Tristan Roberts: your 2022 world bodyboarding champion | Photo: Frontón King

Tristan Roberts is the 2022 world bodyboarding champion.

The South African bodyboarder secured his second consecutive world bodyboarding title after his maiden win in 2019.

Roberts, who led the rankings until the last event of the season, only needed to do better than his direct opponents, Tanner McDaniel and Alan Muñoz.

And that was exactly what he did, even though he ended up celebrating the world title on dry land, watching Muñoz fall in the quarterfinal.

The event's early battles held at El Frontón in Las Palmas, Spain, were intense, with local riders imposing their knowledge of the wave and turning experience into decisive heat wins.

From the first light, jerseys were ready to tame "The Beast," who delivered the goods from the get-go.

The volcanic reef break of El Frontón is a gift from Nature and the perfect arena for the best bodyboarders in the world.

Spectators were in awe, witnessing all the action in front of the planet's most exciting bodyboarding wave.

Shouts, applause, whistles, and fans from all corners of the planet followed every detail from above the water, impressed with the strength of this natural phenomenon, which has shown why it is one of the most demanding water sports playgrounds on Earth.

El Frontón is not for everyone, and the locals have been able to make it an advantage, at least until the decisive stages.

The performance levels skyrocketed when competition reached the so-called main event, with several former world champions battling it out in the water.

Riders were eventually greeted and had to challenge seven-meter-plus liquid walls in Gáldar's phantom wave.

Jeff Hubbard: the 10-point ARS at El Frontón | Photo: Frontón King

A 10-Point ARS

In the final matchup, Roberts and Hubbard rose to the occasion, with the event's trophy decided in the last couple of minutes.

The 47-year-old Hawaiian found a gem, threw himself into a beautifully executed ARS, and scored 10 points from the judges.

El Frontón had a new monarch.

"It was incredible. I was not expecting this at all. It will be a day to remember. It's a very special victory and a dream come true," expressed Jeff Hubbard.

The three-time world champion also took home the Banana Challenge, a parallel competition that awards $1,000 to the most spectacular aerial trick of the whole event.

The goal was to put competitors flying above the wave's lip.

The trophy for the best aerial maneuver had a strong list of candidates, but Hubbard's 10-point ride was just too good.

The season is over.

Tristan Roberts (men's), Isabela Sousa (women's), Dave Hubbard (drop knee), Jorge Hernández (junior men's), and Luna Hardman (junior women's are the 2022 world bodyboarding champions.

2022 Frontón King | Final

1. Jeff Hubbard (HAW) 17.25
2. Tristan Robers (RSA) 14.15

Top Stories

Pedro Levi is on a mission to ride the biggest wave of all time on a bodyboard.

Pierre-Louis Costes and Morey Bodyboards signed a partnership and sponsorship deal. The French will ride for the American boogie board company.