Do you remember the other day I talked to you about Paul Fishers? Well, what I didn’t say is that he wasn’t alone when we saw him…I know, I like keeping the suspense up!

He was with two of his best mates, Mark ‘Occy’ Occhilupo aka “The Raging Bull” and Kieren Perrow. Yes people, two surfing legends in the flesh!

So I grabbed my camera and trying to appear all cool, I smiled and asked them if I could take their photograph…And then in the most generous, sweetest, nicest, simplest way, they smiled back at me and said “of course babe, take as many pics as you want beautiful blonde”*. For about five seconds, I felt overwhelmed with joy, emotional… and extremely honored.

#1 Mark Occhilupo (Gold Coast) – The legend

This guy has an amazing bio. A true legend in the surfing world in the 80s, when he even starred in the Hollywood movie North Shore. But as his legend was rising, he gave up fruit juice, lentil soup and yoga for meat pies, cocaine and drunken nights. In the early 90s, depression followed. And judging by his behaviour at the Rip Curl Pro in Hossegor, no doubt French people remember him with…hum emotion? He attempted to push over the judges’ tower, ate sand, threw his board at an opponent, he challenged soon-to-be world champion Kelly Slater to a fist fight and eventually announced he would be swimming home, stopping off in China to practise his tai chi! He put on considerable weight up to 111kg. His legend was fading and he was in great danger, unable to paddle more than a few yards without gasping for breath… But he was set for a terrific come-back: he lost 30kgs, regained his fitness and was back on the circuit in 1995. He won the World Surfing Champion title in 1999 at the age of 33.

Check out some videos here.

# Kieren Perrow (Byron Bay) – The extreme rider

Kieren has always lived near the beach in Byron and with his dad as a shaper and mom as a surfer. He was among the top 5 in the WCT rankings in 2003 but he is most famous from an amazing session in Tasmania. He and his mates unveiled Shipsterns Bluff to the world, a remote surfing break you can only access by hiking a couple of hours.

For decades this wave was more myth than reality, as no one had even considered surfing it. The wave was instantly placed on the list of the world’s most dangerous breaks.

#3 Paul Fishers (Gold Coast) – The ‘playboy’

Voted among the ten hottest guys in surfing, this humble sweetheart describes himself in 10 words: ‘Loud, nude, mates, girls, surfing, dancing, music, laughing, entertaining, rolling’.

*…In my dreams. No, in fact they asked for $10 bucks with a condescending grin on their faces. For about five seconds, I felt angry, emotional…and extremely humiliated.