The bodyboard magazines of the world

Bodyboard magazines: the majority of the publications are now available exclusively online

Are you an avid bodyboard magazine collector? Do you miss reading the good, old boogie periodicals? Here's the complete list of worldwide bodyboarding publications.

When, in 1971, Tom Morey created the world's first bodyboard, he not only invented a new water sport but also paved the way for a whole new sports industry.

In less than a decade, there were companies selling bodyboards, leashes, swim fins, and many other bodyboarding accessories and gear.

As a result, by the mid-1980s, the prone wave riding sport had acquired a planetary status.

The first bodyboarding magazines were released in the United States and Australia in the late 1980s.

Interestingly, in 1985, after conducting market research, Surfing Magazine decided to launch a special issue called "Bodyboarding."

The publication was such a huge success that "Bodyboarding" became a quarterly magazine in 1986 and a bi-monthly publication in 1987.

But a vast majority of these magazines were short-lived. The cyclical global economic crisis and the advent of internet browsing killed many print editions, which were unable to find enough readers and sponsors.

The truth is that bodyboard mags were a great source of information for riders wishing to mimic their idols' tricks and maneuvers and were an essential tool in the initial spreading of the sport to the masses.

They featured exclusive interviews with the stars, exotic bodyboarding trips to unchartered territories, and spectacular photo galleries with pictures taken where the action was.

Readers collected every issue of their favorite bodyboarding magazines, and over time, they became rarities available on online auction websites and sold for high prices.

Today, you'll find it difficult to buy a physical boogie riding magazine, as many of the world's most famous publications went exclusively online.

Take a look at the complete list of bodyboard magazines and their birth years: