Tuesday, June 23, 2015

A DAY IN THE LIFE: A Weekend In Buzios

A DAY IN THE LIFE: A Weekend In Búzios



  It's always good to get away when the opportunity presents itself!  As bodyboarders, we are in constant search of that next trip, that next chance to chase down and score some waves.  Sometimes, though, it's good to take off just to hang out and spend time with friends and family...even if there is no wave riding involved.  Fortunately, with Búzios (in Rio de Janeiro), you can do both.  If there is a solid swell rolling through, Geriba is a great place to jump out in the water for a session.  If the waves aren't really working in your favor, there is still plenty to do with the thriving downtown and famous Rua das Pedras ("The Stone Road").  On this weekend, my wife, Leticia, and I drove up to Búzios from Copacabana to meet up with our friends and celebrate bodyboarding event organizer and sports promoter Flavio Brito's 36th birthday.

Backstar Boardhouse Private Resort in Búzios.




Friday, June 12th, 2015:

  Leticia and I drove up to Búzios from Copacabana.  Traffic was a bit nightmarish, but it's to be expected on a Friday afternoon in Rio.  When we arrived in Búzios, we checked into our pousada (hotel), Casa Colina, and got cleaned up.  After getting the address from Flavio, we headed over to the Backstar Boardhouse Private Resort where most of our group was staying.  This place is amazing!  With six guest rooms, an open kitchen and grilling area, an enclosed yard, and a swimming pool...and it's only one block from the beach...I'm making sure to confirm early next time and staying here!  We all hung out, drinking and socializing, until all of our group had assembled for the night. Then, we headed into downtown for a late dinner. My wife and I joined two other couples for dinner at Parvati Italian Restaurant.  Good food, good wine, and good company made for a great night!

Me and Leticia at Parvati Italian Restaurant, our favorite place to eat in Búzios.


Saturday, June 13th, 2015:

  The next morning, Leticia and I ate breakfast at our pousada and then headed out to do some grocery shopping.  We stopped at the supermarket to pick up a few things, including a couple of bottles of vinho verde (green wine), to bring over to Flavio's party.  We, also, stopped at the fish market to buy fresh fish so my wife could make ceviche.  We spent the entire day and evening at the Backstar Boardhouse with Flavio and our friends.  There was a ton of food...chicken, beef, and sausage churrasco (Brazilian BBQ) along with beans and rice, farofa, potato salad, garlic bread, ceviche, and more.  There were plenty of drinks.  There was non-stop music courtesy of DJ Luiz Claudio.  It was an incredible day!  After the sun went down, the cake came out and we all sang "Happy Birthday" ("Parabéns para você" in Portuguese) to Flavio.

My wife stopped at the fish Market so that she could make ceviche.  Mmmmm, ceviche!

Garlic chicken prepped and ready to go!

Plenty of beef ready for the grill!

Group selfie in the pool!

DJ Luiz Claudio kept the music going all day and into the night for Flavio's birthday party!

Parabéns, Flavio!  Happy Birthday, brother...YEEEWWW!!!


Sunday, June 14th:

  Sunday morning, Leticia and I enjoyed breakfast at Pousada Casa Colina, packed up our things, and stopped by Backstar Boardhouse before driving back to Copacabana.  It was a short weekend that went by really fast, but we had a lot of fun!  I can't wait until the next time we all get to do this again!

A great weekend in Búzios with good friends!


For more information about BACKSTAR BOARDHOUSE PRIVATE RESORT, please be sure to visit:

Backstar Boardhouse on Facebook

For more information about DJ Luiz Claudio, please be sure to visit:

Luiz Claudio do Som on Facebook

Monday, June 22, 2015

CURRENT EVENTS: Bodyboarding News

CURRENT EVENTS: Bodyboarding News


IN THIS EDITION:  PLC Marries Rute Penedo, Dubb Claims Trifecta Win at Ala Moana Bowls, Winny Sweeps Mystics Pro, Jacob Romero Wins Cave Rock Invitational, Itacoatiara Pro Wild Cards Announced, ACC 2015 Official Artwork Released, Tand Invitational Launch Party


PLC MARRIES RUTE PENEDO


  PORTUGAL-  This past weekend, 2011 World Champion Pierre Louis Costes married his long-time girlfriend, model Rute Penedo.  The ceremony was held on the beach in Costa de Caparica, Portugal.  Congratulations, Pierre and Rute!


