A-frame

Aaberg, Denny

Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

Adler, Tom

advertising and surfing

Aeder, Erik

aerial

Aguerre, Fernando

Aichner, Scott

Aikau, Clyde

Aikau, Eddie

Aipa, Ben

air-drop

airbrush

Airshow

Ala Moana

Alabama

alaia board

Alaska

alcohol and surfing

Alexander, Kala

Allen, Chuck

Alms, Paige

aloha shirt

Alter, Hobie

Alvarez, Pepe

Ancell, Kevin

Andaman Islands

Andersen, Lisa

Anderson, Craig

Anderson, Simon

Andino, Kolohe

Angel, Jose

angle

Angola

Angourie

Antarctica

Apocalypse Now

Arabian Sea

Aragon, Janice

Arakawa, Eric

Archbold, Matt

Arena, Eduardo

Ashton, Juan

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

Atlantic Ocean

August, Robert

Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

Australia

Avalon, Frankie

Azores

backdoor

backside

backside attack, Pipeline

backwash

bail out

Bain, Rob

Baja California

Baker, Bernie

Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

Baker, Tim

Bali

Ball, John “Doc”

Ballard, Bill

Ballard, Rochelle

balsa

Baltic Sea

Banks, Jim

Barbados

Barilotti, Steve

Barland, Michel

Barreda, Sergio “Gordo”

Barry, Michael

Bartholomew, Wayne

Baxter, Jackie

Bay of Bengal

Beach Boys, The

Beacham, Debbie

beachboys

beachbreak

Beachcomber Bills Grand Prix

Beachley, Layne

beavertail

Becker, Phil

Bedford-Brown, Stuart

Belgium

Bells Beach

Bendall, Ma and Pa

Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Blanche

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Bertlemann, Larry

Rangy, unflappable pro surfer from New South Wales, Australia; world-ranked #3 in 2011; “When it comes to competing he has balls like watermelons,” said surf blogger Steve Nug. “If he drew Jesus of Nazareth in a heat he’d probably shrug.”

Wright was born (1990) in Culburra, to a plumber father who was also a hardcore surfer, and began riding waves when he was seven. At age nine Wright took his first trip to Bali, and sampled the high-speed reef waves of Uluwatus. By 14, the elastic goofyfoot was making annual pilgrimages to the North Shore, and paddled out during big Second Reef days at Pipeline.

After a successful amateur career—in 2007 he was the under-18 Australian National Champion—Wright joined the elite world tour in 2010, where he placed seventh, easily winning rookie of the year honors. The following year Wright challenged eventual champion Kelly Slater for the world title race most of the year; he met Slater in three consecutive event finals, winning once at the Quiksilver Pro New York where he earned $300,000 for the victory, the biggest winner’s check in competitive surfing history.

Long-limbed (6’3”, 172 pounds) and wiry strong, Wright can outpaddle anybody in the sport, and uses his height to full advantage by torquing through deep-set turns, then coiling and unwinding for explosive aerial moves. (In 2009, he told 

 magazine that he used creatine monohydrate muscle-builiding supplements, a banned substance for NCAA athletes, but not for the pro surfing tour.) A world title contender from the moment he hit the tour, Wright nonetheless was criticized in some quarters in for being overtrained and predictable.

Tyler Wright, Owen’s younger sister, competes in the women's division of the world tour, and was the 2011 Rookie of the Year; never before has a brother-sister team competed on the WCT at the same time.

Wright, Owen

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Encyclopedia of Surfing

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Encyclopedia of Surfing

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