“Surfer Poll: Corky Carroll tops in ’67,” 

It was Corky Carroll—who else? The voting in this year’s SURFER Poll was a runaway for the two-time US Champion, who last year held on to his top Western Surfing Association rating, as well as notched victories in the Peru International and in big surf off Santa Cruz’ Steamer Lane.

And in the women’s division, well—why ask? The incomparable Joyce Hoffman, of course, winning her fourth straight SURFER Poll.

But before the awards to Hoffman and Carroll, there were surprises, as surfing’s elite corps of top riders, manufacturers, and sportswriters gathered on April 19 for the fifth annual SURFER Poll banquet at the San Clemente Inn. The surprises included last year’s all-everything, David Nuuhiwa, slipping from Numero Uno to eighth; fantastic movie clips of Corky Carroll and the other top surfers; and the normally quiet Skip Frye electrifying the audience with an impassioned speech on what the “in” group calls the breakthrough in surfing.

Perhaps the first real eyebrow-raiser of the evening was the appearance of the famous Maharishi Laguna, who startled the audience when he popped into the banquet room strumming a sitar, tinkling bells, and wearing what was later identified by a bellhop as a rug from a second-floor bedroom. Singing in a delightful falsetto that sounded like chalk being dragged across a blackboard, the Maharishi entertained the banquet hall with several songs, including the “Surfboard Manufacturer’s Lament.” As one musical expert pointed out, “The Lament” was based on that old New Delhi folk song, “Change Partners and Dance,” and the lyrics went like this:

After the song, the Maharishi, surprisingly light on his feet, tiptoed into a broom closet, and a moment later Hevs McClelland, surfing’s famous toastmaster, walked out to conduct the festivities.

A poignant note was sounded early in the program when Hevs presented the SURFER Cup for outstanding contribution to the sport. This year, the Cup was inscribed with the name of the late Dr. Alfred “Barney” Wilkes, and SURFER publisher John Severson presented the Cup to Barney’s pretty daughter Marnie. Hevs, who last year won the Cup, commented:

Barney Wilkes symbolized the kind of surfer throughout the world who makes the sport really worthwhile . . . he had no commercial interest in surfing; his love for surfing was pure. Barney pioneered surfing at places like San Onofre, Mexico and Cotton’s Point, and today thousands enjoy the waves at San Onofre, thanks mostly to Barney. He helped other surfers, too, and he was proud of the sport—even back in the days when it wasn’t popular. Barney was a professional man dedicated to surfing; when the surf was up, there always was a sign on Barney’s office door: GONE SURFING.

If there was a theme for this year’s awards, it was the breakthrough in boards, techniques, and the creative attitude of the dedicated surfer. Skip Frye voiced it strongly when he stepped to the speaker’s table to accept his second-place award and emotionally told the audience:

“We’re witnessing a real breakthrough from the old scene . . . it’s a breakthrough from established ideas and old techniques, and fantastic things are happening.”

Frye said that the top riders are responsible for the breakthrough, and then—looking at an audience studded with the sport’s top manufacturers—he implored the manufacturers to back their surfers in every way possible.

Carroll, who just returned from a six-week session of surfing Puerto Rico, was asked, when he stepped up for his award, about the outlook for the upcoming World Contest next October. Corky was enthusiastic, saying that Puerto Rico reminds him of the Islands, and “it should be a fantastic championship.”

Carroll, who placed 19th as a hot young junior in the first SURFER Poll in 1963, had been moving steadily up in the voting over the years: sixth in ’64, fifth in ’65, and second last year. Corky had a fantastic 1967, keeping his hold on the old United States Surfing Association (now Western Surfing Association) number one position with a tremendous contest showing. Corky also has served notice that he’ll be the surfer to beat in this year’s competition. He came to the awards fresh from winning the small-wave championships at Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Skip Frye made a big jump in the Poll, moving up from last year's ninth-place finish all the way to runner-up this year. Hawaii’s Jock Sutherland, who had a big boost after winning the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational in December, finished third, closely trailing Frye in the voting. Nat Young, the world champion from Australia, finished in fourth position, followed closely in the balloting by Steve Bigler, who dropped a position on the Poll from 1966. Billy Hamilton, who now makes his home at Pupukea on Oahu’s North Shore, picked up sixth position—although as McClelland pointed out, “Billy is not a contest surfer, but what a rider! He has all the moves, and he’s recognized for his ability in spite of his abstinence from contests.”

Picking up his medal, Hamilton underscored his non-contest philosophy, saying, “I’m one of those guys who doesn’t like to sit out there (in the water) wearing a colored vest. I guess I’ll leave the competition to the other surfers."

Australia’s pint-sized Bob McTavish made his first appearance on the Poll, finishing in seventh place; while Nuuhiwa, year’s winner, went to eighth. Mike Doyle, a two-time Poll winner, slipped to ninth from his sixth position the previous year. And moving up to the tenth position was junior champion Dru Harrison, who was making his first appearance on the Poll.

For the gals, Joyce Hoffman again had it all her own way. Joyce’s contest triumphs were impressive: again she was tops in the Western Surfing Association ratings, as well as at the US Championships at Huntington Beach. Joyce’s only blemish was a second-place finish to Hawaii’s Martha Sunn, at Makaha. And Joyce, by notching a victory in the 4A contest at Santa Cruz recently, served notice that she’s still the surfer to beat in the women’s division.

However, other women surfers on the Poll—led by Joey Hamasaki and vivacious Margo Godfrey—have shown the ability to make Joyce go all out this season. Joey Hamasaki again finished in second position, but third-place Margo is being touted as the real challenge to King Hoffman, after Margo’s exciting second-place finish in the Santa Cruz 4A.

A highlight of the program was a movie that really had the banquet hall oohing and aahing. Greg MacGillivray’s footage of Corky Carroll ripping on an 8' 2" board turned on the crowd of surfing experts. Corky, who pioneered the shortboard style here when he won last year’s Huntington Championships on an 8' 6", carved up the overhead Cotton’s Point walls and exhibited a different Carroll style than the one most contest audiences are used to watching.

Oohs and aahs also greeted a film clip of the hot Australians led by Nat Young and Bob McTavish. The footage was cut from 

, a film shot by Paul Witzig and brought to the banquet by Peter Troy, Australia’s roving surfing ambassador. There were incredible rides of Nat and Bob at Honolua Bay on their new short vee-bottom, surfing powerfully and creatively.

Before the banquet broke up, master of ceremonies McClelland said, “What this evening has underscored is that we are involved in the beginning of a new era. It’s just beginning—and it’s going to be fantastic!"

1967 SURFER Poll Awards

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