DUBB CLAIMS TRIFECTA WIN AT ALA MOANA BOWLS


  HAWAII-  Dave Hubbard was the big winner at the 2015 IBA Hawaii Ala Moana Bowls Challenge (June 19th-21st). Dubb put together winning performances in the Men's Pro, DK Pro, and Stand-up divisions.  Here are the Finals results for all of the divisions:

(MEN'S)
1. Dave Hubbard
2. Sammy Morretino
3. Mike Stewart
4. Trevor Kam

(WOMEN'S)
1. Melanie Bartels
2. Karla Costa
3. Summer Hillen
4. Traci Effinger

(DROP KNEE)
1. Dave Hubbard
2. Joshua Trotter
3. Sammy Morretino
4. Mack Crilley

(JUNIOR)
1. Kawika Kamai
2. Matthew O'Rourke
3. Noa Auweloa
4. Kolu Kalama

(MASTERS)
1. Ben Severson
2. Jimmy Hutaff
3. Pat Caldwell
4. Dean Marzol

(STAND-UP)
1. Dave Hubbard
2. Sammy Morretino
3. Keahi Parker
4. Rob Keyser

For more information, please be sure to visit:

Science Bodyboards Hawaii on Facebook

IBA Hawaii Tour on Facebook

IBA Hawaii Tour official website


WINNY SWEEPS MYSTICS PRO


  AUSTRALIA-  Dave Winchester won both the Men's Pro and the DK Pro divisions at the Inverted Bodyboarding Mystics Pro, the season finale for the 2015 ABA national tour.  Here are the Finals results:

(MEN'S PRO)
1. Dave Winchester
2. Andrew Lester
=3. Jake Stone
=3. Jase Finlay

(DROP KNEE)
1. Dave Winchester
2. Aden Kleve (S. Africa)
3. Dion Meyers
4. Adam Cheers

(PRO JUNIOR)
1. Eric Roy
2. Noah Aubort
3. Dane Woods
4. Kane Brewer

(WOMEN'S PRO)
1. Lilly Pollard
2. Emma Cobb
3. France Hazar
4. Shawna Gillett

For more information, please be sure to visit:

ABA Tour on Facebook

ABA Tour official website


J-ROM WINS CAVE ROCK INVITATIONAL


  SOUTH AFRICA-  Hawaiian Jacob Romero won the 2015 Cave Rock Invitational in South Africa on Friday, June 19th.  For more information, please be sure to visit:

Cave Rock Invitational on Facebook


ITACOATIARA PRO WILD CARDS ANNOUNCED


  BRAZIL-  The 2015 Itacoatiara Pro, event #1 on the APB world tour schedule (July 2nd-12th), has announced Dudu Pedra, Kalani Lattanzi, and José Otávio ast this year's event wild cards.  For more information, please be sure to visit:

Itacoatiara Pro on Facebook

Itacoatiara Pro official website

APB Tour on Facebook

APB Tour official website


ACC 2015 OFFICIAL ARTWORK RELEASED


  CHILE-  Official artwork for the 2015 Arica Chilean Challenge, event #2 on this year's APB world tour (July 17th-26th), has been release by Gungo Designs in Arica.  For more information, please be sure to visit:

Arica Chilean Challenge on Facebook

APB Tour on Facebook

APB Tour official website


TAND INVITATIONAL LAUNCH PARTY ANNOUNCED


  SOUTH AFRICA-  The launch party for the 2015 Tand Invitational will be on Saturday, June 27th.  The David Lillenfeld Trials will be held on Sunday the 28th, and the waiting period for this year's event is June 29th through July 19th.  For more information, please be sure to visit:

Tand Invitational on Facebook


  That's all of the news for now.  Until the next time, I'm Steve "Action" Jackson.  I'll see you out in the water...YEEEWWW!!!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

HISTORY: The Arica Chilean Challenge

HISTORY: The Arica Chilean Challenge 2004-2016

  The Arica Chilean Challenge is an APB (Association of Professional Bodyboarders) world tour event.


   Over the past decade-plus, the Arica Chilean Challenge has become a staple event for bodyboarding.  With consistent waves, almost on a daily basis, El Gringo (known as Flopos to the locals) is one of the most reliable contest venues on the world tour, providing powerful lefts and rights on a yearly basis. The close proximity of El Gringo to land, along with a pair of bleacher sections sitting right in front of the break, make the man-made peninsula of Ex-Isla Alacran the ultimate amphitheatre for both the local Chilean bodyboard community as well as visiting spectators.  The Arica Chilean Challenge has established a reputation, over the years, for its heated battles during competition in which competitors continually push the envelope of what is possible on a bodyboard.  Here is a complete list of event finalists and event champions, along with vídeo highlights for each year.


