Bodyboard Inspiration
It’s great when a new bodyboarding film sparks a reaction across the internet. The new mini-documentary about probably the world’s biggest charger, Shane Ackerman got us thinking about our inspiration for riding this rectangle of sponge. Scroll down to watch the video.
There are always moments where we will find our mind drifting. Wondering what the waves are like, when the next swell is due or when we will next get to spend time in the ocean. Our chosen vehicle for navigating the waves is a bodyboard and after the inspiration of the new movie about Ackerman we wanted to put it under the microscope. His inspiration is clearly scoring the worlds biggest slabs. We wanted to get inside of more riders to find what spurs them to continually want to get in the water and boog! Peter Grundy takes it away with his take on the bigger picture, then our staff team share their thoughts.
Inspiration by Peter Grundy
When I’m asked why I bodyboard, what drives me, what gets me out of bed on a cold February morning and has me travel across the world with a rectangular sponge, there’s one simple answer. The wave. That’s where it starts and that’s where it ends.
I HAVE SEEN A WHOLE LINE-UP hushed watching a wave that is breaking and no one can catch it. For me waves are one of the most beautiful things on the planet and that is something all bodyboarders share.
Every time I go to the beach is different, and wherever I am in the world there is that same feeling of mingled anticipation and desire as I near the point when I can see the surf. How big is it? Who’s out? Trying to gauge by sound, the light, the wind. I never know what to expect, and what the fickle action of wave and tide will give me. I need to do this. I have been bodyboarding so long that it’s pathological. I can’t sleep without sand in the bed, or look at a weather chart without trying to predict where and when the swell will hit. There is always something new to try with waves. If it’s small then I can practice my weak techniques so that when the big surf comes I can confidently contort myself into lethal situations and maybe survive. I have no choice but to ride waves, and the addiction sets in fast and consumes your life.
THE OCEAN IS A SCARY THING. A cubic metre of water weighs a ton, and when waves stack up into cathedrals and break on rock and reef, the adrenaline is at an all time high. I have had the fear, everyone has. My most memorable near death experience was after two days sleep deprivation, too much vodka and caffeine, and one pretty girl.
I decided that the best way to deal with the hangover from this dubious cocktail was to go bodyboarding. Bad move. I was doing fine until a sneaker set ambushed me after a good first wave. I went down, I went down some more, it went still, I couldn’t seem to find the surface. I learned my lesson that the ocean and waves that I love so much must be respected!
Fear is both a friend and an enemy. It can help you know your limits, but it can also make every wave look unmake-able, and the paddle back out impossible. If you believe the insidious voice that prophecies doom before every manoeuvre then you will never progress into bigger surf and know the knife-edge feel at the very edge of what is possible.
The best way to beat fear is to surf with friends, so you can share the panic, laugh at each others’ wipeouts, and scream when you make a barrel. Your mates normally know when it’s a bad move to paddle out, and are always happy to shout at you to take off on impossible waves, just to see if you will. And at the end of the day you can share your stories with your buddies and that just adds to the magic.
Fear is something you have to hit with a big stick, and perhaps the biggest stick is knowledge. Sitting on the beach and watching waves helps, getting a feel for what they do and when they do it. Imagine yourself on the wave and connecting manoeuvres together.
WHEN THERE ARE NO WAVES, bodyboarders are leaping off cliffs and slithering down mountains to try and recreate the high, but when the waves come after work or school or walking for miles down some distant road and being eaten alive by mosquitoes, all the anguish melts away.
I wish it was always that easy. I started surfing when I was young not because it was a cool thing, or a new thing, but because growing up in Cornwall you cannot escape from the influence of the sea. I remember my first waves and what I get from it now is still the same. The waves may be bigger and the moves more extreme but the feeling is unaltered.
The problem now is that the world has awoken to how much fun wave riding is.Â
The challenge is not to let ‘let’s steal all the magic from bodyboarding’ ruin it. To realise just how lucky I am despite the crowds. When I paddle out to the waves I realise just how lucky I am to live this way when most people are settling for mediocre lives and second hand thrills. I live for the wave and it has taught me fear, respect, and love. I also have a new found appreciation for empty line ups and finding waves that have no one else there!Â
What Inspires Us?
