Stealth Arica Chilean Challenge Recap – Event #3 in the IBA Grand Slam Series

Unlike the pretty stale WCT Tour, the IBA has had 3 classic events in what’s been happening during the 2012 campaign. First off was the best surf Pipe saw in the winter, second was the Box with a mixed bag of waves though intense action and third was the Stealth Arica Chilean Challenge, which finished this past Sunday. If you missed the event, no worries, heats on demand on the ibaworldtour youtube channel guarantee that you’ll see every bit of action, and boy was there action.

First off, a big congrats to all the riders in the IBA world tour. They put on a great show, local Chilean riders showed they are to be taken VERY seriously and few if any riders failed to put on a good showing. Injuries? You bet there were injuries, and still Ben Player, Amaury Lavernhe and Danton Correa put on a great show. These are serious pros who REALLY want to win and put it all on the line.

The webcast started super deep into the trials so we were treated to a deep look into what goes into one of the most prized events in bodyboarding. A pool of 100 international riders put on a great show and who won the trials? A guy from Morocco called Brahim Iddouch who flipped himself silly for the win. So a big thanks to the IBA for letting fans see an event in its entirety.

Then came the main event. Conditions varied intensely throughout the week with waves from 3-12 feet and conditions that varied as well. Often ridden with overcast skies, El Gringo is a wave that goes left and right and has high consequences either way, though the left is even sketchier. The scoring criteria adjusted superbly and the judges really deserve a shoutout for making the right call 99% of the time.

If I could use three words to describe the air one could grasp through the webcast they would be focus, determination and joy. Bodyboarders are a friendly bunch of guys most of the time, but the blast they seemed to have in Chile just permeated throughout the whole event. Then again, that’s what happens when you have thousands of people lining up to see the world’s best face off against one of the best waves on the planet. Some standout things I saw were:

1.     The Lan ladies - Promoters from Lan Airlines that kept what few males were there smiling from ear to ear. Having a representative of Lan Airlines was also awesome since it pretty much shows that bodyboarding is a serious and popular sport in Latin America.

2.     A mummy replica they brought to the booth. Super weird moment and I don’t know how Manny could eat on that table after they brought that thing out.

3.     The mayor of Arica giving an interview.

4.     All the riders doing commentating. Everyone put in their time in the event and highlights in the booth are too many to name, though my vote goes for Mark McCarthy since his enthusiasm was infectious.

Then there was the riding. Although I have my 5 favorite waves from the event, please make sure to see the entire event. This was quality riding from the highest quality of riders. Then again, there are always waves that standout and here are my top five:

Top Five waves of the Stealth Arica Chilean Challenge:

5. Jeff Hubbard’s ARS to barrel in round 4: Jeff pulls into a big right hander that looks a little fat. Then he hits a massive ARS and lands in the barrel, which he pulls out from into a roll.

4. Ben Player’s round 6 reverse to barrel to flip: One of the most technical waves ridden in the event, Ben Player pulls into a big right, thinks it’s not going to pitch so does a reverse to stall for time. As he finishes the reverse, the wave throws, he gets a sick barrel and comes out with a flip.

3. Guilherme Tamega Barrel for the win in Semi Final #1. PLC had Guilherme on the ropes at the end, but the Brazilian behemoth was not going to be denied a Final berth. He pulls insanely deep on a right hander and I’m pretty sure he yelled at the wave to stay open. I really didn’t think he was going to make it, and he did.

2. Dave Hubbard’s MASSIVE Boost in round 3. In this round, people were looking for Nick Gornall to boost big. After he hit a section a little late, Dave Hubbard grabs a quick left and proceeds to go higher than his brother did the entire event with the biggest air in Chile. What’s crazier is how smooth he landed it and that he even had the presence of mind to launch another roll afterwards.

