HISTORY

 Joey Gibbs from La Jolla worked in the original factory with Tom Morey and later BZ when they first started making mass boards in the mid 70′s. Joey was also one of the first Morey team riders who pioneered the sport. He was custom shaping boards for the likes of Jack Lindholm and others in Hi. He still rides and lives in Oxnard Ca and is an amazining waterman. He kite surfs, wind surfs,but the boog is still his favorite. Pic courtesy of Bodyboarding Mag.

The IBA Tour paid tribute to some of the sports past heroes when in Feb 2011 the Turbo Pipe comp ran a specialty Masters  heat. From left to right Pat Caldwell (Inventor of the el rollo) Hauoli Reeves (Character and early 80′s standout) Ben Severson (Former World Champ 1986) Michael Eppelstun (93 World Champ) Steve MacKenzie (1996 Pipe Winner) .The heat was won by Bullet with Eppo in 2nd place. Someone smart once said. “Without roots the tree will fall over”. Pic below by Specker.

DB began bodyboarding at Sandy’s Beach in the 70′s when the first kit boards arrived. An ex sailor with an interest in photography DB got hold of a early video camera and began shooting the antics of the first hardcore  bodyboarders in the mid to late 80′s. His footage was used almost exclusively in Tom Boyles early vids.DB  became a regular sight on the Northshore who with his Santa Claus beard and a posse of bikini clad girls around him made him hard to miss. DB has shot plenty of bodyboarding footage over the decades, more than anyone else.

Dave Shaw was one of the first Aussie riders to get his hands on a Boogie board in the late 70′s. Prior to that Dave was a talented Mat rider who charged large Cronulla Point and was a rising star behind the camera lens who documented the first bodyboard images in Australia. Dave shot the first Morey Boogie ad used in Australia he also represented Oz at the 1984 Morey Boogie International titles in Hawaii. He wrote the first article in Australia in TRACKS on Bodyboarding as well as a monthly column in Waves mag. Daves contribution in promoting the sport in the early days is unsurpassed and without his dedication and his water photography skills the sport would have struggled to get any real exposure. Below Dave in his Mat days mid 70′s.

The brothers Hulme  were bodysurfers and Mat riders in the ’70s at Cronulla Point and Cabbage Patch when the Morey Boogie board first arrived in Australia. They soon switched to the harder more maneuverable boogie board and in the process  became some of the sports first pioneers in Australia. They were also part of the first Ozzie crew to hit the Northshore in Hawaii. Both Pete and Derek next became involved in the behind the scenes organising, running and judging contests from the earliest days. What Bob Thomas was to Hawai, Peter and Derek were the same in Australia. The pair have been tireless behind the scenes workers involved with the GOB and later the IBA tours. For years Derek was head judge of the tour.The brothers can still be seen catching the occasional wave at The Patch. Pic below of Derek still on the job at the Brett Young Trials in 2010 giving Hardy and Brad Hughes the lowdown pic Stroh

As a Shark Island regular in the early 90′s Fordy was a member of  The Cronulla Skid Kids. The Skid Kids were often portrayed as the villains of Aussie bodyboarding preferring to right off than act professional. Unlike many of the others who were loud and brash, Fordy usually remained in the background happy to let his surfing do the talking. Mark has scored his fair share of covers and double page spreads pulling in at The Island on those nuts days. However  bodyboarding history will remember him most for being the driving force behind the Shark Island Challenge one of the most popular events on the bodyboarding calendar. The Island Challenge enforced the change for comps to be held in waves of consequence to get maximum interest and exposure. Photo below Fordy at Backdoor early 90s by Chris Stroh

Big George became Morey Boogies sales and promotions rep in Australia in 84. George was a bodyboarder himself and showed a real passion. He helped kick start the careers of Aus. first riders like Evan Penglis, Ross Hawke, Doug Robson and Steve MacKenzie.It was Georges push and commitment as well as organising events that got the sport off the ground in the early days. Pic George K by Stroh

Mark Sutton was one of the first bodyboarders from Newcastle. He competed in the early 80′s in Australia and had the privilege of being one of the first Aussies to get sponsored with free boards and compete in Hawaii. Mark ended up moving to Adelaide and helped promote the scene there with his influence and photography. Today Mark runs a Surf Shop on the Goldcoast. This pic snapped by fellow Novacastrian Dave Kelly and was taken at Blackrock in the early 80′s. It was a full on all star pro surfer day with Robbie Bain and Occy out. Mark still managed to sneak a few for himself.

Sunshine Coasts Kira Llewellyn first got the bodyboard bug when she was introduced to the sport by her two brothers. In no time at all she rose to the top of the Womens sport in Australia and dominated comps for many years. Next she made he mark on the Internaional cuircuit.With a World title in her hands she continued to push the limits as well as promote the sport to new heights. She charged hard and could pull the new school moves that the guys were doing. Photo Kira by Chris Stroh.

In the early ’90s Mariana Nogueira and her sister Isabella were standouts on the Worlds Women Contest scene. Coming from Brazil, Mariana was as equally impressive on land as she was in the ocean, with model like features she was a fav with photographers. Mariana had a smooth powerful style and often blew away most of the men in the water. She was fearless at Pipe and notched up a lot of victories as she travelled the globe competing throughout the nineties.Mariana below slotted in Hawaii Photo Stroh