Bodyboard Boost

Mike and Iain are home grown North Beach boys. They have literally been together since day one and are brothers bonded in bodyboarding. Growing up on that competitive strip of South Africa’s coastline, they both dreamt of making it big, competing against their childhood heros and doing the impossible, turning their passion into a living.

Both have dollops of talent - as their domination of the South African tour showed - but travelling from South Africa (as we all know) is extremely expensive. Without the funding from a sponsor this dream slowly was slipping away.

Thankfully, they received a lifeline. A home grown company from the hard streets of Durban came on board and is standing behind them to make them realise their mission. Thiel Board Company (TBC) has been making inroads into the bodyboarding community over the last few seasons.

TBC started off with sponsoring small clubs and the KwaZulu-Natal Team. The have given the financial backing to individual riders to compete on the South African tour, because as we all know petrol isn’t as cheap as it used to be 10 yrs ago. TBC is a company based on bodyboarders and owned by bodyboarders. This is the lifeline that Iain Campbell and Michael Ostler both needed to take the next step toward there dream.

Living the dream began at the beginning of the year with two events in Cape Town followed by an event in Margate. Mike and Iain took first and second to guarantee places in the top 3 on the local tour until the next event in Plett, which was held early in June. Besides TBC, Red Bull has come on board for the local tour.

With both riders sitting in good positions on the South African tour they embarked on their journey to the first stop of their world tour campaign: Arica Chile.

The heaving slabs of El Gringo suited the their riding styles. Iain's thoughts on El Gringo: “It has a split peak; good left and right barrels as well as massive end bowl ramps for bigger and higher moves"

After Arica Chile it is off to Antofogusta, followed by Rio, Brazil - exciting times for the boys. As Michael explains, “It is a Life changing experience for the both of us. We have spent time abroad before but to be given the opportunity to chase and pursue the tour in the way we are, I am over the moon and cannot wait to see what this leg has to come. I have already fallen in love with El Gringo and Arica itself, so I cannot wait to see what’s around the corner... "  

In a nutshell, same as with surfers, Iain and Mike are in pursuit of one of the top 8 positions in the WQS to ensure us a place in the World Tour Grand Slam Series. They will be competing in 2 Grand Slam events in South America and the WQS event in Antofogusta. Then they head straight back home to chase the next event in SA in Plett for our local SABA tour. The SABA tour also contributes to our WQS campaign. From there they will evaluate their positions on the tour and make a decision from there regarding the next event etc....

If South Africa is to become a world bodyboarding force  in the water, we need our best riders on the Tour. The path has been laid by the likes of Jared Houston, Mark MacCarthey and the current World Drop Knee Champion, Sacha Specker.

It’s up to us as South Africans to stand behind the new breed and push them to new heights, look at what a little bit of financial backing Volcom brought to Slade Prestwich, TBC is trying to do the same.