Bodyboarding News

Turbo Bodyboards return to USA and sponsor the Pipeline Pro

Tuesday, 20 January 2009 13:12

Turbo Bodyboards

Something special is brewing on the near horizon. It’s not change or doing something different as we hear from crooked, oratorically gifted politicians. No, instead, an iconic name brand recently revived and thus so turning a quarter century old, (more than a great majority of you reading this) is headed to the equivalent of what St. Andrews represents to golf or l'Alpe d'Huez to Lance Armstrong. Turbo Bodyboards is coming to Pipeline, on the North Shore of Oahu and are the 2009 sponsor of the event. Banzai Pipleline to be more precise. Where men ride mountains and fly high.

Turbo Bodyboards, now based in New South Wales, Australia and managed by brothers Gregg and Glenn Taylor, who combined as masterminds behind head of operations and design bring years of knowledge and are extremely proud about the Turbo Bodyboards Pipeline Pro event which is another landmark achievement since putting the brand back together in 2007.

A quick ride back in time to 1983 finds you in an époque where an enigmatic fellow named Russ Brown was frequently found standing up on boards he craftily put together, using alternative vinyl tops and hard PVC bottoms. His innovations and eclectic views soon earned him the moniker Captain Turbo, which he quickly embraced and used in a very successful advertising campaign. Scott Bodyboards, along with both stock and custom shaped boards by Brown were viable alternatives to the Morey brand whose hard-line “our way or nothing” attitude rubbed many wrongly. Brown developed the brand and inspired several other worldwide companies, including Australia’s pride, Manta bodyboards. Like Tom Morey, founder of the Original Morey Boogie, Brown has since left the sport and limelight over a decade ago.

Fast forward to 2009

The Turbo Bodyboards Pipeline Pro also coincides with and celebrates the launch of the new Turbo Surf Designs site which is now live and filled with its history, products, photos and profiles of an extremely diverse range of team riders. Several will be competing and each brings a different feel, style and goal in attitude in their performance and exposure during the event. For Turbo’s newest addition, Andre Botha of South Africa, now 27 years old, everything about the event is sacred. Pipeline marks the very spot in which he captured his first world title ten years ago in one of the most competitive finals ever. Botha, an extremely versatile rider is one of a tight knit group who really are on another plain when conditions are heavy and life threatening. Two elements synonymous with Pipeline and hopefully present during the events waiting period which falls between February 16th through the 27th. No longer the prodigious child who each morning, systematically could be found pushing his bike towards Pipeline well before everyone else. Today, Botha is leading a clean lifestyle, motivated and knows very well at least another Pipeline title is at his grasp.

SURFING

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KITEBOARDING

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WINDSURFING

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BODYBOARDING

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