1. Mike Stewart’s spinner, to barrel to HUGE invert in Quarterfinal #4. Vintage Mike, that’s what you’re going to hear for a long time. Stewart smoked Ben Player in the quarters starting out with a beautiful looking left hander. He proceeds to do a textbook smooth spinner into the barrel, grabs a long drawn out tube and even while he’s shacked, you see him eyeing the section coming. It was a 2-3 ft section and he boosted like 6 feet in the air, completely inverted and landed on barely covered rocks… rightfully so, this was the highest scoring wave of the event.

It was a hell of a contest, and like I said… everyone was riding so well it was a sight to see. Now there were some riders that looked more in form than the rest, and here’s my list:

Brahim Iddouch – Took down the trials and though he didn’t progress very far in the event, he showed he charges and that he’s a welcome addition to any event.

Damian King – Runner up in the trials, Kingy looked downright deadly in his riding and just came up short in the heat he lost. Still, his riding was tight and focused and it’s awesome to see him charging.

Sacha Specker – Riding tight and quick, flipping, tubing and still with enough energy to click some land and water shots. The man is on fire and I wouldn’t be surprised if an in form Sacha makes the Semis or Finals of an event this year.

Nick Gornall – The scariest launch of the event has to go to Nick Gornall, who threw an invert off a section that would have people pooping their pants.

Andrew Lester – Lester made it to the Quarters until he met up with the eventual event winner. His riding was focused and technical and he showed he’s someone to take serious in any heat you’re in.

Dave Hubbard – Biggest air of the event, Dave missed the quarters by .06 pts… it’s a harsh loss because he was ripping and you can probably make a case that he deserved the win… then again you can also make a case for Lester deserving the win. It’s one of those heats you’d hate to have to judge. That aside, Dave looked sharp, fast and motivated to go big. He did a crazy flip on the rocks to stay in the event and was always looking to go deep and big.

Jake Stone – His lowest scoring heat was 13 something… he was looking sharp and deadly and can always take you out when you least expect it with a huge flip when you think a wave won’t get the score. Just ask Stewart and Mark McCarthy.

Jeff Hubbard – Hubb has looked great in two events. One of the few air reverses in the event, he’s known for busting for a reason or twenty. When he was on, he was way on and he bowed out to a scarily determined Guilherme Tamega.

Dallas Singer – Dallas looked as good as I think I’ve ever seen him in a contest and it was a shame he got nipped in the end of his heat against PLC. Consistently spinning out of the barrel, the smoothest air reverse of the event was his. I hope he uses this loss to keep the momentum up because he was riding awesome.

Amaury Lavernhe – That’s twice Amaury has been caught up in the Tamega storm at Arica… and to be honest, it was more the ocean than his skills or will. He just didn’t get the rides he needed when he needed them. That aside, I don’t know if he needs to be injured more often because I hadn’t seen him riding that precise in a while. His heat wins were borderline inspirational and if GT gets him in another heat, he should know he’s going to have to go even bigger.

Mitch Rawlins – Mitch brought the momentum from the Box and launched some crazy big rolls and deep tubes. PLC shut the door on him, so look for Mitch to look for redemption.

Ben Player – What corked thigh? For a second I thought BP wasn’t going to ride the event, then I remembered that these guys aren’t about to fly thousands of miles to complain about an injury. With a strong promotion for Coke, he used cut off patches from 2 liter Coke bottles to protect his thigh and he was riding excellent even when he was steamrolled by a wizard.

Pierre Louis Costes – Riding tight, going big and flipping like crazy… though I have to admit, it’s getting to the point where I want him to launch something other than a backflip… and he did. He did a wonky air forward, a textbook perfect reverse off the lip and some big rolls that made me enjoy his flips more when he mixed it up.

Guilherme Tamega – Tamega’s focus was downright scary. Really, I’m glad heats aren’t full contact because he’d put you in a jiu-jitsu hold in the first 30 seconds, for sure. Up to the final he was winning on pure will and determination. Look at the Semi Final against PLC for pure evidence of this where you can almost hear the wave weeping as he whips it into submission. I’ll say this for Winey, thank God he left the big score for the end because with more time, GT might have done something to top his 2011 antics for a win.