2004

Final: Ryan Hardy (Australia) v. Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii)

Event Champion: Ryan Hardy



2005

Final: Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii) v. Cesar Bauer (Peru)

Event Champion: Jeff Hubbard



2006

Final: Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii) v. Guilherme Tâmega (Brazil)

Event Champion: Jeff Hubbard



2007

Final: Ben Player (Australia) v. Manuel Centeno (Portugal)

Event Champion: Ben Player



2008

Final: Guilherme Tâmega (Brazil) v. Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii)

Event Champion: Guilherme Tâmega



2009

Final: Mike Stewart (Hawaii) v. Dave Hubbard (Hawaii)

Event Champion: Mike Stewart



2010

Final: Dave Winchester (Australia) v. Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Island)

Event Champion: Dave Winchester



2011

Final: Guilherme Tâmega (Brazil) v. Dave Winchester (Australia)

Event Champion: Guilherme Tâmega



2012

Final: Dave Winchester (Australia) v. Guilherme Tâmega (Brazil)

Event Champion: Dave Winchester



2013

Final: Ben Player (Australia) v. Dave Winchester (Australia)

Event Champion: Ben Player



2014

Final: Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Island) v. Pierre Louis Costes (France)

Event Champion: Amaury Lavernhe



2015

Men's Grand Final: Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Island) v. Jared Houston (South África)

Men's Event Champion: Jared Houston



Women's Grand Final: Alexandra Rinder (Canary Islands) v. Isabela Sousa (Brazil)

Women's Event Champion: Alexandra Rinder



2016

Men's Grand Final:  Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Island) v. Iain Campbell (South Africa)

Men's Event Champion:  Iain Campbell


Women's Grand Final:  Sari Ohhara (Japan) v. Isabela Sousa (Brazil)

Women's Event Champion: Isabela Sousa


Pro Junior Final:  Joaquin Soto (Chile), Socrates Santana (Brazil), Hamed Cofre (Chile), Tanner McDaniel (Hawaii)

Pro Junior Event Champion:  Tanner McDaniel



Most Men's Finals Appearances:

Jeff Hubbard- 4
Guilherme Tâmega- 4
Dave Winchester- 4
Amaury Lavernhe- 4
Ben Player- 2
Ryan Hardy- 1
Cesar Bauer- 1
Manuel Centeno- 1
Mike Stewart- 1
Dave Hubbard- 1
Pierre Louis Costes- 1
Jared Houston- 1
Alexandra Rinder- 1
Iain Campbell- 1

Women's Finals Appearances:

Isabela Sousa- 2
Alexandra Rinder- 1
Sari Ohhara- 1

Pro Junior Finals Appearances:

Tanner McDaniel- 1
Hamed Cofre- 1
Socrates Santana- 1
Joaqin Soto- 1


Most Men's ACC Wins:

Jeff Hubbard- 2
Guilherme Tâmega- 2
Dave Winchester- 2
Ben Player- 2
Ryan Hardy- 1
Mike Stewart- 1
Amaury Lavernhe- 1
Jared Houston- 1
Iain Campbell- 1

Most Women's ACC Wins:

Alexandra Rinder- 1
Isabela Sousa- 1

Most Pro Junior ACC Wins:

Tanner McDaniel- 1


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

HISTORY: The Itacoatiara Pro

HISTORY: The Itacoatiara Pro

  The Itacoatiara Pro is an APB (Association of Professional Bodyboarders) world tour event.


  In its brief history, The Itacoatiara Pro has become a favorite destination for many bodyboarders on the world tour.  Located in Niterói (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil),  Praia de Itacoatiara has earned its reputation as one of the heaviest beach breaks in the world.  Boasting multiple peaks...Costão, Meio, and Pampo...big air sections, heavy barrels, and the ability to hold large swells, Itacoatiara is a perfect arena for high-performance bodyboarding.  In addition, the nature reserve and surrounding community make for an enjoyable stay.  With the quality of the waves, the local ambience, the professional efforts of event organizer Giuliano Lara to continually build this competition, and the extremely enthusiastic bodyboarding fans of Brazil, the Itacoatiara Pro has become a premiere event on the world tour.  Here's a look at the history of the event so far.


2012 IBA Itacoatiara Pro:


Final:  Guilherme Tâmega (Brazil) v. Dave Winchester (Australia)

Event Champion:  Dave Winchester


2012 Final Day Highlights:




2013 GoPro IBA Itacoatiara Pro:


Final:  Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii) v. Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Island)

Event Champion:  Amaury Lavernhe


2013 Final Day Highlights:




2014 APB Itacoatiara Pro:


Final:  Pierre Louis Costes (France) v. Jared Houston (South Africa)

Event Champion:  Jared Houston


2014 Final Day Highlights:



2015 APB Itacoatiara Pro Brazil:



Men's Final:  Uri Valadão (Brazil) v. Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Island) 

Event Champion:  Amaury Lavernhe



Pro Junior Final:  Matheus Bastos (Brazil) v. Tanner McDaniel (Hawaii)

Pro Junior Event Champion:  Tanner McDaniel (Hawaii)



2015 Final Day Highlights:



2016 Itacoatiara Pro Bodyboarding World Contest:


Men's Final:  Pierre Louis Costes (France) v. Alex Uranga (Basque)

Men's Event Champion:  Alex Uranga

Commentary host Manny Vargas interviewing Men's winner Alex Uranga.

