Corky Carroll

Best of Corky Carroll

2016 collection of favorites compiled by the world's favorite surfer himself. Corky Carroll, who has been a showman since he began surfing professionally at 16, started his career playing music at 24 and retired from a career in professional surfing with the highest honors. Corky was put on salary by Hobie Surfboards in 1964 to become the first full time professional surfer. He won the first-ever cash-prize surfing event in 1965 and would go on to be a five-time US Surfing Champion 1966-70. His favorite achievement though, is winning Surfer Magazine's 1968 Surfer's Poll Award in which he was voted Best Surfer in the World by fans and peers. Corky Carroll has made a dozen or so records (so far), both self-released and with backing, beginning with the lovely Hawaiiana/Californiana/Surfiana cultural artifact, Laid Back, 1971. Corky's most popular album, A Surfer for President, 1979, promoted his "fun little campaign" for POTUS - a classic Corky lark, which resulted in "more votes than most people thought possible". The single "Tan Punks on Boards" from A Surfer for President achieved gold record status - 500,000 units sold. The novelty single "Skateboard Bill", 1977, with awesome cover art by Rick Griffin, is simply the greatest skateboard song ever. These songs are also, of course, from the shared perspective of all of us eternal surf kids who see paradise paved and share a dream about life on an empty palm-fringed beach with perfect waves and an endless summer. Corky truly is the heart and soul of good vibrations. Corky Carroll lives with his wife, Raquel, on the beach at La Saladita, Guerero, Mexico. He records at home, surfs the world-class, reverse Malibu, 100+ yard long wave in 80 degree water every day, hosts happy surfing guests at his awesome home right on the sand and writes a hugely popular, twice weekly column for the OC Register.