Where is the bodyboarding 'HIP2Bsquare' equivelant?

morrisminor
March 2008
A while ago i watched a DVD produced by a group of SA surfers, who toured Cape schools giving lectures to schoolkids designed to share the stoke of surfing and science. I believe it is an effort sponsored by Mark Shuttleworth.

I was stoked. all the kids were visibly amped on surfing and their tuberiding heroes. With SA boogielidding in the current situation that it finds itself with regards to corporate (lack of) interest, it makes sense to look inwards to find the next innovation.Much more likely that a rider would end up carrying out the necessary research out of stoke, than a scholarship. The amazing thing is, and I think it would have changed my life to realise this in high school, is that you really can become a bodyboard engineer. I am so sure that you could propose that as a final year uni project for the right course, and even if not, the knowledge and access to labtime that come with uni allow you to do a lot of independent stuff.

As prone to being blown out of the water as such a sweeping statement is,a lot of the SA bodyboarders I know were generally a bit more focussed in school, with most of them being successful now. There is a huge pool of people that could go around spreading the stoke of videography, editing, design engineering, sports science, polymer science,oceanography...............there is no end to how involved you can become in a bodyboarding career.Must think of a killer electronic app, rip Curl already beat me to a wetsuit, except my plan was to supplement batteries with solar panels or solar powered POF fibre based ribbing along meridian lines, which has the advantage of providing a little warmth without batteries.......OK, the point here is, SOMEONE DID DO IT. Someone went to Rip Curl, proposed the idea, and revolutionised wetsuit technology. I guarantee you that person wore wetsuits, and had exposure to electronic technology. Now imagine 4000 of those people, all stoked, all approaching companies, all bodyboarding, and all in SA. 4000 is not a lot for a 5 year recruitment drive

So, what is the chance of approaching Mark Shuttleworth. Why not ask a rider with an established profile (Al Taylor comes to mind as the perfect rep) to approach Hip2Bsquare with a proposal?

Bodyboarding 1,626 views

17 Replies

Seb
March 2008
sound like 1 hell of a idea... There is one other brand which wud seem 2 me like a great sponsor for things like this..Virgin.. There whole brand image is about not being afraid 2 b different, taking risks and taking initiative.. For me it seems like a perfect brand 2 approach for something like this. I no they already sponsor some surfing like boardriders tv bt with a budget like theirs i dont see y a little cash for a growing sport like bodyboarding couldnt b made available.. anyways thats just something that has been on my mind
altaylor
March 2008
y'know this is actually a really good point morrisminor brings up - hip2b2 is a pretty cool marketing vehicle as it gets into schools nationwide by the thousands, so it's a key demographic for bbing. I actually approached them when I was working in saba, and the guy I dealt with was super amped on the concept of me or someone in bbing do what you're referring to here, ie going and talking at shcools about the benefits of combining athletics stuff with education. Unfortunately the guy was leaving the company a month or two later, and the guys he passed me on to to keep it going didn't seem to know how to write an email, so I never heard anything back despite several attempts to get things moving, and this first guy's recommendations.

Anyway long story short, I think if enough kids in schools would write to hip2b2 voicing their desire to get bbing to be part of the program, they might respond. I think one of the problems I might have had is that the hip2b2 publication is part of the same group that publishes zigzag, so dunno if there was some skullduggery going on to keep us out. But there is strength in numbers, so enough bodyboarders clamouring to be heard, and it will get results. Bottom line is all mags need advertisers, and readership, so if they see and acknowledge that they're missing a whole audience they might wake up. Even more so if Mark Shuttleworth gets wind of it.....I doubt he ever heard a thing about my proposal to them.

Maybe time to get a petition going....
craigtrilivas
March 2008
Now this is wat im talking about!!!
Amazing ideas and input and wowzers Al i didnt know u were doin so much!!!
Awesome stuff man.

When I was in high skool (moved from Glenwood to Camps Bay High in 96) we had a string of classes integrated into our normal line of subjects.
Dont know if it was to giv the kids a bit of time to do wat interested them or wat but one could really see how amped they were to go to theses classes every single time.
We had a skating class,surfing class(Glen beach is across the rd so big advantage there!) and even things like woodwork,computers,cooking,cross country and marimba!!!

It gave the kids a lil time out during skool to do wat they were into and i feel that this kind of thing is welcomed by them cos it sort of eases the strain of an otherwise boring skool day u know?
We only had it like once or twice a week and not everyday cos im sure sum okes would take advantage of it or get into a lazy pattern maybe.

But the thing is that it was there and it was implemented and stoke was spread across all the boundaries of the skool itself be it race,gender and even pupil-teacher relations.
Heck sum of the old boys and girls still hook up with sum of the staff for a beer & braai,and thats like more than 10 yrs after skool!!!

If we could get something like AT was talking about going i have no doubt in my mind that it would become a huge succes especially if someone as cool Virtgin were to hop on board and back it up
Full steam ahead!!!

