Stab Magazine | "If He Had Unlimited Speed, Taylor Knox Would Be The Best Surfer In The World" - Joel Parkinson
1167 Views

“If He Had Unlimited Speed, Taylor Knox Would Be The Best Surfer In The World” – Joel Parkinson

Despite nearing the half-century mark, T-Knox can still bury a rail with the best of them.  

cinema // May 3, 2020
Words by stab
Reading Time: < 1 minute

“If he had unlimited speed, Taylor Knox would be the best surfer in the world.”

Joel Parkinson said that in a mid-2000s surf film—I can’t recall which, help a brother out in the comments—and while somewhat controversial (this was around the time of Andy and Kelly’s competitive heyday), Taylor’s 2002 profile film Arc allows us to see where Joel was coming from.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/bMqE_zzwpOE

On the open face, no one could match the power, style, and control of Thousand Oaks’ first-and-only CT surfer. But it wasn’t just raw talent that made T-Knox one of surfing’s most fearsome competitors. Throughout his career, Taylor was 100% mentally and physically committed to being the best athlete he could be—and it paid off. 

Besides Slater, no one’s spent more time in surfing’s elite ranks—20 years! 

Now 48, Taylor retains a similar motivation toward full-fledged performance surfing. Unlike many of his peers, Knoxy hasn’t ditched his 5’11 shorty for some easy-to-ride duo or quad. And his turns still pack a considerable punch.  

Click above for Taylor’s most recent output.  

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Griff Goes Futuristic To Beat The New Kid

The greatest wildcard loss in WSL history?

Apr 5, 2026

Watch: The Kelly Files, Vol. 3

"I'll surf until I die."

Apr 5, 2026

Mongrels Prevail In The Slop

A day of upsets, triumphant rookies, and solid showings from just a couple of returning…

Apr 4, 2026

A Half-Cooked Homecoming

The 2026 season starts with a whimper — four instant heats run in dribbly, onshore…

Apr 3, 2026

Joyride: The Slater x Tomo ‘Mindcraft’

A 5-fin snub-nosed space missile, as seen in Mikey February's EAST.

Apr 3, 2026

Watch: John Florence Wrangles Unseen Rock Shelves Just North Of Antarctica

‘VELA’ isn’t just about warm water reef passes…

Apr 3, 2026

Dane Reynolds On Shaper Polyamory, Tour Politics + The Aussie Treble | StabMic Episode 8

The OG cast digs into the WSL season opener.

Apr 2, 2026

What Is The CT Riding In 2026? An Exhaustive Equipment Breakdown

Two brands own 40% of the tour, two World Champs refuse to be pinned down.

Apr 2, 2026

Steam On Mirrors, Slater Milked Dry, And Europe Gets It In Every Hole

Surfing’s 2026 Q1 Report

Apr 1, 2026

The Long Year Starts Here

A Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach preview.

Mar 30, 2026

Is The Aussie Treble A Crystal Ball?

An SUV is nice, but the numbers suggest the World Title comes with it too.

Mar 30, 2026

Watch: The Kelly Files Vol. 2

"If your mind isn’t open to discovering new things on different waves, you just get…

Mar 29, 2026

Who’s Gonna Win The 2026 World Title?

Picks from Josh Kerr, Sterling Spencer, Dane Henry, Jimmy Wilson, and more industry heavies.

Mar 27, 2026

The Top 5 Aerialists Of All Time, According To Chippa Wilson | StabMic Episode 07

"The sections he hits are beyond gnarly."

Mar 27, 2026

“People Were Fucking Swimming Out Of Their Homes In The Middle Of The Night”

A North Shore flood report from Nathan Fletcher and lifeguard Kyle Foyle.

Mar 26, 2026

Stab’s 2026 Rookie Class Review Featuring Owen Wright, Doug Silva, And CJ Hobgood

Crisp insights from a 4x CT winner, a supercoach, and a World Champ.

Mar 25, 2026

Could Paul Naudé Buy Rip Curl At A $200 Million Discount?

Corporate lobotomy at Kathmandu.

Mar 25, 2026

Watch: The Kelly Files Vol. 1

Unredacted interviews from Stab in the Dark X + Kelly's boards up for grabs.

Mar 25, 2026
Advertisement