Life of a Surf Legend - Tim Curran

By Adam Singleton

Tim Curran is one of the world's most recognised and popular professional surfers whose successful career has taken him all around the world. Wanting to give something back to the sport which has taken over his life, he recently became a spokesman for the 'Surfrider Foundation'.

The 'Surfrider Foundation' is a non-profit environmental organisation that strives to preserve oceans, waves and beaches, and promotes the right of low impact, free and open access to the worlds' waves and beaches for all people through local chapters both in the USA and in Europe. The organisation was started in Malibu, California in 1984 by a small group of surfers who were protesting over threats to their local surf break at Malibu point. Today, there are over 60,000 members and 64 chapters, with affiliations in Japan, Australia, Europe and Brazil.

The organisation boasts a list of major accomplishments; for example, winning the second largest clean water act lawsuit in American history, which was brought against two pulp mills in Humboldt County that were charged with over 40,000 violations of the law. They also won a lawsuit against Chevron Oil Company in El Segundo, California - representing the first time a government agency, department or office at any government level has recognised the significance of a breaking wave as a natural resource, worthy of protection.

Tim Curran took to surfing form an early age. He was born in the San Fernando Valley, but spent much of his childhood in the southern Riverside county of Temecula, which is roughly one hour from the ocean. His father recognised that Tim had talent which needed nurturing, so every weekend he would drive his son away from the shops, malls and hotels in Temecula to the coast, where he could practise surfing.

At the age of eleven, he secured his first sponsorship deal with 'McCrystal Surfboards' and by the age of sixteen he was competing as a professional surfer. By 18, he had been placed on the Surfer Poll for people's choice of "Most Favourite Surfer" in the world; he continued to climb up the professional rankings, placing highly in some of the world's biggest surfing events. Curran is considered to be a pioneer of surfing's aerial revolution and is known for his big, air trademarked manoeuvres.

Curran has maintained a strong religious faith throughout his life and attributes his successful career to his beliefs. Curran's success in the surfing world has also allowed him to make a name for himself in the music industry, and after he took a break from serious surfing competition last year, he threw himself in to his second love: music; touring with the 'Foo Fighters' and recently releasing his first album "Word of Mouth".

At the age of 30, it still seems there's plenty for Curran to do, and while he maintains his competitive surfing lifestyle, it will be interesting to see what this energetic American can achieve next.

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