A nail biting finish is shaping up for both the Men & Women's International Bodyboarding Association World Titles with a number of riders in the race.
Unlike our Pro Surfing counterparts, the race for a World Championship has never been closer and the final event at El Confital in the Canary Islands will deliver a Grand Stand finish.
The Men's titles race has 4 riders all within striking distance.
In the lead as they hit the home straight is former World Champion Guilherme Tamega from Brazil. To make this feat all the more impressive, Tamega took a year out of the competition arena in 2007 and had to start most of the season as either a wildcard or further down the seeding order because of his lack of ratings points. But like a true champion the Brazilian started the season with a solid performance at Pipeline and then continued his great form with wins at Chile' & Sintra.
Fellow countrymen Uri Valadao has also been in outstanding form in 2008 and led the ratings for most of the season. Currently second, Valadao also silenced his critics with a runner up position at Pipe dispelling the theory that the flyboy was a small wave specialist that would struggle in the juice.
Sitting in third place and looking to capture his third World title is Australian Ben Player. Ben has been a consistent performer in 2008 and his only win came in the Human Shark Island challenge in Australia. A finalist in last year's event, Ben grew up surfing a south coast reef break almost identical to El Confital and will be fired up for a solid performance.
And finally in forth place is the outsider and quite achiever on the IBA World Men's Tour Pierre Louis Costes. The Frenchmen has been in mind-blowing form this year and if the other three frontrunners stumble early the title could be his.
It's a storybook finish to an incredible year of competition.
The race for the IBA World Women's Tour is just as tight as the Men.
Brazilians have dominated the Tour and the current ratings leader is Jessica Becker.
Jessica has just come off a win in Venezuela and will have her work cut out for her with Neymara Carvahlo and Isabella Sousa positioned right behind her.
The only European with a chance of winning is Eunate Aguirre (SPN) who is sitting in fourth place.
