The inventor of bodyboard is Tom Morey. Tom Morey studied mathematics until 1955, then he worked in the field of air and sea industries where he began working on plastic materials and foam. But he didn't really enjoy his job so he chose to work in the surf business which was rising at this time.
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In 1971, he stopped all his activities to go to Hawaï. But how to live so near from the ocean and not to pay attention to it ? For Tom Morey it was impossible. Because he had a lot of new ideas, he manufactured a new surfboard : he produced a 6 feet long surfboard. But this new board was too weak and broke during the first test in small waves.
Tom Morey moved a second time to Kailua island for a house near the spot of Honols. Here, because of the vision of the perfect waves of this place, he found in his garage a little piece of foam and he cut it to give it the shape of a gravestone (see picture). Then he tested his new invention and understood rapidly that he has had a brilliant idea : he had created a new board, more easy to handle, light and fun. Bodyboarding was born!!
Tom Morey understood that he could sell his new idea. After having found 1000$ thanks to his friends, he moved back to California in 1971. There he was employed by a little company which worked in the field of surf to sell his boards, boards that took the name of Boogies. However, the look of the board was too bad to attract people.
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But Tom Morey had a lot of ideas. It was during his visit in a firm which produced plastic films that he had the idea of the Slick Skin : a new slip surface which gave to the board a more attractive aspect. It was from this date that the Boogies began to be sold. In 1977, his company moved for bigger offices. However, in order to guarantee all the orders, Tom Morey needed more money and because banks didn't want to lend him more, he chose to sell his firm.
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It was in 1976, thanks to a French businessman, who comes from the "côte basque" in the south of France, that the bodyboarding came to France. In 1982, the contest of Pipeline was created (contest that Mike Stewart (in picture) has won 9 times.) Since those years, a lot of new brands of bodyboard has been created and the market has begun to developed more. In 1985, the first bodyboarding magazine has been created.
A new milestone was passed in 1995 with the creation of the professional tour called GOB : a real championship with contest in waves all around the world. This new competition, which is sometimes questioned by some riders, allows bodyboarding to develop itself like a new sport and not like a simple pastime. Moreover it gave to the bodyboard a new dimension : bodyboarding has become more aerial, riders have begun to find new moves more spectacular. (If you don't trust me, see the pictures gallery...).
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