For piece, Which Boardies Suit Your Body Type!
After serving three decades as a stalwart ad writer for numerous surf-inspired clothing companies, Nick Carroll, brother to former world champion Tom Carroll, has reached the pinnacle of journalism — the Pulitzer Prize.
The clearly excited Australian got the news via a Facebook notification while competing in the Ironman competition, his 16th this year. The announcement was even sweeter because it came on the wordsmith’s 67th birthday.
“It’s an honour for sure, mate,” said Carroll while adjusting his size extra small Billabong rashie. “I can’t wait to share the news with the fellas at the next sibling rivalries support group. Sean Slater, Jeb Bush, Cooper Manning and Owen and Luke Wilson’s other brother, sorry I forgot his name, are going to be so jealous.”
The winning piece, titled “Which Boardies Suit Your Body Type,” appeared in the November 2016 issue of Australia’s Surfing Life.
The surfing bug hit Nick hard when he moved to Newport in 1961, and began surfing at age 11. But writing was his true passion. Carroll, who now makes his bones covering the surf culture beat for various companies that still murder trees to eke out a living, started his career as an aspiring pro surfer but soon, turned his attention writing fulltime. He had writing in his blood, as his father, VJ Carroll, was a noted journalist.
“It’s an honour for sure, mate,” said Carroll while adjusting his size extra small Billabong rashie. “I can’t wait to share the news with the fellas at the next sibling rivalries support group. Sean Slater, Jeb Bush, Cooper Manning and Owen and Luke Wilson’s other brother, sorry I forgot his name, are going to be so jealous.”
Nick quickly climbed the ranks of surf writing and later became associate editor at Tracks, then editor of American surf magazine Surfing. His work has appeared in People Magazine, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal and Kurungabaa.
More recently he co-authored his brother Tom’s biography, TC, which became an Australian Best Seller in 2015 with nearly 100 copies sold.
Carroll is probably most proud of a story he wrote exposing rampant drug use in surfing. Unfortunately, that story was never published. It was cut for space to make room for the 2010 ASL Wetsuit Buyer’s Guide.
Today, Nick enjoys patrolling the Internet like a one-man sharia gang. There isn’t a social media platform, blog or website he hasn’t commented on.
Congratulations Nick. You are a true gem that should be cherished
Goddamn. I got real laughs from that one.
At least NC can write with literary value
This is the first time I’ve ever seen a picture of Ol Nick. I don’t know what I expected. What I didn’t expect was the visual equivalent of hot breath on the back of your neck, a rough hand down your trousers and a gravelly threat whispered in your ear.
I tried these but they didn’t suit me…impulse buy I guess.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Finally Rorey parkers replacement is found
for real? did I get duped again. Surfing mag is dead. crumbling..What will lead the alternative sport future. Beachgrit? Words mean something. Did I forget to ca[pitalize again. jeez. keyboards….
i didn’t read the awarded article and and am a dumbshit to comment in any way, Sorry, never mind…I forgot.
I haven’t read the article in question but I’m guessing that the recommendation for all body types was: high on the leg, snug over the genitals, lemon yellow??
(In all seriousness though, and call me a pathetic brown-noser all you want, but as Nick enters his eighth decade I think it’s important that we celebrate a living national treasure while he still walks among us. Gentlemen, lady, charge your glasses. I give you Nick Carroll, doyen of Australian surf writing, unabashed wearer of Lycra in public, fearless slayer of unpleasant physical challenges, all round good egg. Huzzah!)
I feel lucky to have one of the 100 copies of TC that sold
Um, there’s this little thing called plagiarism. “when he moved to Newport in 1961, and began surfing at age 11”. Deep shit.
fuck son of Donald , blowing himself , while trumpeting a need to …..???
the news according to Nug , a new level of twattersphere!
Haha; this was great – clean, razor sharp, and hilarious – it takes tactful brilliance to rip into someone while celebrating them at the same time . . . which I feel is BG’s aspired-to-credo.
And Nicky’s per word rate is probably going to skyrocket after this.
Nug has made trolling an art form, then takes it to another level.
Possibly the best article ever.
I don’t know why you didn’t mention my Man Booker Prize shortlisted book, “How to not fall off your surfboard”
Id like to order a first edition signed copy. In invisible ink please..
Yeah sorry they only printed 10 copies and they’ve already been pulped
Oh by the way you might note my Dad tagged above.
Yeah my Dad is a gun.
I never showed him a draft of “TC” until the final edit. I didn’t want to be affected by the fear of having to protect him. Drove to his apartment (about an hour from where I live) with a print of the manuscript. “OK here you go,” I said, and fled. I was about a half hour into the drive home when my phone rang, it was Vic. “Nick,” he said, “it’s beautiful stuff.”
So people like Nug are just puffs of smoke really.
Puffs of smoke from the same cigarette Nick…
Amongst the rib pokes it’s a beautiful era of engagement we live in.
I like this idea of roaming sharia gangs enforcing the word of Laird and faithful surfing
thanks for sharing
Brilliant.
Nice to see Nug waking back up… looking forward to reading more from this bloke. It’s been a few years since surfing’s had a good wrecking ball taken to it. Bravo, amigo!
Pure gold. My favorite part:
“More recently he co-authored his brother Tom’s biography, TC, which became an Australian Best Seller in 2015 with nearly 100 copies sold.”
Mine…”Carroll is probably most proud of a story he wrote exposing rampant drug use in surfing. Unfortunately, that story was never published. It was cut for space to make room for the 2010 ASL Wetsuit Buyer’s Guide”
this was my favorite line too.