Home for the holidays, Cory Lopez finds decent waves at Sand Key Park.
Photo by CHARY SOUTHMAYD
Poolside at his IRB home, Cory Lopez is flanked by girlfriend, Jenn Brierley, left, and stepmother, Anne Lopez.
Photo by CHARY SOUTHMAYD
Jenn, Cory and Poseidon enjoy some family time at home.
Photo by CHARY SOUTHMAYD
Cory Lopez works out in his home gym, hoping to build up his leg strength.
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – For Cory Lopez, being ranked among the premier surfing talents in the world isn’t a bad place to be, but he has his sights set on perfection.
“I want to make a shot at the title,” said Lopez as he kicked back recently, enjoying some leisure time off at his waterfront Indian Rocks Beach home.
In December, the 28-year-old Lopez wrapped up another year of professional surfing competition that took him to exotic destinations around the world, including Brazil, Fiji, Japan and Tahiti. Lopez ended the season ranked No. 11 in the Association of Surfing Professionals/World Championship Tour.
A few years back, he was ranked third in the world. He believes that after 10 years of competition, he is just now reaching the top of his game. He is determined to become his strongest both mentally and physically.
Lopez is primed to be a top contender in 2006.
“I want to make a surge in the next three to four years,” he said. “I haven’t given it all I have yet, and I don’t want to leave anything on the table.”
Speaking of which, a new dining table is one of Lopez’s most recent acquisitions, as he attempts to furnish his spacious, recently remodeled IRB home on the Intracoastal Waterway. Being on the road in surfing competition most of the year doesn’t leave a lot of time for domestic tasks. When he is back home, Lopez prefers spending quality time with his buddies, his longtime girlfriend, Jenn Brierley, and their Yorkshire terrier, Poseidon, and his father and stepmother, Pete and Anne Lopez, who live just down the street with his two younger siblings.
Lopez’s older brother, Shea, also legendary on the pro surfing circuit, has put down roots in the Daytona Beach area where he lives with his wife and their newborn daughter. Shea suffered a debilitating knee injury while surfing in competition in 2003 and was off the tour for a year. He is still working on returning to his top form.
The Lopez brothers grew up surfing. Most of the time, Pete loaded them in the car and headed over to Sebastian Inlet on the east coast. A lifelong surfing enthusiast, Pete still enjoys taking on the waves.
Though he doesn’t actually remember the moment, Lopez first surfed at age 2. He acknowledges that by the time he was in his early teens, he had lost his focus on surfing – preferring skateboarding and hanging out with his friends, instead.
That focus returned a few years later when dollar signs caught his eye.
“I saw Shea doing well and making money in professional events and started thinking about how I wanted to make a living,” he said.
Since then, he hasn’t looked back.
Lopez said he enjoys spending four or five hours a day on the water – until his arms begin to cramp up. He has developed a reputation in the surfing world for taking risks during competition – risks that earn him big points with the judges.
“I do stuff other guys can’t do,” he said.
He has twice won the Guts for Glory award, which is given to the surfer who catches the scariest wave of the year, potentially putting his life on the line.
Lopez lists Sebastian Inlet with its powerful and steep waves, Melbourne and Reef Road in West Palm Beach as among his favorite surfing destinations in Florida, though surprisingly, when there is a northwest wind, Sand Key Park offers some good waves and can draw a surfing crowd.
Along with his considerable talent and surfer guy good looks have come lucrative endorsements. Among his top sponsors are O’Neill wet suits and clothing, DVS shoes, Monster Energy Beverage and Boost Mobile. He even has his own signature Anarchy Blacken Cory Lopez sunglasses. Freestyle watches created the Lopex watch, a play on the Rolex brand name.
The good life has not come without a certain degree of danger. Lopez has had close calls.
“I’ve had experiences where you are grateful when you get to the sand, and you call your family afterward,” he said.
The potential risks do not escape Jenn, who can’t help but worry about Lopez when he is out on the water.
“Whenever he goes to Fiji or Pipeline (Hawaii) where the surf is really big, I pray all the time,” she said. “Anything can happen. You are at the mercy of the ocean, no matter how much skill you have.”
Lopez witnessed the drowning death of a 22-year-old professional surfing friend from Tahiti during a competition at Pipeline. He helped find the body of his friend, Malik, who had hit his head and perished.
“There can be heavy moments,” he said.
And, yes, there have been close encounters with sharks.
“I’ve only seen them a couple of times in the gulf, but you see them all the time on the east coast,” he said.
One incident in particular stands out. Lopez and a buddy were in calm waters about a quarter mile out at a place called Monster Hole near Sebastian Inlet.
“We saw the fin coming right at us. All of a sudden the fin goes down and my friend goes underwater,” he said.
The shark had gotten caught in his friend’s surfboard leash and dragged him under. Once the leash broke, his friend popped back up, unharmed.
While he has attained celebrity status, especially in fanatical surfing venues such as Brazil and Japan, Lopez seems grounded and unaffected by his success. He was ranked 10th in the most recent Surfer Poll Awards, which are based on popularity. Kids have been known to stop by his IRB house and knock on his door, asking for autographs, which he obliges. He appreciates how much it means to admirers when he takes the time to be accessible.
In his latest business venture, Lopez and his parents will open a surf shop in IRB this summer. Jenn will run the day-to-day operations. Lopez hopes to bring in some of his well-known surfing buddies when they have their big grand opening event. A contest to name the surf shop is under way online at www.gulfster.com.
Though the beauty of Tahiti and other prime surfing locales are awe-inspiring, Lopez is always happy to return to where it all started.
“Indian Rocks is home. My family and friends are here,” he said. “I feel safe here. This is where I love to be.”
After a decade of professional competition, the lure of the waves remains fresh and inviting.
“I love the ocean. It’s a place to go to release energy and feel healthy,” he said. “When I get out there, everything is fine. When the waves are good, it’s just great to be a surfer.”
Lopez's favorite things
Favorite restaurant: Pajano’s in IRB – “I eat there a lot.”
Favorite food: Spaghetti – “It’s good everywhere in the world.”
Music preference: Grateful Dead to Minor Threat, Bob Marley, Eminem and everything in between. “I have 1,600 songs on my iPOD. My mood changes.”
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