Most of us saw Occy beat legend Tom Curren -again- at Bells during the Heritage Heat April 9th in 3-5′ storm surf.

So now would be a good time to remember how far back the Occy Icon goes back…check it out and enjoy. SNN

Frame grab of Occy’s winning wave/turn

For more than 40 years, we’ve been making gear for one of surfing’s greatest gifts: the inimitable Mark Occhilupo.

As his unique approach to riding a wave has arguably inspired more “cover bands” than any other surfer in modern times, Occy claims he’s always evolving. “The best style to me,” he says, “is no style at all.”

Mark Occhilupo’s influence on surfing – especially for the legions of goofyfoots who came after him – is immeasurable. That said, he remains on his own personal style journey, from brash young upstart in the early ’80s to the surf-as-you-feel flow-master he is today.

As part of our Five Decades celebration, we walk through some definitive eras in his surfing and get his take on them now:

00:00 – Phase 1: The Early Years
“After looking over the footage from this time, my arms are actually all over the place. It wasn’t until Gordon brought me up to the Gold Coast when I really learned how to smooth out my style.” – Mark Occhilupo

00:52 – Phase 2: Occy V. Curren
“It wasn’t until I saw Tom Curren come. I really loved the way he surfed and wanted to surf like that.” – Mark Occhilupo

01:50 – Phase 3: Set Free
“I surfed perfect waves, which made me fall in love with surfing again.” – Mark Occhilupo

02:22 – Phase 4: Unbeatable
“All that time filming with Jack in those perfect waves got me in prime form for the Dream Tour. I was actually practicing for those events years before I ever knew I was going to get to them.” – Mark Occhilupo

03:22 – Phase 5: Forever Fired Up
“These are the twilight years, the really good years. Every session is a blessing, and that’s what keeps me psyched.” – Mark Occhilupo