Taylor Knox is an American professional surfer. He is currently retired from the ASP World Tour. Knox was born in Thousand Oaks, California and began surfing at 8 years old. He moved with his family to Carlsbad at 13 and continued to pursue his dream of becoming a pro surfer. At age 15, he had to undergo back surgery after a damaged lumbar vertebra from a skateboarding accident threatened to paralyze him. He spent the next six months in a cocoon-like body cast. In 1990, Knox participated in the World Amateur Championships in Japan. He finished fourth place, ahead of fellow USA team mate Kelly Slater, who placed fifth. He began his ASP World Tour campaign in 1993. In February 1998, Knox won the inaugural K2 Big-Wave Challenge, an event that offered $50,000 to the surfer who caught the biggest wave of the winter and had photographic evidence. The winning wave was a 52-foot ride at Todos Santos during the Reef Big-Wave World Championships. In 1999 Knox took a one year hiatus from the World Tour. He returned in 2001 and achieved his highest ASP World Tour rating of 4th place. 

May 15th, 1971 in Thousand Oaks (Age 52)