Mike Stewart – At 49, Mike is riding just like or better than he did ten or more years ago. No one in the event was putting up better combos than Mike in my view, even going as far as doing an ARS on the rocks on a wave he’d done a spin, done a roll and gotten a barrel on. It was a treat to see him charging so hard and it’s just a shame he didn’t make it into the final, then again, unlike other occasions, more than any, it was all on the ocean since every good wave he got, he completely shredded and he’s gone back to being one of the last guys you want in your heat.

Dave Winchester – Wave magnet… that’s Winey for you in two words. Flipping, barreling, inverting and rolling his way to victory, Dave Winchester wrestled the Arica title from GT’s hands in the last minute of competition. It’s a hell of a victory for Australia and Winey is the in-form rider of the year, placing 3^rd twice and now winning an event in the first three events of the year. Two more good results should do it, and I’m super stoked for him. Great guy and another asset to the sport.

So there you have it, 3 events down, 5 to go… Expectations are high and Brazil is coming up… I’ll write my predictions throughout the week.

Viva La Bodyboarding!

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 25-21

25. Brian Wise

The Wiseguy was known in the 90’s as a bit of a hardass in competition, someone whom you wouldn’t necessarily enjoy having in a heat because you’d know he’d hassle the hell out of you. That same intensity went into his riding. His very peculiar style was focused on big waves and power carves and he pretty much made the carve-to-spinner combo a staple. His reverse spinners blew chunks of water, he rode big waves and true to his reputation of going big, look to his waves at the two Pipe contests which he competed in which the waves were massive. In one he got a ten second beatdown and in this year’s Pipe contest his air drop is on more than a few people’s desktop backgrounds. On land he’s mellowed out considerably, finding Christ and living in Hawaii… in the water he’s still one of the most fearless guys ever to hop on a sponge.

24. Alexandre de Pontes

The beginning of the Brazilian revolution occured thanks to this man. Xandinho rode big, boosted and had style, poise and charisma. He also liked big hollow waves. Sound familiar? Xandinho fell victim to a car crash and the sport lost one of its best ambassadors. But the deed had been done… the doors to the world stage had been blasted down, and thanks to him Brazilian hellmen have been wreaking havoc on the world of bodyboarding ever since.

23. Pat Caldwell

Co-inventor of the El Rollo, lanky, long, kooky and crazy. Pat is a hell man and for a time he just wanted to get demolished by the biggest waves in existence. His closeouts at Waimea still hold water as some of the craziest slabs I’ve ever seen anyone willingly take on the head. Apart from that, Pat was recently elected as the new General Manager of the IBA World Tour. Pat is a guy who loves the water, loves big waves and the influence of him and other judges and riders on scoring criteria are helping push bodyboarding to the next level… which is several feet above standup surfing’s BS melodrama.

22. Kyle Maligro

Maligs rode dropknee the way you wanted to ride dropknee, rode standup the way you wanted to ride standup and rode prone the way you wanted to ride prone. The most talented of the original Kauai Classic Team, Kyle is one of the top 3 riders to influence my brother in his approach to riding prone and dropknee. In a time when people were scrounging ugly ass reverse rollo attempts, Maligs was launching them so perfect that you were torn between loving him for being so good and hating him for making it look so easy. If I needed to use one word to describe Maligs I don’t have to think too much… seamless.

21. Chad Barba

16^th century hermits have shit on Chad Barba when it comes to living off the beaten path. Made famous for his exploits on the Inside and Crave the Cave, Chad’s Kong-sized-balls approach to the Wedge and huge Puerto showcases that on waves hellmen would pull into to score the barrel of their lives, he’d be gunning to hit the end section and soar 15 feet in the air.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 30-26

30. Mariana Nogueira

Power. That’s the only word you need to describe Mariana Nogueira. A dominant women’s champion in her own right, Mariana was one of the first female bodyboarders to charge on a worldwide scale.

