Who is the best surfer in the world today? A top 10 list

Some surfers have devoted their entire lives to this sport and have barely reached a considerable position in the sport, whereas a few manage to be among the best surfers in the world. This set of athletes shows very refined skill with the board as they manoeuvre through the waves of the oceans.

Most sports use statistics to determine excellence. However, surfing is about much more than who wins events. Surfing has a long and proud history of soulful icons and brave daredevils when it comes to pure skill in negotiating the world's most demanding waves.

Who is the best surfer in the world right now?

Many online publications mention top surfers. However, this post will focus on the top 10 of them. These pioneers, innovators and legends have transformed and elevated the sport into the cultural phenomenon it is today. They are the greatest surfers of all time.

10. Julian Wilson

His success stems from his creativity, which led him to invent the Sushi Roll manoeuvre in 2007. However, fame hasn't dulled his sense of humanity, as evidenced by the fact that in 2015 he won international acclaim for helping one of his rivals (Mick Fanning) while a 12-foot white shark was attacking the latter in South Africa.

9. Johanne Defay

This French surfer began surfing at the age of eight on the beaches of Reunion Island, where she currently resides. 2015 US Open of Surfing Vans and 2016 Fiji Women's Pro champion.

She entered the WSL World Qualifying Series at age 10, but her efforts to secure sponsorship proved fruitless. With her parents' help, she quickly qualified for the WCT, where she quickly rose the rankings and secured the necessary funding.

8. Malia Manuel

This exceptional young lady was riding on her father's shoulders as he paddled to catch waves when she was just two years old, thus surfing runs in her family.

She was the youngest woman to win the US Open Surfing at the age of 14, and by the time she was 21, she had established herself as one of the top 10 surfers on the planet. Her success began at a very young age, making her considered the best surfer in the world.

7. Carissa Moore

This incredible pro surfer was raised in Hawaii and began surfing at five. She now has a remarkable career as a representative of the United States. She began participating on the ASP World Tour and won four times after winning 11 national titles on the amateur circuit (2011, 2013, 2015 and 2019).

She was the youngest to win the inaugural continental title when she did so at 18, and she repeated the feat in 2013. She had maintained in the top spots thus far, grabbing attention in 2016 when she came third in the global rankings.

15 best footballers who smoke: A list of footballers who take the occasional puff

Football

6. Mick Fanning

Mick Fanning, a double world champion, had quite the ride on the Championship Circuit and remains just as relevant despite quitting the global tour earlier this year.

Mick's most well-known occurrence is his run-in with a Great White Shark in JBay during the Corona Open JBay final, which was live-broadcast. He is one of the best surfers in the world of all time.

5. Gabriel Medina

The energetic goofy footer, the first Brazilian champion, was always destined for a world championship since the early King of The Groms days when he won the competition in a fun beach break Hossegor surfer with a perfect 20-point heat score.

He possesses the traditional mix of small wave skill and big wave boldness, finding a double overhead Teahupo'o barrel with the same ease as a powerful forehand rotation. A second world title for Medina is inevitable. Explains why she is among the top 10 best surfers in the world.

4. Filipe Toledo

Professional surfer Filipe Toledo is a good competitor who is consistent and organized. His native country is Brazil, but he has competed all over the universe since he was a little child, earning very high scores. For this reason, he is ranked #1 on the list of athletes who will compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

He has participated in the World Surf League Men's World Tour since 2013. He won the WQS title in 2014; then, in 2015, after winning three WCT events and earning a perfect 10 in each of the finals, he won one of the best professional titles. He is a very famous male surfer.

3. Lakey Peterson

Her surfing journey began with a unique tale. She learned to surf while travelling with her parents on an adventure trip when she was only five years old. She won the NSSA women's competition when she was 15 years old.

She subsequently moved to Australia, where her effortless ability to capture the waves earned her the moniker "Lakey Legend." She began competing in the ASP World Series Qualifier at 16, and at just 17 years old, she has already qualified for the 2012 ASP Women's season. She is one of the best surfers in the world.

2. Stephanie Gilmore

Stephanie Gilmore is one of the most well-known figures in women's surfing history. This Australian surfer will astound you with her lengthy list of accomplishments and current ranking:

The following list of accomplishments: She won the New South Wales Junior title at 10 in 2003. In 2009, he won three significant competitions that resulted in his third consecutive global championship.

She also won seven times on the ASP World Tour (2007-2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018). She also stands out as the 2013 and 2011 winners of the ESPN ESPY for the best athlete; hence, she is undoubtedly the second-best surfer in the world.

1. Robert Kelly Slater

One of the most iconic surfing icons, he was born in the United States. Slater has won the planet title more than 11 times, and in the 1990s, he held the title of ASP Champion up to 5 times in a row. Before becoming a professional surfer, he also won four national championships and six titles from the Eastern Surfing Association in the United States.

With a total of 51 victories in various professional circuits since his debut, this extraordinary surfer holds several world records, the most notable of which is that he is the youngest and oldest planet champion.

He also became the greatest surfer in history in 2008 when he won the Billabong Pro Mundaka in Spain. He answers the question, who is the best surfer in the world in 2023?

The best surfers in the world include Lakey Peterson and Robert Kelly Slater. These sportspersons have established themselves in that category and their talents have come to light during their time on the waves, for however long they have been professionals.

Sportsbrief recently posted about darts players. Darts is one of the most exciting games on the planet. It is played by two or more players who throw a small, sharp-pointed object (dart) using their free hand to a round target known as a dartboard.

The aim is to target the bullseye (centre of the dartboard to earn more points). This post focuses on the greatest to ever feature in the sport. Find the article by clicking on the link above.