HISTORY

Here’s the official comp T’shirt for the first Shark Island Challenge in 1997. Gnarly barrel Photo by Chris Stroh.

Held at Manly Beach by the ABA heres the Morey Boogie Open mens finalists.From left Steve Mackenzie, ?, Tim Jones and Eppo. Photo Chris Stroh

Check out members of the Port team at the very first Team Challenge held in Port MacQuarie  Easter 1990. Some of the team include Pete and Vicki Gleeson, Eppo, Adam and Ash Murray. Photo by Chris Stroh

Mike Stewart Morey advertisement celebrating his ’95 Pipe victory.Photo Bielman.

The Top 8 boys who blitzed the Morey US Tour in 1987. Left to right Mike Stewart, Keith Sasaki, Ben Severson, Kevin Cerv,  Joe Frazer ,Dave Cuniff, Ron Zieball, Danny Kim.

Paulo Barcellos well respected competitor from Brazil won the 2008 Pipeline Pro Bodyboarding contest, the first event of the World Championship of Bodyboarding tour.The longtime Brazilian competitor defeated Jeff Hubbard (HAW), Uri Valadao (BRZ) and Hugo Pinheiro (POR) in the finals in 1.5 metre waves. The event had $15.000 in prize money.

In April ’86 the first Cronulla Point Classic got underway the mastermind of Mark Sorenson one of the original Cronulla bodyboarders. International riders including Mike Stewart, Ben Severson, Pat Caldwell and Tom Boyle on their first visit to Australia competed to the delight of the crowd. Pat won the comp and young local Doug Robson made his first contest appearance by winning the Jnrs.

Troy Helm was a little known Hawaiian bodyboarder when he came out of nowhere and challenged Mike Stewart at Sandy Beach in the finals of Tom Boyles contest/video “Tribal Trials” the first in Boyles Video Magazine movies. This Bodyboarding Magazine cover of Troy was from ’89.

Around ’94 the USA Pro Tour was strong and producing its fair share of champions. One of the events was held on the Westside of Oahu at the world famous Makaha Shorebreak. It was down to the wire between Tamega and Mike Stewart in the second last event of the tour. Uncharacteristically Tamega bowed out early in the Morey Makaha and Mike won the contest and wound up winning the tour as well.

Here’s Sasaki in serious contest mode at the Pipe Championships in the early 90′s.