Riptide Magazine

Commentary from the Competitive World

Last Updated on Friday, 29 July 2011 16:23

The ISA World Bodyboarding Championship

No one likes being dumped. Being dumped and then hooking up again is almost worse. All the questions it makes you ask, "What did I do wrong in the first place?" "Why do they now want me back?" "I wonder what other offers were they sussing out when we weren't together?"

After the International Surfing Association (ISA) announced that it is to hold it's own World Championship event at El Fronton only a couple of days before the final IBA World Tour event, many in bodyboarding didn't know what to do, or feel, after being jilted, then welcomed again. Movement were quick on the case, posting Ben Player as saying, "... most people I spoke to were upset, we were the only surfing subset to be dropped from the games and we'd been a part of the World Surfing Games since day dot." Movement also posted a response from the ISA, which in essence said that they'd supported bodyboarding for a long time, but due to matters outside their control they hadn't been able to host a bodyboarding-exclusive championship event since the bodyboarding event was previously integrated with the other categories, circa 2008.

Pierre-Louis Costes also commented about the announcement, expressing mixed thoughts on his website, pierrelouiscostes.com:
"First of all, I participated once in Portugal in the World Games. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. The waves were shit and even worst, like most of the times during the ISA, there were two podiums and bodyboarding obviously had the one with the worst conditions, without webcam, far away from the crowd and the good waves. So being separated from surfing isn't such a bad thing. I liked being in the team with surfers and longboarders, but to be honest I prefer surfing good waves during a contest.

"...Three years ago, the ISA dropped bodyboarding from their “OLYMPIC” calendar and it was a bit of a shocking news after I received my selection to participate. The ISA also promised they will work on running a special event just for bodyboarding, which I have to be honest, I didn't believe for a second."

Yesterday on their website, the IBA replied to many of the queries floating around. Their stance being that will they are not associated with the ISA (neither is the ASP), they support the event as a means of amateur riders gaining more experience in big competitions, but they would not be releasing any contracted GSS (Grand Slam Series) competitors or GQS (Global Qualifying Series) riders to compete at the event.

In further discussion with the IBA today, we learnt the following:
- The ISA didn't approach the IBA at all before the announcement.

- The IBA don't want any animosity, and they support the fact that the ISA event provides a great opportunity for riders in the Open Mens (not Pros), Junior Mens and Womens divisions of the Australia competitive scene to be involved in an event with a global field.

- There is no prize money for an ISA event, but there is a rider entry fee (which will be in contrast to a new IBA event revealed below).

- The IBA event relies largely on the support of the local government and local sponsors. There's concern that the ISA event has the potential to jeopardise this support.

- Don't want the crowning of a "World Champion" at the ISA event to dilute the crowning of the IBA World Champion - awarded to the rider that's performed the best over the year's entire World Tour.

- The IBA believes (as do many other commentators) that this is example of how the rest of the surfing world is beginning to take notice of the reemergence competitive bodyboarding.

- Finally, being affiliated with the ISA provides a sport with "Olympic"accreditation, which in turn makes it easier to receive funding from various government departments for amateur clubs/projects. Thus, when the ISA dropped bodyboarding, it was harder for many of the amateur bodyboarding organisations to garner funding. But, conversely, if the ISA now supports bodyboarding there's a chance that more funding could follow.

Kingy at home in a thick Breakwall tube. Get your team here in April next year to stake your claim of $10,000.
Photo // Josh Hedge (RT #182)

This leads us to the next announcement from the IBA...
The IBA are working with Port Macquarie Bodyboarding Association (PMBA) to help mark the 25th Anniversary of the Port Macquarie Team’s Challenge. The permit has been secured for the 2012 Easter Holidays (an 8 day period, 14th-21st April) and the IBA are hoping to hold the Port Macquarie Festival of Bodyboarding.

The Teams Challenge will have three days dedicated to competition and the IBA are sourcing funding for a $10,000 prize for the Teams Challenge winner (and free entry for all clubs). They hope that every club in Australia will send a team to compete in this special event. So start planning now and considering fund raising activities to send a team from your club.

Following the three day Teams Challenge, the IBA is hoping to plan five day international bodyboarding extravaganza,  including:
- IBA Regions Team Challenge featuring the top IBA World Tour bodyboarders in the world representing Australia, USA, South America, Europe, South Africa and Japan.
- An IBA World Tour DK event.
- An IBA World Tour Women’s event.
- IBA Grand Slam Trials Event for a special East Coast Grand Slam World Tour Event. The Grand Slam Trials will also double up as an Australian Tour event.

An East Coast Grand Slam?! That's right, the IBA are in the midst of organising a mobile East Coast event for April 2012 that can roam from Shark Island through to Bawley on the South Coast (this is plan at this stage). This stretch of coastline in Autumn with the world's best riders, holy shit! Can you imagine the gnarly gear that's going to go down?!

At this stage 2012 is shaping up nicely for competitive bodyboarding in Australia, with a GSS Trials event and then the Box Pro in WA at the end of March, then we'd head to the largest grass-roots bodyboarding event, with the biggest prize purse, bodyboarding's ever seen. Then an international teams challenge, before a roaming Grand Slam event to some of the world's best bodyboarding waves.

Could be great times ahead!