HISTORY

One of the original bodyboard crew from Newcastle Karl Gol founded and was first president of the Merewether Bodyboarding Club which later became the Newcastle Bodyboarding Assoc.  The crew Karl was part of included Aaron Changa Mathews, Robert Adamthwaite, Ben Harland, Jason Power,Simon Ramsay, Craig Hadden and DK legend Roberto Barbiero. He competed mainly against guys like Bullet, Chopper, PJ Hyland, Doug Robson,Brett Young, then up-and-comers (young) Eppo and Tim Jones, Ross Hawke, Dave Appelby and Wayne Smith. He was sponsored by Morey Boogie, Churchills and Sportskins wetsuits. In 1985 he won the NSW state U18 and 1986 Australian U18 titles both at Dee Why and was unlucky not to win the 1987 Open title at Natios (defeated by Ross Hawke at Tamarama). Karl was in the first ever pro-am at Cronulla Pt in 84 bodyboarding in the first heat and winning against Hawaiian legend Daniel Kaimi. Karl started judging with Craig Hadden (who was then in 1994 and to this day is still Aust and international Judging coordinator) and continue to this day as a high level IBA judge, heat judge and IBA Judging educator. He developed in 1998 the IBA Level 1 Bodyboarding Judging Certificate course. Karl wrote the IBA International Rule Book in 2010 and is in the process of developing the IBA International Level 2 judging course.  President of NSWBB in 2006 and h been president of BAT (Bodyboarding Association of TAS) since moving to Tasmania in 2007.  He still compete in the Nationals (placing 2nd in Masters in 2011 to Brendan “Barney” Ryan from Cronulla . Karl won the Masters in 2006 and 2008, placed 4th in 2007 against Eppo,The Terminator and Jason Spence).  Voted best judge at 2011 Nationals. Karl lives  in South Arm Tasmania and still bodyboard whenever Ihe can.