HISTORY

662Mob was the work of Eddie Solomon a Californian bodyboarder known for his big wave charging at The Wedge at Newport and Waimea Shorey. Eddie was one of the first and most successful online bodyboard stores that popped up in the early 2000′s. Solomon loved the lifestyle and was a great promoter putting on premiers and wild parties. Eddie was also known for his sponsoring a heavy crew of core riders/ friends  including Dre and Hubb. Unfortunately Eddies life was cut short due to a medical condition but 662mob continues on today. That’s Eddie furthest on the left.

The word “Boogie Board” originated from Tom Morey’s love of Jazz’. Tom was an accomplished drummer who would like to play Jazz  Boogie with other musicians.

Andrew grew up in one of the toughest areas to be a bodyboarder at Cronulla in the late 90′s. It wasnt the local surfers you had to worry about it was the Shark Island bodyboard crew who were a tough bunch to mix with as a grommet in the lineup. The older guys took great joyment sending the younger groms on closeouts to toughen them up. Andrew took his lumps and in a few short years was welcomed into the Island brotherhood. It was those early years of grounding that helped turn him into one of the best Island riders to date…Photo Chris Stroh .

Sandy Beach is regarded as the home of bodyboarding. Its where the sport first began to take shape in the mid 70′s and riders like Jack Lindholm, Pat Caldwell and JP Patterson where pushing the limits. Scores of Hawaian bodyboarders still flock to Sandy’s notorious shorebreaks that continue to serve up some crazy barrels and equally crazy wipeouts. Photo of Stan Moniz by Cavataio 90′s.

 

 

 

Alex Leon grew up at Cronulla surfing Shark Island and soon grew a taste for powerful waves. Inspired by the likes of Dave Ballard, Matt Percy, Wazza and Nugget young Alex learned that unless you were going to takeoff and pull into the heaviest pits the Island had to offer you might as well surf somewhere else or face the wrath of the locals who didn’t tolerate blow-ins  in the lineup. These days Alex runs the Shark Island Challenge. Photo of Alex below surfing another of Cronulla’s heavy reef waves by Macca.

 

 

 

Just a few years prior to the invention of the bodyboard, Mat surfing had become the most popular prone wave riding vehicle mostly due to the pioneering and revolutionary techniques of George Greenough. Many of the original bodyboarders were Mat riders until the new found manouvrability of the bodyboard surpassed it. This slo mo clip of Greenough was taken in Maui in 1967.

 

 

By the late 80′s Cronulla’s Skid Kids were making there presence felt on the world of bodyboarding by taking on Shark Islands mutant slabs. Riders like Doug Robson, Wazza, Perce, Dave Ballard, Riscole, Fordy, Nugget, Wingnut and Brett Young were becoming the faces of the sport in Aus. as it began to grow in leaps and bounds. Below Tristan Barfield freefalling, taking off late was what made  bodyboarders stand out and the surfers jealous. Photo Chris Stroh ’88.

Mike Stewart for years was the first surfer to catch a wave at Pipeline every New Years Day. Mike would paddle out during the night hours and ride in the first wave of the year. Photo Stroh Circa mid 90′s.

Team Morey including  Jay Reale, Keith Sasaki, Kevin Cerv, Chris Cunnigham, Kainoa McGee, Dean Marzol.

Footage of Joel Taylor shot for a sponsor me tape in early 2000′s just prior to his bodyboarding wipeout at Pipeline.