Powell, Shane (1972 – )

Smooth-riding but often inconspicuous Australian pro surfer from Avoca, New South Wales; world-ranked #2 in 1994. Powell was born (1972) in Sydney, and raised in the north Sydney beachfront suburb of Avoca, where he began surfing at age eight. He turned pro in 1990, after an undistinguished run as an amateur, and made a steady rise up the world tour ratings, going from 49th in his rookie season to ninth in 1993.

Powell was a slender, rubber-limbed, splay-fingered surfer, quick and precise, a...