Women's Final:  Ayaka Suzuki (Japan) v. Isabela Sousa (Brazil)

Women's Event Champion:  Isabela Sousa

Beach Reporter Paola Simão with Women's winner Isabela Sousa (yellow) and finalist Ayaka Suzuki (red).

Pro Junior Final:  Matheus Bastos (Brazil), Socrates Santana (Brazil), Cristian Tapia (Chile), Diego Gomes (Brazil)

Pro Junior Event Champion:  Diego Gomes

Pro Junior Awards Ceremony: (left to right) Matheus Bastos (4th), Socrates Santana (3rd), Cristian Tapia (2nd), and 2016 Itacoatiara Pro Junior Champion Diego Gomes.

2016 Final Day Highlights:


Most Men's Itacoatiara Finals Appearances:

Amaury Lavernhe- 2
Pierre Louis Costes- 2
Dave Winchester- 1
Guilherme Tâmega- 1
Jeff Hubbard- 1
Jared Houston- 1
Uri Valadão- 1
Alex Uranga- 1

Women's Final Appearances:

Isabela Sousa- 1
Ayaka Suzuki- 1

Pro Junior Finals Appearances:

Matheus Bastos- 2
Tanner McDaniel- 1
Socrates Santana- 1
Cristian Tapia- 1
Diego Gomes- 1


Most Men's Wins:

Amaury Lavernhe- 2
Dave Winchester- 1
Jared Houston- 1
Alex Uranga- 1

Women's Wins:

Isabela Sousa- 1

Pro Junior Wins:

Tanner McDaniel- 1
Diego Gomes- 1


For more information, please be sure to visit:

Itacoatiara Pro on Facebook

Official Itacoatiara Pro website

APB Tour on Facebook

Official APB Tour website

APB Tour on YouTube




Monday, June 8, 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES: Neymara Carvalho Visits the EBR

BEHIND THE SCENES: Neymara Carvalho Visits the EBR

Stoked to catch up with 5x World Champion Neymara Carvalho!

  On Thursday, 4 June 2015, 5x Women's Bodyboarding World Champion Neymar Carvalho and Kpaloa swimfins visited with the EBR (Escola de Bodyboard da Rocinha) bodyboard school at São Conrado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


  Neymara sat down and spoke with the students, and took time to answer their questions.


The owners of Kpaloa with EBR Head Instructor Wanderley Silva and Neymara Carvalho.

The owners of Kpaloa swimfins, sponsors for Neymara and the EBR, came by to deliver a brand new tent for the school.


The EBR is sponsored by the Caldicott School in England, Kpaloa, and the FEBBRJ.

  The new tent is emblazoned with the EBR logo along with the sponsor logos for the Caldicott School in England, Kpaloa swimfins, and the FEBBRJ (Federação de Bodyboard de Rio de Janeiro).


Always the consummate professional, Neymara proudly showing off her sponsors!

  After speaking with the class, Neymara geared up and hit the water for a bodyboarding session at São Conrado with the EBR.  The waves were a little small and the water a bit chilly, but everybody had fun scoring some waves with the champ!


The owner of Kpaloa swimfins with the instructors and students of Escola de Bodyboard da Rocinha.

  Big thanks to Neymara Carvalho and Kpaloa swimfins for helping out with the school!

For more photos and information about the EBR, please be sure to visit:

The Official EBR - Rocinha Bodyboard School blog

EBR- Escola de Bodyboard da Rocinha on Facebook

Friday, June 5, 2015

EVENT PROFILE: 2015 Cave Rock Invitational

EVENT PROFILE: 2015 Cave Rock Invitational



  The 2015 Cave Rock Invitational in South Africa has a one month waiting period in June.  Here is a heat-by-heat look at the field of competitors.


HEAT #1:


Rheinhar Du Toit


Daniel Redman


Jonathan Oliff


HEAT #2:


Iain Campbell


Ross Solomon


Derek Footit


Chad Du Toit


HEAT #3:


Jacob Romero


Dean Conway


South African Big Wave Surfer Grant "Twiggy" Baker


HEAT #4:


Stephen Du Preez


Garryd Ensor-Smith


Josh Redman


Bevan Wilson


HEAT #5:


Jared Houston


Ricky Basnett


Rob Gray


HEAT #6:


Mafoos Lombard


Mark McCarthy


Jona Venter


2x Men's Bodyboarding World Champion Andre Botha


HEAT #7:


2012 Drop Knee World Champion Sacha Specker


Jaco Theron


2014 Pro Junior Bodyboarding World ChampionTristan Roberts


HEAT #8:


Scott Venter


Stu Bradford


Rudy Palmboom


Storm Prestwich


For more information and updates, please be sure to visit:

Cave Rock Invitational on Facebook




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