Iain Campbell - Newquay Weekends and Nusa Lembongan, Bali Celebrity Guest
​​My inspiration to bodyboard is to be present in the ocean while disconnecting from work and life. It inspires me when I see people enjoying bodyboarding no matter their level and trying to get better on the craft. Most of all, the drive to ride better waves and challenge myself to be better on the boog…
Rob Barber - Director and International Trip Leader
It’s really interesting to look at how the inspiration for bodyboarding and what it has meant to me has changed continually over the last three-to-four decades. From initially just being interested to know what it is about, being inspired by the American magazines and wanting to enjoy the ocean as a kid growing up. So I wanted to get to be as good as I can at riding. Then being focussed on travelling to as many places as I can to ride waves. To then make a living out of bodyboarding and helping others to earn their living out of it as well. To currently be inspired more than anything to coach others and help my children get the most out of riding waves. It’s evolved and changed, but bodyboarding, enjoying the ocean and having fun has always been at the centre of it and I can’t see it ever stopping. The disconnection from the world, when you’re in the water is unrivalled. It makes you feel so good and that becomes more and more valuable as you get older!Â
Damian Prisk - Newquay and Croyde weekend Lead instructor
I’ve been boogieboarding for over 35 years, and my passion for it is as strong as ever! While my habits have changed a bit – like opting for shorter sessions instead of 5+ hour marathons – my motivations remain those selfish traits of fun, pleasure and the excitement of scoring great waves and busting a good move in incredible natural environments.
The best way to describe it is the drive to my favourite break, knowing the conditions are perfect. The anticipation of whether I’ll get an amazing tube or land a big move gives me butterflies and makes me feel alive, driven, focused.
What truly inspires me is the moment when I’m out back, alone (no wave thieves around!) and a perfect wave comes my way. The feeling of paddling into that wave, knowing it’s going to be epic, is what inspires me more than anything to boog. Only a bodyboarder knows that feeling!
Alex Clark - Newquay and Croyde Weekend Photographer, Bookings Manager and Social Media Guru
They say happiness comes in waves, and that couldn’t be more true for me. Bodyboarding has grounded me through life’s ups and downs, taken me to some of the most beautiful places on the planet, and introduced me to people who just get it. It’s helped me grow, stay active, and keep pushing to refine and improve my riding. It’s a journey that never ends — and I hope to be sharing my love of catching waves with others for the rest of my life.
Matt Hawken - Newquay and Croyde Weekend Photographer, IT sensei and Head of Finance
Growing up by the Cornish coast, I’ve always been in the sea. From the first time I tried bodyboarding as a kid, I fell in love with the simple thrill of riding waves. As I got better, the sport became more challenging, which only fueled my passion further.
This love for bodyboarding has pushed me to seek out new waves and destinations. Along the way, I’ve made lifelong friends and traveled across the world, all in search of that perfect ride.
It’s become my happy place, somewhere I can escape the stresses of everyday life, clear my mind, and focus on nothing but catching the next wave. Bodyboarding has always been there for me, helping me through some of my darkest days.
I take inspiration from riders who’ve shaped the sport. Growing up, the OG Brit crew were my local heroes, Wall, Prisk, and Barber staring back at me from ThreeSixty magazine posters. I’ve always admired Chris White’s incredible skill at everything he tries, and Mickey Smith, who somehow excelled both on the board and with a camera.
Warrick Murphy - Newquay and Croyde weekend instructor
I’m inspired by bodyboarding because it offers me pure escapism — the moment I’m in the ocean, surrounded by salt water, everything feels right. It’s calming, grounding, and completely resets me. Bodyboarding for me isn’t just a hobby, I’ve made the majority of my closest friends through the sport. I even met my wife through bodyboarding. It drives me to push myself in the water, to grow and improve at something I love. I’m constantly chasing that feeling of progression, trying to be the best version of a booger I can be. Watching clips of good DK hypes me up — the energy, the lines drawn and the style — it makes me want to bring that same stoke into my own riding. It’s definitely a frothy addiction and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Matt ‘Mave’ Davies Portugal, Secret Morocco and El Salvador Trip Leader
I’m inspired to bodyboard because of the joy it brings me. For those few fleeting seconds I’m flying down a wave, I am completely present, no noise or worries of the modern world. Then to be sharing that with friends and often in beautiful wild surroundings, is hard to beat.
Mastering the finer techniques of the sport can be hugely rewarding too. As I say to our guests when they are getting a little frustrated with themselves, if it was easy, it wouldn’t be interesting!
I’m also inspired to ride a little better everyday by Paul Roach, Raffi Meyer, Matt Lackey and Dave Hubbard.
The inspiration – Shane Akerman’s ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’
Every rider in this piece shares the same drive – the simple, powerful pull of getting back in the water. If their words remind you why you love riding waves or make you realise how much you miss it, maybe it’s time to get your next session locked in.
Ready to get back out there?
Join one of our upcoming coaching trips and sharpen your skills in the best conditions, with expert coaching and a great crew. We’ll take care of the details – you just show up ready to ride.
Check out all upcoming trips and book your spot here: Bodyboard Holidays Trips Calendar
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