Stoked!!!
kru
March 2008
Hey guys,

A petition it is then,
The school drive initiative was developed by the guys at Amped magazine (The surfing mag that went bust) and they roped Hip2b2 on board.
When that first started I chatted to them to get involved in bodyboarding but they gave me the usual run around but now that we are more established and have a magazine, etc, I think it could be a worthwhile plan to try get the involved again.
Al, can you remember the name of the new guy there?
And Mr. Minor, can you put your thoughts to me in an e mail and I'll bounce an idea I have been having for a while back to you.

Kelly, what do you think would be the best way to get a petition going through the website and face book (because the kids are mildly addicted to facebook at the moment...along with everyone else)

The petition would be something we can also use at the magazine to prove to our advertisers that everyone is stoked with the mag.

Good times.
altaylor
March 2008
hi Ian - the email I last had was [email protected] - I can't remember the person's name (we obviously hope that frog is the nickname:/), and don't have the original thread of emails, there were one or two others tho. Their offices are down in CT too, so maybe you could give them a call.
craigtrilivas
March 2008
I would be more than glad to help out if im needed.
Im a camps bay high old boy so if u guys need anyone to liase with them or anything im available.
I kno there's alot of groms that surf everyday there too cos they hassle me for waves everytime i surf with them

Stay kiff.
craigtrilivas
March 2008
Guys this is so sick,it has so much potential and could really take off!!!
Awsome stuff!!!
Chinnychinchin
March 2008
I know someone who works for HIP2B2.....he's gonna try find out who the persons to speak to is.
kru
April 2008
Nice,
I like,

Its the whole 6 degrees of seperation deal,
all it takes to make the sport work is to push it in the right direction.

Nice
morrisminor
April 2008
Howdy Kru....

What ideas are you looking for....regarding the forum topic, or the wetsuit idea? Stoked to see things kicking off, should have some future boogiegeeks hitting the scene soon.

Morris
kru
April 2008
Hey Morris,

A little bit of both actually,
hit me up on [email protected].

good times
Paulbruwer
April 2008
Hi,

I started working at HBD (Mark Shuttleworth's Venture Capital firm) and I am in the same building as HIP2Bsquare. let me know if you do not find joy in connecting with HIP2B, then I'll try to see if I can get you connected.

Cheers,
Paul
morrisminor
June 2008
Howsit.Sorry to drop off the radar after getting amped on a big idea....i like to pretend that I am overworked and busy, it gives me the executive edge.

i am going to (hopefully) put together two documents over the next few days, one aimed at the riders, gathering support (i didn't really think petition, but i guess it will be).

A thought (for the gent with the previous post, probably):

how interested do you think Dr. uBuntu (Mark Shuttleworth - he coded a sweet flavour of Linux) will be? Why did the 'Amped' project fail?Does he have burnt fingers?

You know you love the boogie when you dedicate time off to possibly enriching the lives of kids I may never meet in a country 6000 miles and several years away.Would assassinate for the boogie.
ronald911
June 2008
A few month ago, Hip2B came to school with some presentation about computers and all that stuff..... It would be good if Hip2 will become involved in bodyboarding, especially if they are going to show the sport to alot of people at schools, which means: more people involved; more sponsors; better publicity; more bodyboarders, and then there comes; Better selling of bodyboarding equipment ect...

Kiff
morrisminor
June 2008
Congratulations Ronald, if this does get into campaign stage (which it should,at the very least), the enthusiasm you show means you probably just volunteered yourself as a mouthpiece and beating stick for the cause at your school. It makes sense to have the groms repping the entire idea to their colleagues, making sure they're aware of, and included in, any petition going.What do you think?

You're right, it would be kiff. How amped would you be on a career if you knew that for the rest of your life you were in a position to improve bodyboarding?Please believe me that it beats the snot out of not seeing sunlight for 12 hours/2 weeks at a time, making sure someone elses systems keeping on making money

At the very least, you would score two hours or so off lessons to learn about bodyboarding (mmmmmm....that seems to run against the idea of hib2bsquare........but aaaannnnnnyyyyyyyywwwaay)
kateevans
July 2008
Hi there

I'm from HIP2B2. Proposal can be emailed to me at [email protected]. Our offices are in Cape Town and I'm more than happy to meet with whoever is putting together the proposal, to discuss what has historically been done with Amped and if there are project synergies in the future, advertising and editorial opportunities and so on.

k
bboard1
July 2008
This sounds soooooooooo kiff I'min matric at the moment but would be more that happy to go back to my school as on old boy and try and get the guys interested. This will be such a big thig for the sport. Another idea. If we can get ahold of virgin, maybe we can get them to sponser the saba events and maybe even individual riders. This will help the sport at the same time as their company as its all publicity. As soon as the petition is ut put it on this forum so we can all take it to our local breaks and get the guys to sign it.
hopefully it gets off the ground

LAKA

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