The SURFER Interview: TOM CURREN

SURFER: Are you referring to your first thrusters?

TOM CURREN: Yeah, but actually the twin fins brought me my first big breakthrough. I remember the first time I tried one of those I was flying along with Al right there, sitting on the shoulder seeing what was going to happen. I kicked out next to him on this one and he told me, "You know, you could have made that section." I realized on the very next wave that he was right. The speed they supplied was--well, people underestimate the impact boards like that had on performance.

SURFER: It's funny, because much was made of the influence Rabbit had on you, but in the footage of you surfing Rincon at 15 or 16-years-old it's pretty obvious Mark Richards played a part too.

TOM CURREN: Oh yeah, it was all about M.R. back then. I met him in South Africa in 1981 and I noticed every little thing about him and his boards. He had two twin fins on that trip, and he kept them immaculate. If he got a ding he'd repair them perfectly and add a gloss coat. He never had a scratch on them. He made his own wax too.

SURFER: What?

TOM CURREN: Yeah, he had his own wax. So when I went on tour years later I'd bring my own repair kit with gloss and everything, I tried to make my own wax, but that didn't go over as well (laughs).

SURFER: I recall you mutilating your equipment--reshaping squash tails into swallows with a nail file the day before a heat.

TOM CURREN: Yeah, (Laughs)...that was during my more nihilistic phase, it came a little later.

SURFER: It must have been fun to be at the forefront of all those design changes.

TOM CURREN: Oh, yeah, it was a blast. You could feel changes in the air.

SURFER: When you look at those who've followed, like Kelly and Andy, what is it about their surfing you most admire?

TOM CURREN: Everything. To me it's just amazing what these guys are doing today. I was in the shop the other day watching this video of Kelly and, y'know, as best as I could do on my best day, he's still going to blow me out of the water. It's pretty cool. It's exactly how you you'd imagine you'd want to surf.

SURFER: Are there areas where you think we're still lagging, be they performance or equipment?

TOM CURREN: Personally, I do think boards are going to change very soon. We've been saying it for 10 or 15 years now, but I do think materials will change, and boards will be faster than they are now.

SURFER: So what will they offer? More flow and speed.

TOM CURREN: I think they're already fast and loose, but they'll be even faster and just as loose, and I think materials will have a lot to do with it.

SURFER: Is this your theory or just your hope?