Before Kelly Slater, Tom Curren was the surfer by which all others were judged. His fluidity, power and competitive achievements set him on a pedestal that remained the loftiest in surfing, even after he won his last world title in 1990. And while his clashes with Mark Occhilupo during the ’80s are now legend, Curren’s competitive success seemed largely to come from his natural talent, and not a deeply rooted competitive flame. Even after disappearing from the contest realm, Curren’s allure continued to capture the minds of SURFER’s readership well into the early ’90s and beyond.