29. Pierre Louis Costes

Known as the 2011 champion that can land a backflip in any size wave at any given moment. That the guy is a distant descendant of Adonis and from France just makes riders want to beat him even more. You can’t be that good and that handsome and get away with it. That he’s a fantastic rider makes him even more admirable. You see, when people need to pull a safety move, they go for a roll. What’s PLC’s safety move? A friggin backflip.

28. Nathan “Nugget” Purcell

Though sometimes his style looked a little all over the place, you just had to see him at Shark Island or Blackrock to understand how good the guy is. He invented the Gorf (an inverted air forward move), he charged, he had skills and if that weren’t enough, he actually saved the life of fellow sponger Lanson Ronquilio at Pipeline.

27. Danny Kim

The original standup bodyboarder, Danny Kim did floaters and snaps at Sandy Beach that left people scratching their heads as to how he landed them. As a grom, I stood up on my bodyboard on more than one occasion and it had all to do with Danny and something tells me that I’m not the only one.

26. Chris Taloa

Although Danny Kim pioneered standup bodyboarding, Chris Won Taloa was the guy who entered a surf contest, demolished his first heat and showed standup surfers that we can more than compete on their level. The next heat, he was deliberately underscored, but who cares, the damage had already been done with his smartass smile rubbing salt into the wound. Add to that epic exploits on DK, including one of the biggest backside dropknee tubes in the history of Pipeline, and you can’t help but think of Chris every time you order wonton soup.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 35-31

35. Amaury Lavernhe

The 2010 Champ from Reunion Island is REAL good as a rider. Up to that point, all world champions had been from Brazil, Hawaii, Australia or South Africa (which only has one world champion). Amaury showed that growing up in a French tropical island paradise can and will produce a phenom. A well rounded rider who can bust in any condition, Amaury’s approach is deliberate to the point where you see his eyes on a wave and you know what he wants to do.

34. Dave Hubbard

If the secret of eternal life is joy and versatility, Dubb is a modern day sage. His joie de vivre is second to none and his skills are insane, just barely missing out last year on becoming the first bodyboarder to ever take out the dropknee and prone events in a Grand Slam Event. He’s good in the barrel, he’s good in the pocket, he’s good in the air, he’s good on the knee, he’s good standup and let’s face it… the best claims in existence are his. It’s not that Fu-Manchu would be proud of brother dub, it’s that cosmically speaking he is the fusion between Fu-Manchu and Charlie Chaplin with the genetic talent from having a last name Hubbard.

33. Andrew Lester

Pocket surfing isn’t easy… ask any rider… except Lester. The guy makes pocket surfing look downright preschool easy. A standup guy with great style, he’s someone you love to watch in big hollow surf just to see what he’ll put out of his ass and make look too easy.

  

32. Stephanie Peterson

Another female Brazilian charging woman, Stephanie was part of an elite crew that pushed women’s bodyboarding lightyears into the future, boosting, busting and committing to critical maneuvers a lot of guys would shy away from. So how good was she? How good does winning Pipe six times make you? 

31. Carol Philips

Big wave female hell woman. She was the first woman to compete against guys in Pipeline and to boot, she founded the World championship of Women’s Bodyboarding. Think Billy Jean King in terms of impact in female sports, and you get the idea of the importance of Carol Philips. As if that wasn’t enough, she was appointed in 2005 to the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. There’s girl power… then there’s woman power. Carol embodies the latter.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 40-39

40. Uri Valadao

Brazilian world champ that can win in any condition and will whip a wave into submission. In small waves he’s relentless and he can pull out a 7 pt. ride out of mush. The thing is that he performs in all conditions, and that’s a rare feat and something truly commendable because whether it’s 1ft or 12ft, he can win and look good. 

