Friday, February 26, 2016

RECAP: 2015 APB/JPBA Tahara Pro Japan

RECAP: 2015 APB/JPBA Tahara Pro Japan

Location: Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Date: September 4th-6th, 2015


  The 2015 Tahara Pro in Japan was a dual-sanctioned event, serving as an APB (Association of Professional Bodyboarders) Women's World Tour event as well as a JPBA (Japan Professional Bodyboarding Association) national tour event.  Here are the results:



WOMEN'S:
1st- Sari Ohhara
2nd- Nao Nagai
3rd- Shiori Okazawa
4th- Yuka Nishimura



MEN'S:
1st- Jun Toyama
2nd- Soichiro Kume
=3rd- Yoshitada Kondo
=3rd- Norihisa Aihara



DROP KNEE:
1st- Yukihisa Yamada
2nd- Kazuma Tomita
3rd- Kei Fujioka
4th- Keisuke Suzuki



JUNIOR:
1st- Hiroto Hiruma
2nd- Yuki Kato


FINAL DAY HIGHLIGHTS:



For more information, please be sure to visit:

JPBA official website

JPBA on Facebook

APB official website

APB Tour on Facebook







Thursday, February 25, 2016

HISTORY: Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival

HISTORY: Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival

ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE-  Organized by local bodyboarder/promoter Arturo Soto, the Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival first appeared on the world tour schedule as part of the 2012 IBA (International Bodyboarding Association) Men's GQS. The Global Qualification Series was part of a two-tier system which fed up-and-coming competitors into the ranks of the top-tier GSS (Grand Slam Series).  In 2013, the ABF added the Women's division to the field of competition and has been on the Women's world tour schedule ever since.  2014 saw the transition of the world tour from IBA Party Ltd. to the APB (Association of Professional Bodyboarders), with Antofagasta remaining on the new world tour's schedule of events.  For the first three years of this event, competition was held at Playa La Cúpula before being relocated to Nilda Point with Budeo as a secondary mobile location in 2015. Another change that came with the 2015 edition of the ABF was the addition of the Pro Junior division.  In the inaugural season of the PJWT, Antofagasta was one of four events to help crown the APB's first Pro Junior champion.  In its first four years, the Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival has become a key stop on the world tour.  Here is a look at the history of ABF Champions:

2012 IBA GQS Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival:


2012 RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Alan Muñoz (Chile)
2nd- Uri Valadão (Brasil)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Island)
2nd- Dave Hubbard (Hawaii)

Final:
1st- Amaury Lavernhe
2nd- Alan Muñoz

Amaury Lavernhe took top honors at the first edition of the Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival.


2012 Final Day Highlights:



IBA Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2013:


2013 MEN'S RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Pierre Louis Costes (France)
2nd- Magno Passos (Brasil)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Alex Uranga (Basque)
2nd- Helliton Loureiro (Brasil)

Final:
1st- Pierre Louis Costes
2nd- Alex Uranga

PLC walked away as the ABF 2013 Men's Champion.

2013 WOMEN'S RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Emma Cobb (Australia)
2nd- Lilly Pollard (Australia)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Alexandra Rinder (Canary Islands)
2nd- Paloma Freyggan (Chile)

Final:
1st- Emma Cobb
2nd- Alexandra Rinder

Emma Cobb came away victorious in the ABF 2013 Women's division.

2013 Final Day Highlights:



APB Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2014:


2014 MEN'S RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Uri Valadão (Brasil)
2nd- Eder Luciano (Brasil)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Israel Salas (Brasil)
2nd- Brahim Iddouch (Morocco)

Final:
1st- Uri Valadão
2nd- Israel Salas

Uri Valadão and Alexandra Rinder were crowned as event champions at ABF 2014.

2014 WOMEN'S RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Sari Ohhara (Japan)
2nd- Soraia Rocha (Brasil)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Alexandra Rinder (Canary Islands)
2nd- Isabela Sousa (Brasil)

Final:
1st- Alexandra Rinder
2nd- Sari Ohhara


2014 Final Day Highlights:



APB Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2015:


2015 MEN'S RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Lewy Finnegan (Australia)
2nd- Sacha Damjanic (Chile)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Uri Valadão (Brasil)
2nd- Iain Campbell (South Africa)

Consolation Final:
3rd- Iain Campbell
4th- Sacha Damjanic

Final:
1st- Lewy Finnegan
2nd- Uri Valadão

ABF 2015 Champions Lewy Finnegan, Alexandra Rinder, and Socrates Santana.

