Absolutely mate - nice one for the comment :)

It is such a fun boog wave when it works!!

Hey Mike, thanks for the message and this is so sick to hear - great work!! One our team riders have surfed both the wedge and Zuma, so know all about that Pacific power - perfect for the boog. Some of our riders (including Matt in the video) stand up surf too. It's all about horses for courses. Great to hear that there is a strong interest and appreciation over in Cali .

This is sick to hear - great work! It must have been super sick to watch all of those old heads shred. We are jealous. But the best thing about your message it that you're still riding in your 50's. We salute you!!

You absolutely can. At least one of team riders (Matt from the video) also is a keen stand up surfer. Horses for courses, as you say. We love both, we would just like bodyboarding to be a bit more understood and respected.

Love it Rico

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It's always interesting to gain insights on the story from people who have been riding since 1992. Respect brother first off. Second, you have some very relevant points. We definitely agree that stand up surfing has been historically better at riding the mainstream marketing wave. We also totally agree that historically bodyboarding has not been promoted well.

🤣🤣🤣🤣 one of the best comments so far.

Anytime bro.

Hey Casey, this is so sick to hear. We have an experienced head in the house - BIG respect brother. Please keep sharing the stoke with as many people as possible. This is what its all about. We salute you!!

This is true. Bodyboarding is definitely not better than stand up surfing, both have their own sick qualities. Some of our team riders also stand up surf too.

Hey Luke, thanks for the comment. We absolutely agree that bodyboarding should be included in the next Olympics. Hosting it at the Newport wedge would be epic, if challenging in getting a permit. It would be so sick though and 100% help to bring the sport to new heads, which would come off...

@@Bodyboard-depot Honstley I think it would bring way more viewership than trestles. From outside surfing. Everyone knows the wedge, and it’s exciting. Not everyone knows trestles or find it exciting.

We agree.

Good for you. We hope your score!

Our absolute pleasure. We know all about Chile being a hotbed for the sport too. You guys have so many epic charges over there. Not long before a Chilean is a world champion...

There are a few bits, but we'd love to hear what you've done. Please share...

Like this. It's the core for sure. It's a tough one though. Without some form of media attention at least, it's hard for the sport to develop commercial partnerships and therefore bring in much needed funds (this is particularly relevant to the elite world tour).

@@Bodyboard-depot for sure but that's the marketing angle imo. If media drives adoption then Tensions was the most successful at this, surely Chris White leaned into the unhinged aspect because he saw how well it worked for skating. Surfing grew when it aligned itself with the hippie movement and has its own unique genre of music in surf rock. I think it's especially true for bodyboarding now while surfing is so mainstream.

@@Bodyboard-depot I think there's some great opportunities right now for media. You have bodyboarding in the big lez show. I'd be licensing his art and leaning into stoner culture as surfing seems to have shed this image (even though it's what popularized them). You also have Skegss members that surf and boog and Bugs has a song called Esky Lid. I think drag board Co is on the right track.

Really interesting and informed views here and you could definitely be onto something. A lot of people seem a bit bored of the cleaner than clean image of many pro sports people. They are human after all, with all of the subsequent imperfections, meaning we agree there is appetite for some interesting realness.

This is no doubt true. All day long on the heavy drops, pits and boosts - this is the essence. We do also think there is a time and place to care what people think of the sport. Afterall, we want it to thrive and for the next generation to enjoy it too

Totally Tommy. That is starting place number one i.e. get to the next generation early, in schools etc. This simply has not been happening. Too many boogers are content on keeping it to themselves, instead of sharing...

Hi Tommy, thanks for the thoughtful and interesting comment mate. We definitely agree on the marketing of bodyboarding + it's a really interesting take that we need to stand up for ourselves more. Totally agree.

Congratulations - you win most pathetic comment so far (out of around 170)...

Hi Chris, this is an interesting point of view and thank you for the input. Our response here would be to partly agree, in that some boog designs are a bit out there. We would also add that not all stand up boards are white, many are in colour, but the designs generally tend to be better. Cheers

@@Bodyboard-depot Cheers for your response 👍

disagree about the white boards, but some of the simulated wood grain and custom print/design surfboards really are visually stunning. Not sure if cost is an issue, but I would absolutely buy a bodyboard with distinct art/look

We're listening...

Interesting and a fairly popular perspective. The pros would disagree and would prefer more sponsorship support and media coverage, but ultimately at present the fundamental economic interest / demand is not there. With so many booger wanting the sport to remain underground, we are not surprised. This will result in fewer boogers, fewer brands within the sport and fewer events. This for us is a great shame, as we think the joy of booging should be shared with as many people as possible.

