



Largely written off by the mainstream, bodyboarding has always lacked the widespread glamour associated with its stand-up brethren. It's part of the appeal, but not necessarily a recipe for commercial success.

As a result of unavailable funds, at the start of 2014, the International Bodyboard Association (IBA) took a final breath and quietly faded away.

“It was a real shame that the IBA failed,” says 3x world champion Ben Player. “It was a rad tour and as a competitor and professional bodyboarder, it felt amazing to have a single direction and focus, trying to win as many heats as you could and hopefully as a result win the world tour.”

Without an obvious outlet to showcase its talents and a system in which to crown its champions, the career of a professional bodyboarder became a tough one to navigate.

Ben Player punts an invert during the 2014 Arica competition in Chile. Stop 3 on the 2015 tour. © 2020 - Jimenez / APB

“It feels like there is no singular direction,” continues Ben. “Everything is a little fragmented which makes things in my life and my goals a little chaotic because you’re juggling a few different goals like photoshoots and video shoots in addition to competition.”

But the tide is on the turn. There’s a fresh approach and a new tour. The Association of Professional Bodyboarders (APB) have set up camp and the resurrection of a world tour has begun.

It felt amazing to have a single direction and focus, trying to win as many heats as you could and hopefully as a result win the world tour.

“It is good what the APB have done,” tells Ben. “They filled the IBA's shoes pretty quickly and are making great in-roads to develop a tour even greater than the IBA produced. This year’s tour is looking really exciting. I'm pumped on it.”

But what’s really changed? The sole cause of the IBA's failure was down to a lack of financial input. A reflection of the sport’s underwhelming appeal to potential sponsors outside of its niche community. Those challenges haven’t disappeared.

As General Manager at the APB, Alex Leon is a figurehead in the changes occurring within the sport. But he’s up against it. The new association was birthed as the IBA hit the rocks, but from scratch and without financial assistance. Relying heavily on the commitment and loyalty of those involved, last year they limped through the first APB tour, crowning four world champions across four disciplines.

It has massive tubes, massive bowls and enough power in the waves to light a large Indonesian island.

“This was successful due to the event promoters moving forward with the APB's focus and ability to overcome the IBA turmoil and not let it bring our sport into disrepute,” says Alex. “The only way this was going to be a positive tour was for the APB to become the sole governing body and not double as an events business where a conflict of interest was present.”

With a dedicated steering committee, APB have announced a new tour proposed for 2015, complete with 12 stops in the world's most exciting waves in which to ride prone.

“With Teahupoo and Shark Island returning to the tour it will have a major impact on the media exposure and will also attract the riders who have turned to free-surfing since the IBA Tour ceased,” continues Alex. “The Maldives, Nazare, Puerto Rico and Fronton are also going to be very positive for the tour's credibility.”

The proposed 2015 schedule for the APB bodyboard world tour. Notice the tight schedule, a plan to ensure maximum rider participation. © 2020 - APB

“I'm super excited about Teahupoo being on the schedule this year," says Ben. "I fucking love that wave! I remember watching last year’s WSL event at Teahupoo and was losing it at those conditions. It would be mental seeing the world’s best bodyboarders out there, they would be getting the biggest shacks, hitting that end section and flying to the moon. That is one wave that is perfectly suited to riding a bodyboard. It has massive tubes, massive bowls and enough power in the waves to light a large Indonesian island.”

To be a world champion, ability in a range of waves should be paramount and juggling that with entertainment value - a key to generating sponsorship funds - is surely vital to its success. So what does a successful tour with the best waves to showcase riding prone actually look like?

It would be mental seeing the world’s best bodyboarders out there, they would be getting the biggest shacks and hitting that end section and flying to the moon.

“I think bodyboarders will always enjoy riding in all conditions," says Ben. "I certainly get as excited about surfing a fun 3-4ft beachbreak as I would a slabbing wave. To be honest I may even have more fun, but that isn't where the challenge is. The challenge is riding a bodyboard in the heaviest and most powerful waves available. That’s where the craft comes into its own and excels.”

Cast your eyes over the tour schedule and you'll find a full house of waves to fill that criteria. With 75% of locations in heavy waves of consequence and 25% in softer, less critical waves, the tour certainly highlights the bodyboard’s advantages. But the absence of Hawaii in that schedule it's not easy to ignore.

“I was pretty bummed about that,” says Ben. “But at the end of the day - and I might be written off for saying this - Pipe is one of the only places on the tour schedule where bodyboarding was never welcomed, so stuff it. I would rather compete in locations where bodyboarding is welcomed with open arms and the athletes are like superstars, not dropped in on and beaten up for surfing the event location. Bring on more events like El Fronton, Teahupoo and El Gringo where bodyboarding is loved, not looked down upon.”

Ben player — pre-heat psyche. © 2020 - Jimenez / APB

According to the APB, the exclusion is purely a result of complications concerning permits and issues between event promoters of the surfing competitions, ultimately impacting on the bodyboard permit for a Pipe contest. The bodyboard World Tour does plan on returning to the North Shore in 2016. “Pipe is and will always be the jewel in the crown of the tour,” says Alex.

Bring on more events like El Fronton, Teahupoo and El Gringo where bodyboarding is loved, not looked down upon.

But let’s not avoid the eyes of the big old elephant in the corner. The reason the tour previously failed was a lack of funding and mainstream sponsorship which without, the APB are no closer to the reality of a dream tour.

“Gaining sponsorship is very difficult,” says Alex. “Bodyboard brands are a big part in the tour's success but they aren't the answer. The answer is securing large external corporations like technology companies, energy drinks and popular everyday consumer products. The sport needs these outside corporations' financial support to increase our media reach and prize money.”

Currently in negotiations with several major corporations, securing financial stability for the tour is looking promising. That being said, the APB are still seeking a major global blanket sponsor for the tour.

But like every other adventure sport, the fact remains that for the vast majority of its participants, competition is not integral to bodyboarders. As in surfing, the lack of structure and rules to everyday participation for many is even a part of the sport’s initial appeal. So how important is a world tour for the bodyboarding community?

Ben pulls a lofty Air Forward at Itacoatiara, stop 2 on the 2015 tour. © 2020 - Tony Dandrea

Without a competitive tour, the sport will stagnate and plateau and won’t grow in popularity globally.

“I think it’s really important to have competition,” says Ben. “It’s important to put the world’s top riders in that environment to push each other and it’s important for the spectators to see what the athletes can do in a live environment. I mean, it’s all well and good to see a kick-ass section that a rider puts together but that’s an unrealistic gauge on the performance. The true gauge is in events because everyone is given the same opportunity and it’s up to the riders to make their waves stand out.”

The importance of competition stretches further than the ability to decipher world champions and raising their profiles. It's the building blocks of any mainstream sport after all. A way to inspire, create role models and attract people to the sport. You only have to look at the most successful sports in the world to see why competition is so vital to sporting infrastructure.

“It is the key ingredient that drives athletes to be their best," states Alex. "It attracts a larger audience, offers a dream and creates a platform to expose media. Without a competitive tour, the sport will stagnate and plateau and won’t grow in popularity globally. Winning and losing is life, it’s in everything we do. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.”