2015 WOMEN'S RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Sari Ohhara (Japan)
2nd- Alexandra Rinder (Canary Islands)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Isabela Sousa (Brasil)
2nd- Aneis Velis (Chile)

Consolation Final:
3rd- Sari Ohhara
4th- Aneis Velis

Final:
1st- Alexandra Rinder
2nd- Isabela Sousa


2015 PRO JUNIOR RESULTS:

Semifinal One:
1st- Tanner McDaniel (Hawaii)
2nd- Nelson Flores (Chile)

Semifinal Two:
1st- Socrates Santana (Brasil)
2nd- Matheus Bastos (Brasil)

Final:
1st- Socrates Santana
2nd- Tanner McDaniel


2015 Final Day Highlights:





Wednesday, February 24, 2016

BEHIND THE SCENES: Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES: Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2015

ABF 2015 at Nilda Point in Antofagasta, Chile (July 28th-August 2nd).


  Here is a gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from the APB's Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2015...enjoy...YEEEWWW!!!

Front page coverage with El Mercúrio!

More newspaper coverage in La Estrella!

"Yoyo" took Teza and me to grab breakfast on our way to the secondary contest site at Budeo.
Beach Announcer "Mono" at Budeo.

The lifeguards at Budeo.

Brazilian David Barbosa about to hit the water for one of his Pro Junior heats at Budeo.

Chilean judge, Jano Sanchez.

Japanese competitors Ayaka Suzuki and Sari Ohhara.

Portuguese competitors Antonio Cardoso and Miguel Adão.

Brazilian Pro Junior competitors Socrates Santana and Matheus Bastos...Familia P5!

Hawaiian supergrom Tanner McDaniel getting ready to hit the water at Budeo.

Miguel Adão photobombing Teresa Almeida (Portugal).

Welcome to the "Fish Bowl"...my "office" at Nilda Point.

The APB's Alex Leon answering questions from Women's competitor Alexandra Rinder (Canary Islands) and Tanner McDaniel.

#FavelaStorm ...Brazilians David Barbosa, Socrates Santana, and Matheus Bastos.

The man, the myth, the beard, J-Rom!  Hawaiian Jacob Romero enjoying some refreshments courtesy of event sponsor Gatorade.

Nilda Point bleacher creatures.

The competitor's board locker.

Following Socrates Santana's win at ABF 2015 in the Pro Junior final, I jumped out of the commentary booth to help chair him up the beach and conduct the post-win interview.  I always try to conduct myself in a professional manor but, in this situation, raw human emotion took over.  This kid is like family to me.  I've been bodyboarding with him since he was 11 years old.  He's my English student.  I was so completely overwhelmed by emotion and pride, watching him win his first world tour event!  This was one of the most powerful moments I have ever experienced working on the world tour!

Clare McGowan (England) and Natsuki Yokote (Japan) at Nilda Point.

The APB's Teza McKenna with Australian Lewy Finnegan and South African Jared Houston.

Alexandra Rinder crashed the commentary booth follwing her Women's Final win at ABF 2015!

Steve "Action" Jackson in the commentary booth.  That's a wrap...YEEEWWW!!!




Tuesday, February 23, 2016

RECAP: Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2015

RECAP: Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival 2015

Nilda Point, Antofagasta, Chile
July 28th-August 2nd, 2015



DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS:



DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS:



DAY THREE HIGHLIGHTS:



DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS:



FINAL DAY HIGHLIGHTS:



RESULTS:

(Men's)
1st- Lewy Finnegan (Australia)
2nd- Uri Valadão (Brasil)
3rd- Iain Campbell (South Africa)
4th- Sacha Damjanic (Chile)

(Women's)
1st- Alexandra Rinder (Canary Islands)
2nd- Isabela Sousa (Brasil)
3rd- Sari Ohhara (Japan)
4th- Anais Velis (Chile)

(Pro Junior)
1st- Socrates Santana (Brasil)
2nd- Tanner McDaniel (Hawaii)
=3rd- Nelson Flores (Chile)
=3rd- Matheus Bastos (Brasil)




For more information, please be sure to visit:

Antofagasta Bodyboard Festival on Facebook

Club Budeo on Facebook

Budeo Bodyboard Club official website

APB World Tour official website

APB Tour on Facebook





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