Thanks for the response. Definitely some good points in there. We think the speed comment has merit, as boogers can't pump on a wave. We think on super critical waves, it would be interesting to do a speed test. Not sure about the deeper sections, especially in smaller hollow waves. We also don't agree that stand up surfers can surf any wave a booger can, El Fronton is probably the best example. Intermediate bodyboarders cannot do all of the moves, the bac flip and air reverse are two such examples, as are perfect reverses.

@@Bodyboard-depot I live in East coast Oz..seen many pro surfer paddle into shark island, zone, Solander...seen my 2 mates with same ripcurl watches recorded speeds on the same slab, surfer quicker every time...don't believe me find a good local surfers give him your watch in the same waves. You put john john in 10ft fronton, he'd still make many. Ust be a poor quality were your from, beginner to intermediate is spin s,rolls and the odd 90s spec invert.. intermediate should be able to backflip and air reverse..you don't have to be a pro .....there's literally 1000 blokes on the east coast of Oz who would never be at a pro level and can still air rev,flip and do the odd air forward..I'm 45 have had back surgery and I still can..never close to the the elite level

@@Bodyboard-depot I didn't say they can paddle every boog, just surf any wave a boog can....if they tow assist, they can surf any wave...boog ing into slabs is just easier we all agree there

We'll have to take your word for it@@arcrotaryengineering7156 - be an interesting experiment at scale i.e. record max speeds by both at a few critical waves around the world. Maybe one for Red Bull!?

Agreed on the tow assist, that's when then boog comes into its own, as it's made for the late vertical drop. Your own Shippy's at size is a good example here@@arcrotaryengineering7156- in all all though, both craft have their moments 🤘

This is great to hear and thank you for the comment. Being underground definitely has its benefits.

Absolutely. As a sport we have struggled to gain the attention and respect of the wider sports media community. The question here is why? The answer is complicated and multifaceted, but we all have a role to play in shaping the sport for the future and primarily to share it with as many people as possible. For too long, bodyboarding has been in the shadows of the sporting world. It is up to us to make the mainstream media outlets take notice.

Hi Chris, this is a really interesting point and one that we 100% agree with. It is a common point of discussion among our rider team. Perhaps the next stage of this discussion is how we help to make bodyboarding more popular. Your suggestions have to be at the core of this. Thank you for such a great contribution.

@@Bodyboard-depot thanks for the feedback.

This is so sick to hear. Staying stoked in and about getting in the water ins what it's all about. Keep shredding on the knee!

This is the soul route mate and so epic to hear. You guys are built differently over there and we love it. Australia is the best boog destination on the planet + has too many of the best riders. Time for you boys to lead the world again we think.

@@Bodyboard-depot we were just young guys growing up in a different error when the wind speed was 30 knots or more we could always find some shore break 2 second barrels 😂 was the late mid to late 90s best times

This is true. Perhaps it is on us a s a community to communicate how hard it is to get good at bodyboarding and what the sport at the elite level is all about.

This is great to hear. You also make some really good points regarding how much easier it is to travel with a bodyboard vs a stand-up board. We also love it that you're in a bikini, whilst the boys are all wetsuits - good on you and keep shredding!

🤣🤣🤣🤣 - no comment (although, all true). Nothing else to add here 😁.

Ps it’s so much more easier to travel with a bodyboard than a surfboard and it’s so accessible for many people

That's what its all about mate - there is definitely a time and place for both!

Totally @@aussiesoulsurfer553 - you can sometimes get away with standard hold charge with a bodyboard on airlines too!

Thanks for the thoughtful input Joel. In terms of global participation, audience figures, size of market and total revenue, surfing significantly dwarfs bodyboarding. At the professional level, there are many athletes within the surfing industry that have become financially successful as a result of their performance exploits. Within bodyboarding there are virtually none. Whilst this is not an additional measure of sporting popularity, a clear professional pathway is essential for both existing aspiring professionals and for the next generation. On your anecdotal experience of participation proportionality, this is somewhat dependent on territory. For example, in the UK, on most occasions surfers outnumber bodyboarders by at least 10 to 1. Some people 'care' or are interested in athletic ability and about what type of training goes into being an athlete. However, we do accept that the majority of bodyboarders are not interested in riding bigger waves. The board sales figures you quote are highly misleading, as they include and are dominated by the sale of very low quality disposable boards, often selling for around £20 (these boards do not provide a genuine bodyboarding experience). At present and in short, surfing is far more popular than bodyboarding, using any sensible quantitative metric. We absolutely agree that bodyboarding professionals want and deserve more recognition. We don't agree that asking a question as a basis for open discussion is 'wrong' as you put it. The title could perhaps have been 'Why is bodyboarding not respected more at the professional level?' 100% agree that its all about doing the thing, rather that watching it. Thanks again for your input.

