Ben Player waited until the last possible minute to pull out his first win at the International Bodyboarding Association’s Pipeline Challenge on Friday.
Competing in a stacked final that included Pierre Louis Costes and Jeff and Dave Hubbard, Player had just one good scoring wave until the last minute of the men’s final heat.
Up to that point, it appeared Jeff Hubbard would repeat as champion and keep the title in Hawaii. But Player caught a perfect Pipe wave, dropped in, got a solid three seconds of tube time and finished it off with a sick inverted air. Fellow Australians on the beach erupted as the score was announced.
Player took first with a two-wave score of 16.13. Jeff Hubbard was second at 14.95, Costes of France took third at 10.76 and Dave Hubbard finished fourth at 8.58.
"It’s one of the best things I have ever done in my bodyboarding career," Player said. "I have always wanted to win Pipe ever since I was a kid after growing up watching guys like Guilherme (Tamega) and Mike Stewart. I have been close so many times and never actually won it, so it’s a big win for me."
Brazil’s Isabella Sousa repeated in the women’s division, catching two high-scoring waves in the first five minutes of the final and never looking back. Her 15.88 score easily outdistanced Minami Hatakeyama of Japan (10.43), Karla Costa-Taylor of Brazil (8.26) and Japan’s Sari Ohara (7.71).
"I am feeling amazing right now," Sousa said. "It feels different this time because last year was pretty small and this year is much bigger. In Brazil, soccer is the biggest sport and the best place is called Maracana. Here (Pipeline) is the Maracana for bodyboarding."
Another repeat winner was South African Sacha Specker, who took the men’s dropknee division.
"I am just super stoked," Specker said. "I was joking around with my friends on the beach before the final to get the South African flag ready, so I am pumped right now. I have been coming here since 2001 and I just love it here. It’s a beautiful place with beautiful people and I always have a good time. I consider myself lucky to win out here and to get two wins is a dream."
Specker’s 16.16 score was tops among Dave Hubbard (14.78), Dave Winchester of Australia (13.01) and Cesar Bauer of Peru (10.13).
