Bodyboarding is a young sport. The first world titles were awarded in 1982. Believe it or not, American mainlanders have never won a single one.
The first-ever bodyboarding competitions were held in the late 1970s, a few years after Tom Morey introduced the bodyboard to the water sports community.
However, the first stand-alone world championship was only held in 1982 at Pipeline, where Daniel "The Boogieman" Kaimi made sure to shine with a casual and stylish riding approach.
The International Morey Boogie Bodyboard Pro Championships ran from 1982 to 1994 with a single exception - the event was not held in 1985.
Interestingly, Mike Stewart won 8 of the 13 titles at the Morey Boogie Bodyboard Pro Championships and took part in 12 finals.
The Hawaiian only missed the last final of the first pro bodyboarding era in 1994.
Between 1995 and 2002, bodyboarding fans were invited to follow the GOB World Tour and Super Tour.
During this period, Brazilian riders stepped up their game with two world-class performers: Guilherme Tâmega and Paulo Barcellos.
Tâmega won six world titles, South African legend Andre Botha claimed two titles, and Barcellos celebrated a single triumph.
The second longest-running world bodyboarding tour crowned no less than six champions in its 11-year history.
The IBA World Tour ran from 2003 to 2013; Ben Player and Jeff Hubbard shared the internet era supremacy with three world titles each.
With the arrival of the APB World Tour, the European and South African bodyboarders found their space and started competing for world titles alongside Australian, Hawaiian, and American athletes.
The organization, run by riders, crowned champions from 2014 to 2019 until a South American-led team took over and established the IBC World Tour.
Lastly, it's important to mention that the International Surfing Association (ISA) has also organized its stand-alone events.
Initially, bodyboarding was part of the World Surfing Games, but in 2012, Fernando Aguerre launched the ISA World Bodyboard Championship, which ran from 2012 to 2015.
International Morey Boogie Bodyboard Pro Championships | Champions
1982: Daniel Kaimi (HAW)
1983: Mike Stewart (HAW)
1984: Mike Stewart (HAW)
1985: (not held)
1986: Ben Severson (HAW)
1987: Mike Stewart (HAW)
1988: Mike Stewart (HAW)
1989: Mike Stewart (HAW)
1990: Mike Stewart (HAW), Stephanie Pettersen (BRA)
1991: Mike Stewart (HAW), Glenda Kozlowski (BRA)
1992: Mike Stewart (HAW), Mariana Nogueira (BRA)
1993: Michael Eppelstun (AUS), Stephanie Pettersen (BRA)
1994: Guilherme Tâmega (BRA), Stephanie Pettersen (BRA)
GOB World Tour | Champions
1995: Guilherme Tâmega (BRA), Claudia Ferrari (BRA)
1996: Guilherme Tâmega (BRA), Daniela Freitas (BRA)
1997: Guilherme Tâmega (BRA), Daniela Freitas (BRA)
1998: Andre Botha (RSA), Mariana Nogueira (BRA)
1999: Andre Botha (RSA), Karla Costa (BRA)
2000: Paulo Barcellos (BRA), Soraia Rocha (BRA)
2001: Guilherme Tâmega (BRA), Soraia Rocha (BRA)
2002: Guilherme Tâmega (BRA), Stephanie Pettersen (BRA)
IBA World Tour | Champions
2003: Damian King (AUS), Neymara Carvalho (BRA)
2004: Damian King (AUS), Neymara Carvalho (BRA)
2005: Ben Player (AUS), Kira Llewellyn (AUS)
2006: Jeff Hubbard (HAW), Marina Taylor (ESP)
2007: Ben Player (AUS), Neymara Carvalho (BRA)
2008: Uri Valadao (BRA), Neymara Carvalho (BRA)
2009: Jeff Hubbard (HAW), Neymara Carvalho (BRA)
2010: Amaury Lavernhe (FRA), Isabela Sousa (BRA)
2011: Pierre-Louis Costes (FRA), Eunate Aguirre (ESP)
2012: Jeff Hubbard (HAW), Isabela Sousa (BRA)
2013: Ben Player (AUS), Isabela Sousa (BRA)
APB World Tour | Champions
2014: Amaury Lavernhe (FRA), Alexandra Rinder (ESP)
2015: Jared Houston (RSA), Alexandra Rinder (ESP)
2016: Pierre-Louis Costes (FRA), Isabela Sousa (BRA)
2017: Iain Campbell (RSA), Joana Schenker (POR)
2018: Jared Houston (RSA), Ayaka Suzuki (JAP)
2019: Tristan Roberts (RSA), Sari Ohhara (JAP)
IBC World Tour | Champions
2022: Tristan Roberts (RSA), Isabela Sousa (BRA)
2023: Tanner McDaniel (HAW), Sari Ohhara (JAP)
Discover the history of bodyboarding's world tours.