10 Highest Paid Surfers | How Surfers Get Paid

Surfing is different; it always has been. It walks the line between sport and lifestyle. But for athletes at the top level, surfing is undoubtedly a sport and a well-paid one at that. Whether they’re grinding it out on the WQS or in the top 10 on The Championship Tour, there’s good money in pro surfing. But cash in surfing doesn’t filter down the ranks equally, and there is a massive gap between how much the top-level pro surfers are paid and the rest of the pack. 

Who earns what money in surfing goes beyond simple prize money and contest win bonuses. It involves prize money, sponsorships, circumstance, marketability, other revenue streams, and, let’s face it, some industry who knows who. In this article, we dive into how surfers get paid. We’ll discover the highest-paid surfers, how they earn their paychecks, the differences between male and female earnings, and where surf salaries are today. We have a bit to get through, so let’s hit it. 

Who are the Highest Paid Surfers? 

While the Championship Tour roster includes 34 surfers, only ten may be considered well-paid; however, even the highest-paid surfer’s salaries pail compared to most sports. Here are the highest-paid surfers right now. 

1. Kelly Slater

Kelly Slater is the greatest surfer of all time and one of the winningest athletes in all sports. The 11x world champion continues to compete at the highest level today at 51. As you’d expect, Kelly is the highest-paid surfer ever, with an estimated net worth of around $ 25 million. 

Between 2010 and 2014, the Floridian amassed $ 2.2 million in prize money alone. This doesn’t include endorsement deals with major brands like Quiksilver and GoPro. Kelly has used his multiple revenue streams wisely, investing in his sustainable surf company, Outer known, and revolutionary wave pool technology at his famous Kelly Slater Surf Ranch. 

2. John Florence 

Any surf fan in the past decade has heard of John Florence. John has won two world titles, going back to back in 2016 and 2017, produced one of the greatest surf movies ever, and continues to blow minds every time he surfs. If you haven’t seen View From a Blue Moon yet, I’d highly suggest checking it out. 

With two world titles behind him and big-name backing from Nike, Hurley, and Monster, John is one of the highest earners in surfing. His net worth is $ 12 million, and like Kelly, John has invested wisely, starting his own company, “Florence X Marine,” and generating revenue from surf movies and YouTube. 

3. Mick Fanning 

The face of Australian surfing, Mick Fanning, is a 3x time world champion from the Gold Coast in Queensland. Now retired, Mick was one of the highest-performing competitors of all time, pipping Kelly to the post to win three world titles. The Queenslander still boasts some big sponsors, including Red Bull, Rip Curl, and DHD Surfboards—an iconic surfing figure worth $ 8 million. 

4. Gabriel Medina 

Gabriel Medina is a Brazilian superstar with a net worth of around $ 3.5 million. The 3x world champion is already regarded as one of the best competitive surfers ever, with a fearsome reputation in heats and heat surfing that wouldn’t look out of place in the latest surf flick. Medina is a megastar in Brazil, mates with Neymar, and enjoys huge endorsement deals with Rip Curl and Audi. 

5. Laird Hamilton 

Laird Hamilton is a pioneer of big wave tow surfing and one of the first names people associate with surfing. He changed how waves were ridden in the early 2000s and was one of the first to surf Jaws and Teahupoo. Laird has amassed massive wealth from surfing (net worth of $ 10 million) and is also an actor and sportswear model. 

Other highly paid surfers 

There are some other well-paid surfers I couldn’t squeeze into this list, including Julian Wilson, Kolohe Andino, Jordy Smith, and Kanoa Igarashi. 

The Highest-Paid Female Surfers in the World 

In many sports, women earn significantly less than their male counterparts, but in 2019, the WSL announced equal pay for male and female athletes, becoming the first US sport to do so. However, there is still a huge gap between the top five female surfers and the rest of the pack. Some of the highest-paid female surfers include: 

6. Carissa Moore 

Carissa Moore is the face of women’s surfing and one of the most successful female surfers ever. The Hawaiin has won the world title 5 times and has huge sponsors to match her success. Red Bull, Target, Hurley, and Mayhem surfboards are among them. Carissa’s net worth is estimated at around $ 2 million. 

7. Steph Gilmore 

Steph Gilmore is the greatest female surfer of all time and has won the world title 8 times, most recently in 2022 at the WSL Finals at Trestles. Gilmore is also regarded as one of the most stylish surfers ever, and her sponsors include Roxy, DHD, and Nixon—an incredible surfer with a net worth of $ 16 million. 

8. Sally Fitzgibbons 

Another Australian surfing icon and successful CT veteran. Fitzgibbons has competed on the WCT for over a decade, finished 2nd in the world, and competed in the Tokyo 2022 Olympics. Her net worth is $ 1 million. 

9. Maya Gabeira 

Maya Gaberia is a big wave surfing phenomenon from Brazil and one of the best female big wave surfers ever. Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Maya has surfed some of the world’s most terrifying big wave spots, including Portugal/s Nazare and Tahiti’s Teahupoo. She has won XXl awards and even a Guinness World Record for a wave she rode at (68ft) Nazare after almost drowning there four years previous. 

10. Malia Manuel 

Malia Manuel is a professional surfer and model from Kauai, Hawaii. Despite appearing at the highest level in multiple CT events, she is regarded as one of the most underrated female surfers. She remains at the top level of female surfing (despite not competing on the WCT) and has a net worth of $ 5 million.

WSL Salaries: How Much Do CT Surfers Make? How do Surfers Get Paid

The WSL is the largest platform in surfing, and the best surfers all compete on the WSL World Tour. It’s where most of the money is in the sport, and where a surfer finishes in a particular event will determine how much they earn. 

The Championship Tour consists of 11 events, held at various locations worldwide with $100,000 prize money for 1st place. The earlier a surfer gets knocked out in the event, the less they earn. But even for last place at this level, surfers earn around $8000 just for making it into the event. This is why surfers battle so hard to make it onto the tour via the World Qualification Series (WQS). 

To qualify for the CT, surfers must compete in a series of events known as the Challenger Series. First, surfers must compete regionally and finish in the qualification spaces for their particular region. They then have to compete in the Challenger series, which begins in May at Snapper Rocks in Australia, before going to South Africa, California, France, Portugal, and finishing in Hawaii. Prize money for these events is significantly less than the CT. 

The World qualifying series or QS, or Q’y if you’re from Australia, is grueling and often occurs in less-than-ideal conditions. One hundred surfers make up the challenger series, and most annual salaries sit below the $50,000 mark. However, this varies from surfer to surfer and depends on sponsorship and another financial backing. 

It’s tough at this level to make enough money to keep entering contests and making it to the next event. Flights, accommodation, entry fees, and other travel/surf equipment costs add up, and lower-ranked QS surfers often need other means of making money. Lower-ranked surfers constantly battle to keep sponsors, travel on a budget, get by with prize money, and sometimes work a job to pay for travel. 

Highest Paid Surfers – Final Words 

While contest results don’t mean everything, a considerable difference remains between the top 5 and everyone else on the competitive surfing roster. However, some lower-ranked surfers have been gifted the opportunity to work with great sponsors, have healthy family backing, or know someone high up in the industry.

Aside from the top 5, who, let’s face it, are all stupidly talented and deserve all the coin they get, surfing salaries don’t accurately reflect ability, talent, and even contest results. If you want to learn more about the highest-paid surfers and how they make their dough, check out Stab’s “How surfers get Paid” series.