Rockstar Games Honolua Bay Pro
Source: www.ibaworldtour.com
posted by Mark Fordham on 4th December 2004
The world’s best bodyboarders will be returning to Hawaii this year to crown a new world champion, but this time, it won’t be at Pipeline. For this year only, the world’s most famous left will be switched for one of the world’s most perfect rights.
The US$10,000 Rockstar Games Honolua Pro at Honolua Bay, Maui will be the final event of the 2004-’05 World Qualifying Tour (WQT) and World Super Tour (WST) series. This dual-sanctioned International event is the final stop for the 2004 IBA men's bodyboarding tours. It will also signal the end of the World Super Tour, with the WQT and WST combining to create a single men's World Tour (WT) in 2005.
Rockstar Games have once again signed on to be major presenting sponsors of the tour’s final event, having sponsored the event at Pipeline for the last four years. “It’s always a pleasure to support the IBA in its efforts to promote a world bodyboarding tour,” said Rockstar. “We believe in the sport, we believe in the riders involved, and we believe in Hawaii as the venue for the final event of the tour. We look forward to working with the bodyboarding industry as a whole to keep the sport growing and moving forward.”
Located on the island of Maui, Honolua Bay is one of the world’s greatest point breaks, and definitely Hawaii’s most famous wave outside of the golden seven miles of Oahu’s North Shore. The 13-day waiting period enables the organizers from IBA Hawaii to wait the magic combination of wind and waves that allows Honolua to be as perfect as it can be.
"Honolua Bay will definitely produce a great contest for the closing event of the IBA tour,” said IBA Hawaii contest organiser / director, Corey Correa. It’s the perfect place to crown the 2004 IBA World Qualifying Champion and IBA World Super Tour World Champion. While it’s not Pipeline, the traditional closing venue of the tour, it’s a world-class bodyboarding wave. And at over six feet, it’s as challenging as any other super tour venue.”
Defending IBA World bodyboarding champion Damian King (Australia), who won the IBA World Super Tour (WST) event at Pipeline earlier this January, will defend his crown at Honolua Bay. Damian is no stranger to solid conditions, and will definitely be a hot contender for a back to back World Title.
Other world title contenders include Andrew Lester (Australia), gold medal winner of this year’s ISA games; Brazilian hero Guilherme Tamega, who after clinching his third straight Cronulla Shark Island Challenge title in Australia this past July, is chasing his seventh world bodyboarding title; Hawaiian Jeff Hubbard and Australian Dave Winchester, both of whom are still in serious contention for the crown.
But often the standout performances in the final events come from the locals. As always, bodyboarding legend Mike Stewart will be a serious threat, along with Spencer Skipper, Kelley Hunt and younger locals like Dave Hubbard, Jacob Romero, Ikaika Villa and Happy Zurowski.
Current IBA World Super Tour (WST) rankings
1. Guilherme Tamega Brazil 2880
2. Andrew Lester Australia 2830
3. Damian King Australia 2460
4. Jeff Hubbard Hawaii 2190
5. Dave Winchester Australia 2045
6. Josh Kirkman Australia 1865
7. Grahame Miller Australia 1815
8. Beau Day Australia 1670
9. Mike Stewart Hawaii 1640
10. Mitch Rawlins Australia 1525
11. Paulo Barcellos Brazil 1490
12. Ben Player Australia 1465
13. Luis Villar Brazil 1460
14. Toby Player Australia 1345
15. Michael Chapple Australia 1310
16. Jason Hazle Australia 1135
17. Sean Cooper Australia 1105
18. Cedric Dufuare France 1000
18. Uri Valadao Brazil 1000
20. Ryan Hardy Australia 880
20. Hugo Pinheiro Portugal 880
22. Nicolas Capdeville France 760
22. Roberto Bruno Brazil 760
24. Sean Virtue Australia 640
All enquiries please contact:
Mark Fordham
IBA World Super Tour (WST) Managing Director
Phone: +61 (0) 4 1766 0323
Email: [email protected]
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