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 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.

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.

The Fish Revolution

Curren as a Musician

Curren broke track in late 1993 by committing to a 27-stop national American tour, in which his band 'Skipping Urchins' drove to every hardcore surfing outpost.

His musical depth grew through the mid '90's as he collaborated and jammed with premier talent. Curren also relocated from France back to Southern California. It was during a visit to Sydney in '98 that he exposed himself as a prodigious musician. One evening, unannounced, he walked in off the street to EMI Studios. Curren laid down six live tracks with just guitar and voice.

The music of Curren features raw and honest performances. The folk influence, bluesy, gritty feel with a minimalist approach may have been seen as contradictory to what some believe as the 'surfing music market.' However, the recording success of his long time friend Jack Johnson, is testament to the fact that the 'surfing music market' is a past tense definition, and that the market is receptive to a wide variety of styles.

Curren's music goes beyond the immediate 'surf market'. He explores musical styles and combinations of sounds that reflect his unique take on music, and a glimpse into the Curren persona.

Composing and recording is now routine, as is rehearsing his band for performances at major surfing events (whether he's competing or not), as well as mainstream venues.

The expansion of Curren's horizons into music seems a natural path to him. In many ways, the culture and lifestyle of surfing and music, are one and the same.

"Curren's reputation as one of the world's greatest surfers in history is supported by his accomplishments as a competitor. But most surfers would define Curren as an artist, then as a world champion..." from Matt Warshaw 'Surf Riders'.

References

Category:American surfers Category:ASP World Tour surfers Category:American musicians Category:Living people Category:1964 births

Marco Jay Luciano "Mark" Occhilupo (born June 16, 1966) is an Australian surfer and winner of the 1999 World surfing champion title.

Occhilupo, also known as Occy, began his professional career in the World Championship Tour (WCT) at the age of 17.

Life and career

He won his first amateur Schoolboys contest at 13 and followed up with two Cadet State Titles. After the 10th grade, he left home as an ASP trialist. Virtually unnoticed, he sneaked into the Top 16 at year’s end, securing a seed for the following year.

In 1984, Occy shot to the top of the ASP ratings as a cocky 17-year-old and set performance standards over the next few years that still haven’t been matched. At Jeffreys Bay, his power and aggression turned backhand surfing into an advantage.

Even in America, where Tom Curren had become somewhat of a surfing deity, Occy was adored. In surfing’s biggest spectator event, the Op Pro, the two engaged in a rivalry. With aspirations in the acting field, Occy played himself in the 1987 Hollywood flop, North Shore. Professional surfing was peaking, and Curren and Occy were the superheroes, delivering the surf industry unprecedented wealth. He hovered around the top five in the ratings, but some unfortunate influences steered him from a world title that many felt he deserved.

However, the popular surfer struggled with depression. Years on the tour burned him out. He lost focus; he lost his desire to surf. The young, aggressive surfer faded away from the ’80s spotlight and into a subdued existence. Then, in 1988, his life started to unravel. From a simple and busy existence of vegetarianism, yoga, and competition, he began to indulge in activities that he had avoided in his early life because he hadn't had time to be a rascal teenager. Indulging in drug and alcohol use, partying, and showing disregard for his gift became the object of his life. A touchy subject still to this day, Occy basically lived the young Aussie surfer's lifestyle typical of the time. Burned out on the tour, he threw a quarterfinal heat at the Op and headed home to Cronulla. At that point, he struggled with motivation and his ever-fluctuating weight. He quit the World Tour in the early 1990s.

Over the next several years, he made a couple of half-hearted comeback attempts and remained in the public eye as a repeating star of Jack McCoy’s Billabong videos. Married in 1993 to Beatrice Ballardie, he built a house near Kirra, sat on the couch, and basically didn't get up for more than a year. From his 111-kilo peak, he began a training program under McCoy in Western Australia that helped him shed 34 kilos and regain his form.

As the years passed, the time away gave Occhilupo a clearer vision of his goal: to dominate the world circuit by making an incredible comeback. In 1995, he re-entered the surfing arena, proving he could still capture a title. With some major wins under his comeback belt, Occhilupo stunned the surfing world by capturing the world title in 1999 at the age of 33. From his home in Billambil Heights, Queensland, where he lived with Beatrice and stepson Raynor, Occy's long overdue reign had finally begun.

With well over 20 years of competition under his belt, 2005 saw him contemplate retirement; but after a solid year wherein he was recognised as putting on arguably the best backside performance ever seen at Jeffreys Bay and with an immense amount of fan support, Occy changed his plans and is back to give the youngsters (who are literally half his age) plenty of stick.

Post surfing

He will be a contestant in the 2011 season of Dancing With The Stars on Channel Seven.

His surname, Occhilupo, is Italian and means "eyes of the wolf." However, his nickname is "The Raging Bull."

References

External links

Category:1966 births Category:ASP World Tour surfers Category:Australian people of New Zealand descent Category:Australian sportspeople of Italian descent Category:Australian surfers Category:Living people Category:People from the Sutherland Shire