Curren grew up raised primarily by his mother, and spent much of his free time in the ocean. Taught to surf by his father, who was a big wave rider, Curren drew on his lineage and had a natural affinity for the ocean and the long sectioning point surf of Rincon Point near his home in Santa Barbara. He progressed quickly and drew the attention of the surf media.
Curren also was a natural competitor and contrary to his introverted personality, reveled in heated competitions in the NSSA, which at the time was California's premier amateur surfing body. Slowly, he was seeded into professional events and he handily beat all comers. By the time Curren hit the ASP World Tour in 1983, he was taking out veteran pros such as Rabbit Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson, and Cheyne Horan. He really hit his stride in 1985, and took down his first world title.
He was world champion three times - 1985, 1986, 1990. He achieved near-mythical status both for his competitive drive and for his smooth, powerful surfing style. He made a high-profile decision to retire from competitive surfing in the mid-1990s. He led the surfing revolution in the early '80s and inspired many of the surfers today, showing them how to surf a wave. Curren is a fascinating study in contradictions; he has a surfing style that at combines smooth, rhythmic, seamlesslesly linked maneuvers with blinding speed,raw power, and unique check turns and body English. He seems to relish victory and the spoils that come with it, and yet he is unassuming, publicity shy, and extremely private. It is these compelling characteristics that endear him to global surfing community.
Curren still surfs in contests on the ASP World Qualifying Series (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[1] for 3 years in a row, surfing on the Switchfoot team.
In his five year rise to World Surfing Champion, Curren led the way in cutting edge, perfectly tuned performance. Despite his youth, Curren was acknowledged as one of surfing's true geniuses and a soulful original. He single handedly challenged the surfing community in almost every area of surfing's culture and altered the mindset of hundreds of thousands of surfers around the world. Riding under a contract with surfboard company Channel Islands, Tom Curren developed a memorable surfing career co-producing and riding many pro surfboard models such as the Black Beauty and the Red Beauty. [2]
Early in his professional career he signed with 80's clothing giant OP swimwear then later changed sponsorships deals to Rip Curl Wetsuits and Clothing and is still working with Rip Curl to this day
Tom Carroll nació el 29 de noviembre de 1961 en Newport, Nueva Gales del Sur, Australia como Thomas Victor Carroll. Es un ex surfista profesional que fue campeón del mundo de surf en 1983 y 1984
Carroll consiguió pronto sus primeros títulos juveniles en su país natal, Australia. En 1978 consiguió el título junior de Australia y los Pro Junior, en 1977 y 1980.
En 1979 debuta en el IPS World Tour (hoy ASP World Tour), título mundial que ganaría de forma consecutiva en 1983 y 1984. En 1985 boicoteó el Campeonato del Mundo de Sudáfrica y criticó muy duramente la política del gobierno surafricano con respecto al apartheid, consiguiendo el apoyo de otros surfistas profesionales y sacrificando así la posibilidad de ganar su tercer título mundial consecutivo.[1]
Carroll fue el surfista que sentaría las bases modernas en cuanto a comercialización y expansión del surf a nivel mundial, ya que en 1988 firmó un magacontrato de un millón de dólares por año con la gigantesca Quiksilver.[2] Lo nunca visto por aquel entonces. En la recta final de su carrera profesional, Tom consiguió importantes victorias, como en Pipeline, en 1990 y 1991
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