39. Aka Lyman

Backside dropknee riding is probably what it is today thanks to Aka. Rarely does anyone even think of getting the extension he could get on a snap. His frontside attack was also insane, but his backside was just mental, period. One of the most rounded riders ever to put a knee up.

38. Isabela Sousa

What do Jared Houston and Isabela Sousa have in common? In 2011, they both launched and landed their first air reverses in competition. Isabela is fast, fierce and will make boys cry for putting any skills they have to shame in any condition. 

37. Dave Ballard

An Australian dropknee legend, count how many times he hit the lip and landed. The guy was insane. That he also pulled off full extension layback slides and had a hell of a backhand carve might almost prompt you to forget he could charge prone. For evidence of greatness, look for Underground Tape Vids 4 and 5 and bring a bib. Oh, and did I mention he also charges prone? Then double check him.

 36. Karla Costa

Brazilian world champ who can charge. Sound oddly familiar. Karla is one of those pro women’s bodyboarders who took time to make a family and come back to pick up where she left off. Great style, great spinners, has power, charges and all the while seemed super shy, well that is until the horn in a heat sounded, then you were screwed.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 45-41

45.     Phyllis Dameron

God Dameron could this woman charge! While big wave surfing is normally a testosterone driven realm, Phyllis charged Waimea on a sponge before it was even fashionable to do so. Like many of the female elite, she made guys envy not only her skills, but her balls.

44.     Jay Reale

Jay is a nice guy. If you have to ask why, you’ve obviously never met, spoken with or corresponded via email with him. I was able to enjoy a couple of email exchanges a couple of years back and I’m still grateful for him being so nice to a grom. Now that doesn’t mean he didn’t charge. His ARS’s are damn text book and his reverse bashes against the foam still remain on my wishlist of moves I wish I could pull off.

43.     JP Patterson

Winner of the first Pipe contest and pioneer of the wounded seagull stance, JP wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to some, but I always found his style interesting because it was so different, going against supposedly established core fundamentals and still charging and charging BIG. He survived one of the biggest closeout sets in Waimea history and was always known for going bigger than most people would even dare to draw on their notebooks.

42.     Cavin Yap

Although it feels like standup bodyboarding is an almost lost artform, I couldn’t help but remember Cavin while compiling this list because he threw chunks of water that standup surfers would kill to be able to do. He rode standup with the best most polished style and his carves were just killer.

41.     Paulo Barcellos

Brazilian world champ who busts… sound familiar? Like the best Brazo surfers, he was competitive, hungry and would do whatever it took to get the win, in the process becoming the second Brazilian to win at Pipe.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 50-46

50.     Lanson Ronquilio

Two words: Front Flip. One of the best attempts EVER at this move came from Ronk wayyyyyyyyyyyyy back when Bodyboarding Video Magazine was around. The fact that he was the pretty boy incarnation of the Bad Boy logo just added to the appeal. If I’m not mistaken, one year he was voted the most desirable male bodyboarder or something like that… Total WTF but it showed that when Lanson walked down the beach, people from all genders of life were watching. Add to this his stylish segments with his classic style, and you couldn’t help but want to do rolls coming out of the barrel, ARS’s and air forwards like Lanson.

49.     Hauoli Reeves

The original badboy of bodyboarding, Hauoli quite honestly didn’t give a shit about anything. He was there to have a good time, blast big airs and launch big rolls. Cousin to the famous actor who once coined the phrase, “I know Kung-Fu”, Hauoli had a tendency to cause mayhem and even get supposedly banned from Pipe, clashing with Pipe Legend Derek Ho in the water and on land. It’s not that there’s one reason he was called Rude Boy, it’s that he WAS the Rude Boy. Regardless, fun guy to watch in the water, as long as you weren’t getting your leash pulled by him.

48.     Adam Wingnut Smith

Another of those great Aussie young grom phenoms. Distinctive styles really help people stand out and at Shark Island, his inverts were my favorite to watch. Made famous by Strohy’s videos, Wingnut showed a knack for going big and deep and even wiping out with style.

