Thursday produced some really fun waves on the Gold Coast. Straddie in particular.

BBS Young Gun Beau Kearsley was dominating, surfing above his years and was a pleasure to watch.

Jarrod Nichols was shooting photos and was kind enough to share this amazing photo of Beau getting barreled like the surfers  wish they could.

Nice Work Boys!

Remember! Just by shopping at BBS you could win a trip to Hawaii to stay in the Turbo House as well as a stack of other cool  prizes! Click here to find out more!

At a secret location, at an unknown time. BBS Rider Chris ‘Wod’ Breeze was getting

some of the best barrels of his life. Camera operator and all round good guy Jeff

Livingston was there to capture the madness.

Check out Wod’s Interview thing by clicking  here

and Check out Jeff’s photo thing by clicking  here

Dane Pope has been riding for BBS for over a year. In this time he has managed to win Nationals and the Rebel Sport Pro Tour. Dane surfs amazing, he is super smooth and powerful, consistent and oozes style. Dane is one of the most under rated DK riders in the country and BBS are stoked to have him on the team.

We recently caught up with Dane to talk about Travel, Boards, Red hair and Victory.

G’day mate, firstly I would just like to congratulate you on all your comp success over the last year. You took out nationals and won the Pro tour and had another good year at DKS. How do you feel about your results?

Pretty happy to take out the two wins. It was a big week and to finish on top was really satisfying. Would have been nice if the waves were there for the finals, but i have surfed worse that is for sure. Was awesome just to have a huge QLD contingent at the presentation getting loose and cheering on. I wasn’t too happy with how i surfed in the DKS comps, but there is always this year.

You have done a bit of travelling and have some awesome photos and footage, have you got any other plans to travel in the not to distant future?

Yeah i have a couple of trips in the mix at the moment, just really need to start putting some coin aside and get as much value out of each trip as possible.

You’re clips on YouTube are impressive and you’re surfing seems to improve everytime i see you. Do you feel like you are surfing to your full potential?

Not really, its pretty tough working a 9-5 away from the beach. You really have to work hard with the time you have just to stay competitive. It would be nice to be able to get in the water a bit more that is for sure.

For those who don’t know fill us in on what your career involves. You seem to work really hard and must be rolling in the cash. Do you still get much time to play in the ocean?

Well I’m glad you asked because I am certainly not rolling in money. I work as a geotechnical engineer, which takes me from 20m deep basements in the Brisbane CBD to places like one of the biggest open cut coal mines in Indonesia.  It’s a challenging job. I guess i dont get as much time as I would like to surf, but i keep fit playing indoor soccer, riding to work and my least favourite activity, running.

Running is like watching paint dry. So what are your plans for this year? Comps? Travel? What are Dane Pope’s short term goals?

Well i guess I am going to have to defend the two titles. I hope that doing that will entice some of the underground lads to come out from the woodwork and try to take them off me – i think that will be really good for the sport anyway. Plus it’s always good to catch up with the DK crew from around Oz. I will be competing in DKS 2010, because it is the event that every serious DK rider should attend, and not because of the competition, it’s just awesome to catch up with everyone, and feed off the talent that is gathered at these events. It helps your surfing a lot. Take a look at the caliber of riders that have won it in the past. It is the benchmark for competitive DK. As for travel, i would like to get over to WA for a bit, explore Victoria a bit more and a couple of pacific island jaunts may be on the cards as well.

Do you think having red hair helps your surfing?

Yeah like a broken leg helps DK? Short answer no, its too easy to get burnt.

Besides riding for us (BBS) who else is giving you gear?  The board you are riding now looks amazing. Do you ride your own shape?    If so, where does the inspiration come from?

I have been riding Glenn Taylor shaped customs for a while and am happy to have recently signed with Designs Customs. Both Glenn and Gregg are really supportive of their team and have a positive attitude to all aspects of the sport. I also have been riding for Beyond Industries clothing for a couple of years and its epic to be a part of a really talented team. Reeflex have helped me out with some warm rubber to get me through the cold months in VIC when i pop in down there for a visit. The board i ride at the moment is basically my own shape however it came about from my favourtie aspects of Dubb/Roach shapes. Its different to both and i think it fits my style just right.

Thanks for the chat Dane, congrats again on all your comp success. Anything else you would like to say?

Just a big thank-you to BBS for supporting underground DK riders and really getting behind their team riders at all levels. Much appreciated. Also like to thank Trev from surfphotos.com.au and Matt Brockie because a lot of their hard work and time goes unrewarded and without guys like them around, I would be stuffed. Finally, Clayton Pickworth (DKS) for just being an all round top lad. His passion and support is amazing. And Mitch: one of these days we will strike gold ha ha. Peace and DK 4 life.

Cheers Dane and best of luck for this year.

Images provided by Trevor Ross. Check out his site. You may just be on there!

www.surfphotos.com.au

Interview by Stevie Lloyd

Nick Gornall has been getting a bit of coverage lately, and it is well deserved.

Nick surfs amazing and has been for years now.  He owns straddie and some of the

kids around here hold him as high as some of the best bodyboarders in the world.

With another big year of travel ahead, it is sure to be another big year for Nick.

Watch out for his section on the new Movement vid. It will blow you away.

Nick you have been surfing straddie for over a decade, you have built

yourself a solid reputation and have been receiving quite a bit of

exposure generating a name for yourself in the bodyboarding world.

How do you feel about your surfing and the media you have been

creating of late?

Yes i have been surfing straddie for ages now, got a good solid little crew going

it’s awesome. Exposure has been going well lately, mainly from just a few of my

latest trips not sure why it has only started now maybe just the right place at the

right time, with photographers etc etc.