@@Bodyboard-depot >We don't agree that asking a question as a basis for open discussion is 'wrong' as you put it. The title could perhaps have been 'Why is bodyboarding not respected more at the professional level?' Sure. I wouldn't have even commented if this was the title. >The board sales figures you quote are highly misleading, as they include and are dominated by the sale of very low quality disposable boards, often selling for around £20 (these boards do not provide a genuine bodyboarding experience). In other sports (for example cycling) people are excited when kids ride bikes and don't care overly much what they use. This comment section is full of people claiming how elitist surfies are but I think the bodyboarding community needs to take a look in the mirror if they think poo-pooing new users is cool

Hi Joel, our response here is to say that hopefully the bodyboarding community does not poo-poo new users. That is definitely not cool. Our frustration with the high number of low quality board sales, is that those boards do not offer enough buoyancy for the user to catch waves easily and trim across them (the basics that get us all excited). The materials used allow the boards to retail cheaply, but are not fit for purpose, do not last and are therefore terrible for the environment (think single use pieces of polystyrene vs a virtually indestructible blades that will last 20 years+).

The majority of people you’re talking about are not bodyboarding. They’re just flopping around in the whitewash. They have no idea of wearing fins and actually riding in the pocket.

​@@cycologist7069 kek, they aren't bodyboarding? I mtb and climb as well as beach activities. Both those communities are welcoming and people who are just climbing 5.3s or riding green trails are not said to be not doing the sport. They are generally encouraged if they interact with the more experienced people. Bodyboarding is more accessible than both (provided you have a beach nearby) as pointed out by the absurdly cheap boards. These are cheaper than first bikes for kids (generally) and might cost as much as a single casual gym visit with gear hire. A large number of posts to this video is about the community being better (likely in large part due to how toxic surfing is), but here we have an example of someone sneering at people with bodyboards "not really bodyboarding". Sad.

Cheers for the input Westy and yes we remember the 90's fondly. Riptide was so sick in that period, as were many of the riders from west Oz that dominated proceedings. Hopefully, we can recapture some of that spirit going forward.

Thank you for the comment. It's amazing to hear that you've been on the boog journey since the start and also to hear that you've stuck with it for all of those years - epic! The boog is also definitely a brilliant way to help stay on a positive path. We wish you an epic trip in PR.

Thanks for the comment George and we are sorry to hear about your accident, but stoked that you have joined the bodyboarding family - welcome! There can can be no question about the benefits of bodyboarding to your mental and physical health. It is also super fun at all levels in nearly all conditions. It's definitely not all about mutant slabs and backflips too.

@@Bodyboard-depot thanks guys appreciated , not many bodyboarders up here in the north of Scotland. I'm hoping I'll encourage more, now I'm posting on my channel, wishing you guys good health happiness and clean waves this year! 🤙

We agree on the pure adrenaline side, but one can still have fun on the boog on weak waves. Totally agree that stand up surfers can generate more speed in the sloop. Horses for courses...

@@Bodyboard-depot Inflatable mats are super fast.

This often the way. The underground feel is definitely part of the appeal + catching critical waves is when the bodyboard comes into its own 😁

Thanks for the message. We are sorry to hear about your injury, but stoked to have you as part of the boogie family. We also agree that the boog is so good for riding all types of waves, particularly fast and hollow ones.

We definitely agree that its underground nature is part of the appeal Jim. We also agree that boogers are generally a more low key and humble bunch, particularly given some of the crazy waves being charged. No comment on the last point...(but yes :))

Exactly, I've never gotten any sh*t of a good surfer

I always look like a complete dork in the surf, wearing a cheap rashy from big W, overweight, poor posture. The surfers look down on me. Then I take off super late, freefall into a gaping pit and sometimes make the wave. I love seeing the look of surprise whilst I'm riding the foamball😂

Some bodyboarders do Daniel for sure, others get frustrated that the sport is not respected more and paid better. All part of the weird and wonderful boogie mix...

Hey Fingo, thanks for the message dude and great to hear from the Italian crew. Also, so stoked that your community vibe is supportive and fun 😊. Makes us want to come and surf with you in Italy...