47.     Fred Booth

Hawaii underground defined. Just when you thought Booth was out of the limelight, he’d pull off a crazy backdoor DK barrel that would get everyone hollering or pull off a backflip high enough to register on radar. Great on the knee and prone, Fred was a character and I knew of people who would replay his waves in a segment cursing that there wasn’t a full blown chunk of Fred to froth over.

46.     Vicki Gleeson

The first Australian charging woman I know of. That Vicki was easy on the eyes should never fool anyone watching, she could charge and was one of the first women chargers to show that power and grace can definitely get along. In addition, she married Jay Reale, the nicest guy in bodyboarding (which is saying something since so many spongers are so nice) thus becoming one half of the most famous couple in bodyboarding.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 55-51

55.     Sean Virtue

Taking over for Australia as the air guy per excellence, Sean has made me say holy shit way more times than I care to admit. His aerial antics are elite level and if there’s a bodyboarding vid, odds are his section will absorb most of the views.

54.     Matt Percy

Shark Island is one of the waves that most intimidates me just from watching it. It only takes half a second for an epic wave to morph into a four headed monster. The spot has put more people into traction than we’d like for it to be the case, including Wazza, who luckily made a comeback. During all of this Matt Percy scored barrel, after barrel, after barrel at the infamous spot. Simply put, if you want a blueprint on how to ride a tube at the Island, you watch Percy.

53.     Warren “Wazza” Feinbeer / Christian “Rissole” Riggucini

Wazza’s exploits included a quote in a Strohy video saying “If I haven’t hit the reef in a session, I haven’t had a good surf.” In simple terms, the hellman nature of Aussie riders possibly has a lot to do with this crazy bastard and the waves he took off on at Shark Island. He had no consideration for consequences and he came close to paying big time. He fractured his back on a demented slab at Shark Island. Luckily, his resolve proved more than physical limitations and he made a recovery. Nowadays he still charges, but a lot more selectively.

For his part, Rissole was also a hell man who took off on anything that broke over reef, disregarding personal safety and the fear normal people would feel. He saw, he lined up and he chucked himself, no matter how unmake-able a wave looked. Between him and Wazza, they pushed riding on the Island to a whole new level while playing chicken with the reef every session just to show that there’s no comparison needed when you want to know who has the biggest balls in the lineup. There's a reason why these two guys tie for #53, thinking of one as a hellman at the Island without the other, just doesn't make sense.

52.     Jacob Reeves

Watch his segment in Revolution and tell me you don’t want to brave the murky waters of California. Big booster and a hell of a combination surfer that can squeeze as many quality moves as you can name into one wave, Jacob is possibly my favorite surfer out of California.

51.     Harry Antipala

Fierce competitor who showed in this year’s Legends heat at Pipe why he was so damn good, Harry helped the Kauai Classic breakdown most people in heats thanks to teamwork in competition and triangle strategy that seemed pulled out of Phil Jackson’s playbook. The only person who was able to break the code was a wizard in his own right. His riding was smooth and stylish, relaxed and powerful, what else could you ask for?

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 60 - 56

60.     Tim Jones

In the 90’s, Tim Jones was the Evil Knievel of the bodyboarding world thanks to ONE session at Waimea Shorebreak. With that session and the waves that graced many a cover, he not only inspired groms and pros to go apeshit on psycho slabs, he did what not many bodyboarders do, get the attention of passersby with his exploits. Nowadays, he’s one of the best water photogs in the business. Guess getting pounded like a cold beer on a hot day has its payoffs.

59.     Todd DeGraaf

Toddy DeGraaf inspired a whole generation of riders and is often cited by a bunch of top level Aussie riders as an inspiration. Naturally talented, fluid, good laying down and on the knee, Toddy appeared in a handful of vids and always seemed to pump people into surfing.

