the "Millennium Wave."

Ken Bradshaw

A Hawaiian big-wave pioneer known for riding an enormous wave at Outside Log Cabins on Oahu's North Shore on January 28, 1998.

Inspiring Stories

Bethany Hamilton

After losing her arm in a shark attack in 2003 as a young teen, Hamilton returned to competitive surfing and became an inspiration far beyond the sport.

Today's Champions

Recent world champions include John John Florence and Caitlin Simmers (2024) and Yago Dora and Molly Picklum (2025), who won at Cloudbreak in Fiji. In 2026, the World Surf League dropped its Final 5 format; the season ends at Pipeline in December, with the champion decided by the season ranking. Olympic champions Kauli Vaast and Caroline Marks (Paris 2024) lead the next generation into LA 2028.

Related Guides

Read the history of surfing, learn about Olympic surfing, visit the best surf spots in the US or start your own journey with how to surf.

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