Allen Sarlo is an American surfer, most prominently known as one of the original members of the Z-Boys surf and skateboarding team. Surfing Magazine recognized Sarlo as the first to "kill" a wave. The aggressive and slashing style of surfing he pioneered during 1970's earned him the nickname "Wave Killer". He is considered by many "The King of Malibu".
Early life
Allen grew up in a part of Venice, California known to locals as "Dogtown". His father was a lifeguard. Allen began surfing at the age of 5 and by 13, he had won his first competition, the boys' division of an amateur event in El Segundo, CA. At 14, he was surfing the infamous "Cove" at the POP pier in Venice. In 1974, at age 16 Allen took first place at the Malibu 4-A contest. Allen's progressive surfing style was ahead of its time and challenged the old-school style of surfing, with strong and aggressive wave maneuvers. That same year Allen won the West Coast Junior Championships. By 1977 Allen was sporting the media given nickname "Wave Killer" and surfing around the world.
Career
In 1977, he joined the professional international circuit after taking first place in the West Coast Junior Championships. In his first event in South Africa, he finished in a tie for 15th place, Shaun Thompson would go on to take first. In 2000, Sarlo placed 5th in the Quicksilver's World Masters, held in Hossegor, France. He won the Malibu International in both 2008 and 2009. Sarlo has been sponsored by Body Glove, Quiksilver, Channel Island Surfboards, Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions. By the 1980s Allen had finished surfing the Pro-Tour and went into a career in real estate.
Personal life
In 1986, he married his high-school sweetheart, Deborah. Their daughter was born in 1989 and son in 1993. Allen continues surfing Malibu and the big waves of Hawaii to this day. He is also an expert kite surfer.
Sarlo is featured in the 2001 award-winning documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. The film documents his adolescence as part of the Zephyr and his athletically intense surfing style. In June 1990, the cover of Surfing Magazine shocked the surfing community with a photo of Allen doing a bottom turn on a 20+ ft wave. Until that cover came out, big wave surfing was all about taking the drop and getting out alive. He performed stunt work for Heath Ledger in the 2005 Lords of Dogtown film. He made featured appearances in the surf films "Wave Warriors" and "Following the Lotus".