58.     Ben Holland

Underground Tapes Volume 4. Watch Ben’s segment and tell me you don’t want to hit the water and try something that’ll injure your back. He was young, brash, and rode fast and high. Apart from inspiring hordes of Aussie grommets, his segment in that video probably inspired a lot of riders in the world and his air forwards were some of the best.

57.     Glenda Koslowski

Part of the dominant elite Brazo women who took over the sport in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Glenda is an athletic phenom excelling in more sports than you’d care to guess. She was fast and powerful and along with a select elite, she helped define what women’s bodyboarding could be.

 56.     Chris Burkhart

Burks was the epitome of being a big bruddah. Although we should all focus on his skills and freakish flexibility, his weight does come to mind when you think of him because he showed that skill and desire are what should define us. Add to that a dropknee barrel he caught in a pipe contest and you can’t help but smile because of the guy. I mentioned the weight thing for one reason, I know 3 riders who have said he was the reason why they rode, because he inspired them to keep surfing even if they were overweight. If inspiration is power, Brotha Burkhart is one of our kings.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 65-61

65.     Nelz Velocido

Tell me you wouldn’t like a name as cool as Nelz Velocido. Hell, with a name like that you just have to itch to want to be a superhero, which is adequate since Nelz liked to launch. His projected forward airs still baffle me and his back flips were some of the best. 

64.     Simon Thorton

If there’s a big barrel to be had, Thorto is there. A hell charger who’s taken off on some of the heaviest barrels I’ve ever seen, Thorto is the essence of big wave tube riding combined with solid maneuvers.

63.     Brett Young

Brett Young was a character and part of the legendary Cronulla crew. He pulled into big pits, gave the finger to the establishment and would do anything for a good laugh… like shave someone’s eyebrow off. He died from a car crash in Japan but in his time alive, he did everything possible to get a rush and a laugh, be it pulling into insane slabs or eating Mos Burgers and looking for the deadly Razor Back (watch Underground Tapes segments to get the joke).

 

62.     Ross Hawke

The first Australian signature bodyboard was Rossie’s and for good reason, he charged, won a bunch of contests in Australia and regularly did well at Pipe, any sponger’s calling card. But when I think of Ross, I think of those classic expeditions to unknown places in Australia searching for huge waves to charge with the likes of Bullet.  

61.     Nicolas Capdeville

The first French guy I ever heard of bodyboarding was Nicolas and one of the biggest boosted rolls I’ve ever seen off the end bowl of Pipe is from this guy. He’s making a comeback and I think it’s interesting since surely thanks to his influence, other French guys got the idea to surf and make it to World Titledom.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 70-66

70.     Shawnee Oide

Shawnee was one of the top female riders from Hawaii, in a time where Brazil dominated women’s surfing, Shawnee held the Hawaiian flag up high. Good style, solid skills and charged Hawaiian style.

69.     Chad Miletante

Honolua Bay is right hand perfection. A long wave that barrels, has sections and demands balls, skill, condition and vision. Out of all the Maui riders who charge… which are A LOT, for a time Chad Miletante soared above the rest, going higher and deeper than most. You see while most average people make a claim when they land a roll off a 5 foot section, he’s pulling off air reverses off 10 ft sections and thinking of what he’ll do after landing. 

68.     Jackie Buder

Backside dropknee riding isn’t an easy thing to do, ask any guy who takes a knee. Jackie didn’t care one bit and showed just how good a backside slash could look. 

67.     Babby Quiñones

Rubén Babby Quiñones is the closest a Puerto Rican has gotten to a Pipe crown, getting second place twice. His riding is fluid and powerful; he busts big, goes deep and has great tube riding skills he’s honed the world over. He’s also one of the people who have shown that Puerto Ricans can excel at sports other than baseball and boxing. 

66.     Eddie Solomon

Last year, California lost one hell of a rider and one hell of a human being. Eddie Solomon charged and a friend of mine was lucky enough to meet him and share a session. All smiles, you’d never guess the guy would chuck himself off some of the world’s gnarliest waves, but he did, which pales in comparison to the good guy he was.