You have some awesome footage and some of the photos that are

floating around are amazing, i have heard some kids say stuff like

“Nick is better than most of the pro’s in the mags and on the videos”.

I tend to agree. Why do you think people have taken so long to catch

onto your level of surfing?

Mainly exposure again. I’ve done a lot of oversea’s travels in my time pretty much

since ive left school really. Been to many many places but usually with a couple

mates never filming or what not, people who like my surfing are usually people

who just see me around the coast or anywhere.

So Nick being idolised yourself, who is it that you get inspiration from?

Why do you like to ride a body board?

I like to boog cause its fitness and also just fun getting mega bowls, barrels etc etc.

Bodyboarding has taken me around the globe many a times and made me

meet some amazing people. Such as Jono and  Hardy whom I idolise on a boog.

Personally i think your surfing is world class. Smooth, fluent and

powerful with perfect style. Whilst a lot of people agree you still stay

away from the comp scene, making a name for your self as a free surfer.

What made you want to just focus on your surfing and not the glory of

competition success?

I hate waiting around all day at comps if I get through. It would be good if it was at

good spots too. For example i got knocked out first heat in 2 foot d bah about a few

months ago. I’ll go in them if its close by and important to my sponsors

If you weren’t a bodyboarder, what do you think you would  be doing

with your spare time?

hmmm i skated heaps but got too hurt. I like fitness, i run most mornings, but i do

party quite a lot. Recently being a sunday morning now while im writing this i had

my first weekend in about 3-4 years of not drinking on a friday saturday night!

was nuts haha

What do you think about the state of bodyboarding, have we come along

in leaps and bounds? Is there a long way to go?

The state of bodyboarding is pretty good at the moment i reckon, all about busting

big and what more could you ask for, except a bit more cash flow.

We’ve spoken about who inspires you, who do you feel are the young

bodyboarders really pushing themselves?

Thorpe Waluew

You have a few stamps in your passport now, where around the globe

have you been and do you have any travel plans coming up in the near

future?

Ummm pretty much whole globe at least 2-3 times each place, take for ever

pin pointing every spot haha but yeah travelling is the best i recommend it for

everyone. I’m off to europe this year bout may onwards

A kid asked me what i was doing in the shop just now, I told him i was

interviewing Nick Gornall and he started frothing. He wants to know

how long have you been bodyboarding and what are your favourite

moves? ha.

hahah good question! Probably been booging for about 11 years and i love flips,

reverse airs, foward airs, and inverts. What ever the section can provide

What do you want out of bodyboarding? If a company got right behind

you and supported you enough to stop working, So you could travel and

surf would you be keen? Or are you content running Surf FX and owning

Straddie?

Of course i would be keen if i got the support, no one likes working and being stuck

in the one place, haha. Just hard to get that kind of money in our sport and is kind

of a good thing in a way cause it shows that everyone does it for fun.

Thanks a lot for your time Nick.

Click Here to watch Nick Gornalls section in PB.

Interview by Stevie Lloyd

Lovin' life

Unless you have been living underground you would have heard the name

Thorpe Waluew. Having recently turned 14 Thorpe’s ability on the boog is

mind blowing. A cool, smart kid with the world at his feet. We caught up with

Thorpe recently (in between his busy schedule of surfing and playing Xbox)

while he was on school holidays.

Thorpe you have been getting a lot of coverage over the last couple of

years, you have done more travel at 14 then most do in a life time and

had some awesome comp results. Your surfing seems to improve

everyday. What does bodyboarding mean to you?

 Well, it means a lot to me probably more then anything. It’s just without it

i would just be a boring person and do nothing all the time and bodyboarding

helps you with making friends and having good times.

One of your last trips away saw you go over to WA to stay and surf with Hardy.

Kids all over the globe would be frothing on such an amazing

opportunity. What was it like surfing with the best in the business?

Did it improve your surfing?

 It helped my surfing a lot, i would just watch him surfing and watch how

smooth and clean his moves really were and i would just try to do the same thing

and its seems like it helped me out heaps.

thorpe boosting big

You have some pretty solid support from some of the biggest companies

in the game. What are your short term and long term goals?

 I really want to be world champ when i get into the world competitions

but for a short term goal i just want to travel and get as much shots/footage and

experience as i can.

You are pretty switched on for your age. You are well spoken, smart

and competitive. Do you think growing up on the gold coast and being

influenced by your older brothers and their friends has been good for

your bodyboarding? Where did you first start surfing and when?

Everyone that i surf and hang with definatly helped me to get better at

bodyboarding and what not, but i started when i was 10 surfing Burleigh beach

with my oldest brother Morgan.

 It’s pretty safe to say you are a bit of a heart throb, how do

you feel about the female species? Do you have a special young lady

in your life?

 hahah na i am a lone wolf haha

keeping the sponsors happy

You seemed to be all about boosts when you were younger, lately your

surfing seems more refined and while you are still boosting higher

than birds, (literally) you seem to be riding more technical and setting

smooth lines. Is this something you have been working on or is it

just natural progression?

 I have always tried to fix my style and surfing up, but i dont really think

about what i have to do it just normally happens.

Natural freak then. Who are your influences Thorpe? In and out of

the water?

Well my sponsers Billabong, NMD, Stealth and BBS (Burleigh Bodyboard

Shop) and out of the water my mum, dad, brothers and all my best mates that i

hang with.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

Hopefully still bodyboarding and trying to win the world title.

What is your favourite thing about bodyboarding and what do you

think it will take for you to reach the goals you want to achieve?

 Friends and good times for sure.

Thanks a lot for your time Little man.

Interview by Stevie Lloyd

the kids got skills