Corky was one of the first proffessional surfers and is considered my many , to be the first competitor who was able to make a living off of surfing. Through the 1960's, he was one of the most dominant surfers in the world. In addition to having amazing skills in the water, he also had a personality that attracted a lot of attention and a lot of sponsors. In short, Corky established a blueprint for competaive surfers that is still followed to this day.