A powerful goofy footer from Ormand Beach, Carulli led her Seabreeze High School Surf Team in the local surf comps up and down the East Coast of Florida. She competed in both ESA and NSSA competitions from 1982-1987 and went on to win the 1986 East Coast Surfing and US Championships in the Girl’s Division. Carulli competed on both the East Coast All-Star and NSSA National Teams before turning pro in 1987.

In ’87 Carulli moved to the West Coast to attend San Diego State University while also pursuing a pro surfing career. She had strong results in ASP (now WSL) California pro events on the North American Tour, the Bud Light Pro Tour and the Women’ s International Surfing Association (WISA) where she held on to division titles for over a decade.  On the ASP Tour she finished 2nd, 5th and 7th overall from 1994-1998, and was invited to compete in the ISA World Surfing Games in 1998 but was unable to compete university commitments.

Carulli was sponsored by the Watergirl Surf Shop in Encinitas CA, and with the support of Ilona Wood, shop owner, was able to secure sponsorship and travel support. One of her most notable contest results was winning the Maui Pro at Honolua Bay in wrapping 8-10-foot perfect surf.   

Lisa was involved in designing some of the first women’s boardshorts for the shop, while also helping to launch the first girl’s surf school, which morphed into Surf Diva under the Tiyani sisters.

Carulli has been a long-time member of the WindanSea Surf Club and has finished at the top levels of multiple events in both shortboard and longboard throughout California. In 2022 Carulli was invited to compete in the inaugural international event “Queen of the Point” at the Surfriders beach in Malibu, where she placed second. 

Carulli has also been a standout in academia earning a PhD in Educational Leadership & Community College Systems.  She has a published a dissertation and has written several articles on students with cognitive disabilities and academic success.  With a background in Neuro Psychology and cognition. She specializes in working with students in the San Diego Community College’s Acquired Brain Injury Program. Working across the San Diego Community College District Carulli is a certified Safe Zone trainer, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion coordinator, helping to make college classrooms inclusive and supportive for all marginalized student populations.

Professor Carulli spends a great deal of time exploring the Mexican and Central American coasts in pursuit of barrels. She has literally surfed on every continent except Antarctica.   Although a goofy foot, Carulli’s home break is known as “OB jetty“ by the locals. It’s a fast, hollow, wrapping righthander, which leaves Carulli being one of the few goofy footers considered to be one of the “jetty crew”.