Pancho was born on the island of Kauai, Hawaii in 1973. Kauai must have some kind of magical chemicals in the water, because it's home to many top level surfers including Andy and Bruce Irons and Rip Curl team riders Alex and Koa Smith. The big fella's first chapter of life wasn't your standard story though... Born in a tree house in a hippie commune owned by Elizabeth Taylor's brother on July 1, Pancho was an explorer at an early age and quickly took a liking to the Island of Oahu.

Regular travels to Oahu's North Shore meant Pancho became very familiar with some of the world's most famous and heaviest waves - Pipeline, Off The Wall, Haleiwa and Sunset.

The Hawaiian got hooked on surfing at an early age and was entering North Shore surfing comps by the time he was nine.

"Back then surfing wasn't as professional, it was more like the Wild West," says Pancho.

"Fear and respect went a long way in the good old days, it basically established order in the line-up. I eventually got tired of spending my weekends at contests surfing mushy waves. At that time my sponsors felt I could do more for them if I just surfed the North Shore and not focus on competition."

With his powerful surfing technique, Pancho quickly became a favourite in surfing mags around the world. A bunch of sick photos - including the infamous shot of him in a 1992 Surfer magazine doing a bottom turn around a turtle at Off The Wall - made him a house-hold name.

He's also one of the nicest guys in surfing. He'll have a chat, sign a million autographs and gracefully share a drink with you at the end of a day.

In 1995, Pancho's Search for bone-crunching waves and Rip Curl's Search for a powerful wave rider collided. Sullivan joined Rip Curl's Search Team and embarked upon a series of surf trips around the globe.

"I was 22 when I joined the Search team and before that time I was thinking of going the college route. Travelling really opened my eyes to all the different cultures outside of Hawaii."

"I really appreciate surfing for what it is and hope in the future to be able to give back as much to the sport as it has given to me. I want to thank Rip Curl for sponsoring me for over 10 years and my family for everything."