Words by Sean Marshall | Photos by @russquinnphoto
Unlike most sports, it’s common practice for surf media outlets to cross-promote various waveriding codes. Goddamn, Brad Domke’s skimboarding antics are overshadowed on Stab,
click-wise, only by a nude Maya Gabeira, or Dane’s new edit. A bit of
longboarding never killed anyone, nor did the occasional SUP airdrop at
Chopes. And then there’s bodyboarding (*cue long list of burn words* –
dick draggers, spongers, lids, speedbumbs). There are very few
circumstances that warrant a mention of bodyboarding in our mainstream
media. If history is any indicator, it would mean colliding with a
dolphin or being dropped in on by Parko’s in Portugal. In no other sport
does such a prejudice exist, yet surfers have learned a lot from these
prone gents, whether we care to admit it or not. So let’s venture into
very dangerous territory and consider five things that bodyboarders have
taught us surfers.
1. Finding waves…
The mere thought of crediting boardboarders with
the discovery of a wave is enough to make most surfers convulse, but
there are simply too many examples to ignore. Many would be blissfully
unaware that it was in fact bodyboarders who first heaved their
skeletons into waves like Teahupoo, Cyclops and The Right. Yes, it might
be a hard pill to swallow, but through their tenacity and general
all-round lunacy, bodyboarders have paved the way for surfers when it
comes to many slab discoveries, and received minimal credit in the
process. Social media is rife with stories of bodyboarders launching
jetskis in the dark and hiding their cars to remain undetected, or
surfers studying bodyboarding flicks with their fingers poised over the
pause button to find waves. Whether it’s because of their unrivalled
passion for the big stuff or a lack of commercial influence,
bodyboarders possess a level of persistence that few surfers do, and we
can’t help but get out our notepads.
The kinda thing you want to keep to yourself.
2. Not blowing them out.
Bodyboarders keep their boards close to their
chests, and their secrets even closer. Compared to the world of surfing,
bodyboarding is an extremely close-knit community, with only a few
major companies supporting a handful of top riders. With the sport’s
governing body currently undergoing a ‘strategic review’, many have been
forced to abandon the competitive scene and forge careers as
freesurfers, instead competing for coverage in the few bodyboarding
publications that remain. In such a competitive environment, the
importance of keeping a spot under wraps is heightened, and bodyboarders
have learned to meticulously cover their tracks and travel with people
they trust, in the name of exclusivity. But it’s only a matter of time
before word gets out. A crew of bodyboarders from Western Australia
recently claimed that surf crews would hide on the side of the road for
hours on end waiting for them to pass, just so they could be led to the
mothership.
Do we have spongers to thank for the Power Ranger wetsuit trend of the last three years?
3. Fashion.
There’s no doubt that surf fashion has undergone
significant change in the past decade, but from where do we draw our
inspiration? Skaters? Snowboarders? Emos? Hipsters? There’s a whole
gamut of potential sources across the cultural spectrum, but could it be
bodyboarders who introduce certain trends into the wave-riding realm?
Traditionally, surfers have always maintained an image of being
masculine, rugged and nonchalant about their appearance, and so it’s
okay that it takes a little longer for certain fashion trends to catch
on. The topic of wetsuit fashion is a contentious issue. Of course,
radical colourways have drifted in and out of popularity since man first
donned rubber, but it’s no secret that for a period of time during the
naughties that the plain black suit made a strong revival. Arguably, it
was bodyboarding companies that injected some colour back into the
industry, flaunting risqué designs such as the zebra and camo, as well
as head-to-toe blues, reds and greens.
4. It’s okay to switch crafts.
One of the distinct disadvantages of riding a
bodyboard is the standard of waves that are required to have fun. Whilst
surfers can switch between board lengths and styles to cater to
virtually any condition, bodyboarders typically require much steeper and
heavier waves to propel their craft and keep things interesting. As a
result of this heightened fun threshold, many bodyboarders take up
surfing during the summer months or when the conditions are small, to
keep themselves emotionally stable. Up until recently, such a move would
be scoffed at by many surfers, who would rather be seen at a One
Direction concert than with a boog under the arm. But the benefits of
bodyboarding easily outweigh the potential scrutiny for Irish surfers
Fergal Smith and Hugh Galloway, who are often confronted with waves that
are simply too heavy, and short, to find their feet. In the end, it all
comes down to practicality for Fergs; “Sometimes 90 percent of the
waves are not surfable on a surfboard… and you can wait for that
10 percent, or you can actually have a fun day (on a bodyboard).”
Fact: Alex Bunting didn’t claim this wave.
5. Modesty.
Whether it’s because of their position in the
wave-riding hierarchy or an unexplainable trend in sporting psychology,
bodyboarders by nature are much quieter and generally more reserved than
surfers. From a surfers’ perspective, this trait could be put down to
bodyboarders simply being inferior beings, and lacking in confidence,
but the other explanation is that they are in fact more modest about
their wave-riding achievements. The general assumption that they are
riding a much inferior craft has spawned a public perception of the
bodyboarder as being the underdog or darkhorse, which they see as a
challenge and a motivator to continue going about their business. The
post-barrel claim is virtually unheard of in the bodyboarding world.
Perhaps it’s because they need to hold on with both hands, or perhaps
it’s part of an unwritten law that bodyboarders must remain modest, and
self-effacing.
Plenty
of surfing’s favourite waves would never have been considered if it
weren’t for gents like Matt McArthur taking ‘em on first.
