Lisa Andersen is a four-time world surfing champion from the United States. She won four successive world titles from 1994 to 1997. She was named ASP's Rookie of the Year in 1987. She was named as one of the 100 "Greatest Sportswomen of the Century" by Sports Illustrated for Women. She was named the "1998 Female Athlete of the Year" by Conde Nast Sports for Women magazine. She is a six-time winner of Surfer Magazine's Readers Poll. In 2002, she was inducted into the Surfer's Hall of Fame. In 2004, she was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame as that year's Woman of the Year. She won the US amateur surfing title in 1987 and turned professional the following year. From 1994 to 1997 she won successive women's world titles before injury forced her to stop competing. She returned to the sport in 2000. She is married to Tim Shannon and has two children, Erica and Mason.
Background
Lisa Andersen began surfing at the age of 15 in Ormond Beach, Florida. In the early 80's women's surfing was underground, and surfing in general was seen as a man's sport. However, Andersen worked hard to impress her peers with her smooth but aggressive style. At 16, because of her parents disapproval of her love of surfing, she decided to run away to Huntington Beach, California to pursue her passion and train with the best surfers in America. Subsequently, she entered amateur competitions and won 35 National Scholastic Surfing Association trophies in eight months and, later, the US Championships at Sebastien Inlet in 1987. After this victory, she became a professional surfer and finished her first year on the tour ranked 12th and was elected Rookie of the Year. She won her first pro event in 1990 in Australia, but she struggled with remaining focused throughout the competitive season with the multiple contests over the span of a surfing year. She later found improved concentration after the birth of her first child, daughter Erika. And only a month after giving birth, she reached the final in Japan. After making competitive history as a single mom, Andersen's persona soon became iconic, transforming women's surfing more than any surfer before her. She knocked the beach bunny image aside and edged out the unfeminine stereotype often plaguing female athletes. Andersen was unique in that she remained feminine and graceful while displaying an aggressive energy that would set new standards for female surfers. Lisa didn't simply change how women surf but also how they are perceived. She led droves of young girls to the sport. She also played a major role along with her sponsor Roxy in changing women's beach fashion with the development of the women's boardshort. After battling back injuries and giving birth to her second child, Mason, Andersen semi retired in 2001 and moved into a global brand ambassador role with Roxy. She is the subject of Nick Carroll's biography "Fearlessness". While women surfers still trail behind men in terms of pay and coverage, there is no doubt that female surfing would have missed a crucial burst of progress without the style and performance juggernaut of Lisa Andersen.
Personal life
Andersen has been married twice. Her first husband is the father of her son, and later, Andersen married former professional baseball player Tim Shannon, on May 21, 2008.
