HISTORY

Jack Lindholm was the originator of Dropknee  which was known at back then as the Jack Stance. Times and styles may have changed since The Ripper first paddled out at Pipe in the late 70′s and changed Bodyboarding forever but there’s still no denying  that Jack was years ahead of his time.

Any thoughts that the pre-conceived image of Bodyboarding is a soft sport for little kids are soon smashed when you take one look at Paul Roach attacking a wave.

Early shots of Ben Severson’s smiling face peering out of barrel after perfect barrel gave bodyboarding a fun loving image that attracted scores of enthusiasts who wanted that very same experience.

Paul Roach was the king of Dropknee riding for his radical moves however when it came to charging DK no one came close to Kainoa McGee seen below in the belly of the beast at Pipeline.

While Pat Caldwell was well known for his Hawaiian exploits surfing Sandy’s and Pipe he also spent plenty of time on the mainland at the infamous back breaking Newport Wedge. Pats Hawaiian big wave experiences made him a standout at the Wedge like this vertical freefall photo by Peter Brouillet.

The memory of Paul Roach is as strong today as it was in the early 90′s when he busted onto the Dropknee scene and set the standard for future generations.

Andre Botha stunned the bodyboard world when he came from nowhere and snatched two world titles in the late 90′s. Today he remains one of the elder statesman of the sport earning new fans with his no holds barred charging. This photo huge reverse at Backdoor late 90′s photo Stroh

90′s Hawaiian style star and part of the No Friends crew Skip punches an invert at Off The Wall mid 90′s sequence by Stroh

 

When the sport  began to take off in the late 80′s Dougy Robson was the man everbody wanted to beat in Aussie bodyboarding. Big performances in the huge waves of Hawaii and Shark Island at home earned him a solid reputation and a high profile in the media. Pic taken around ’89 by Stroh

When Sevo was out at Pipeline he showed a class above most other surfers due to his custom boards and infinite knowledge about riding tubes. Nicknamed “The Tube Troll” for the  vast amount of time he spends  inside. Photo Stroh early 90s.