HISTORY

In the late 90′s  it began when the  No Friends team of elite bodyboarders went on tour to promote their latest video offering. The NF guys were leading the sport at the time in every aspect and their videos were the most highly sort after videos on the market. If you were lucky the NF circus and their friends would roll into your town and blow up the sport of bodyboarding and for several years they took it to  another level at each  new premier.  Below a ticket from the Happy Camper Tour for Video No5.

Hawaiian born and bred, Joey Viera grew up surfing the Northshore at reefs like Velzyland and Rocky Point. During the late 80′s early 90′s Joey had his DK moves down and was one of the most spectacular Dropkneers on the Island.Billabong advertisement shot by Brian Bielmann.

Free-Falling  at Shark Island is one advantage bodyboarders have over their surfing rivals. By taking off deeper and earlier they can catch waves that surfers can’t. This photo shows and unknown charger risking life and limb by dropping dangerously from the lip as a  mountain of water is about to explode.  Photo Stroh early 90′s.

 

Shark Island has produced plenty of top class locals over the years. Names like Chaz McCall, Doug Robson, Brett Young, Matt Percy, Nugget, Ballard, Rissole, Lester and John Showell have all made their mark on this incredible wave that seems made for bodyboarders. Below Wazza Feinbeer is another of the Island crew who neglected his own personal safety to ride this incredible barrel. Wazza approach was fearless and in his prime he was  prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice to get heavily barrelled. Below Wazza with his unique canoe helmet photo by Stroh ’89.

 

Reunion Island in the mid 90′s was a favourite place for the Pro World Tour bodyboarders to travel, hangout  and compete. Between the long lefts of St Leu and the short hollow rights of St Pierre many a crazy free surf session went down as the worlds best played in the idyllic waves and indulged in the seductive French environment. Dropknee master Keith Sasaki pictured  below was one of the standouts at St Pierre. A virtual man-made wave it breaks into a seawall built with large boulders that can offer rip-able barrels and sections with a similar setup to Town Beach at Port Macquarie, but with thousands of sea urchins  . Photo Stroh

Wonton took over the reins of stand-up bodyboarding from pioneer  Danny Kim in the 90′s. He rides  stand-up  better than most surfers even without the luxury of a fin. When he paddled out at Beach Park in  Hawaii his multiple spinners would blow people away. Apart from the tricks he could also hit the lip and pull all the cutting edge moves. A classic Northshore character, Chris constanly has a big grin always on his face.

 

The story behind his shaved head occured while staying on the North Shore around early 2000′s. Matt like the rest of the young Aussie bodyboarders was living the pro bodyboarder life. That is living on survival rations. Like a bag of potatoes, rice and not much else. Well this day Matt decided he needed a haircut but had no money to waste on a hair dresser so he got one of the guys living with him to give it the chop. When it was finished it looked like he had been run over with a lawn mower it was that sketchy. Matt resorted to going fully nude nut bald to save face. This shot getting funky at OTW. Words and photo Stroh

 

Eddie Solomon was one of California’s big wave chargers throughout the late 90′s up until his recent untimely death. Eddie was a classic character. I never understood a word he was saying as he would talk at a hundred miles an hour, just like how he lived. Eddie was always looking for that special buzz and he found it out at Waimea Shorey. Sadly missed but not forgotten.Words and photo Stroh

Cronulla’s Matt Percy was well known for his Shark Island charging in the early 90′s. He also gained a solid following for his stylish moves in and out of the water. A bodyboard purist Perce didn’t buy into the whole Pro Bodyboard spin to win scene and was vocal in his objections. He rather put his energies into free surfing and travelling. This photo caught Matt doing what he did best getting pitted. Photo Stroh Island  ’89.

 

In the 90′s three Dropknee riders ruled. Paul Roach had the brutal forehand snap, Aka Lyman had the stylish backside turns while Dave Ballard hit the lip better than anyone and made it more times than not. From Aus Bodyboarder photo Stroh