Welcome to the 24th Edition of The Bodyboard Report! 🤙

This week is about two events in one country and a unique storyline that ties itself together in a way I could not have scripted better.

This one's got history, upsets, and a mom watching her rising star kiddo kicking ass all the way to her own former rival.

Almost sounds like there’s a movie in there…

Hollywood ran out of ideas a while ago and the sponge version of Blue Crush is calling.

So grab a piece of it, some popcorn, and let’s dive right into it! 👇

Still on offer from last week! 👇

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Simply add the keychain to your cart and apply the coupon code 👇

Praia Grande in Portugal needs no introduction, but a 30 year legacy does indeed require a special notice.

That is how long the Sintra Bodyboard Pro Fest has been running at this beach, tucked into the cliffs of a Portuguese UNESCO World Heritage municipality.

Established in 1995, it now holds the record no other stop on the world tour can claim, the longest running, most consistent event bodyboarding has ever had.

Since 1995, the sport's governing body has changed hands more than once, from GOB to the IBA to APB to the IBC we know today. Organisations rose, ran out of money, and handed the reins to whoever came next.

Through every single one of those handovers, Sintra kept going, and that is one of the most remarkable achievements of our sport.

ABSCS president João Campos put it plainly: "It has gone by different names and worked with various international organisations over the years, but it has always thrived thanks to the amazing fans and the invaluable backing of the Sintra Town Council."

This year's 30th edition is not just a nostalgia lap either. The Women's Prime Series has been upgraded to a $30,000 USD prize purse, the largest in the history of women's bodyboarding, and it now matches the men's Rising Series purse buck for buck.

Over 150 athletes from more than 25 countries are in town, with 30,000 spectators expected on the sand each day, free of charge, for all 6 days. That sounds like a cool party worth going to. Add it to the bucket list.

If bodyboarding has ever had a proper home, it is this stretch of Portuguese coastline.

Before Sintra even started, something remarkable happened up the coast.

At the Miss Quebramar Cup in Ílhavo, 20 year old Luna Hardman won her first senior level IBC World Tour event, beating fellow Brazilian and reigning 2024 world champion Maíra Viana in the final, 7.65 to 6.25.

Last week The Bodyboard Report explored 👇

It does sound like there’s a movie in here. The real story goes back 18 years to 2008, when Luna’s mom, Neymara Carvalho, won this same event. Luna was just 2 years old.

Neymara would of course go on to become a 5 x world champion.

“My mother has a couple of these trophies at home, and I loved them ever since I was little because of the sand inside that slides from side to side,” Luna said after her victory.

“Now I have got my first one, and it feels like it was destiny.”

And Luna didn't just win, she dominated the stats.

Her 13.25 was the highest heat score of the entire 22nd edition, while her 8.00 was the event's best single wave. Across the competition, 22 athletes rode a combined 257 waves.

And then there was the final opponent.

Maíra Viana became the IBC Women's World Champion at Sintra in 2024, defeating Teresa Miranda in the final to claim her first senior world title.

Now, in 2026, Maíra, Luna and Neymara are all competing on the world bodyboarding circuit, all hailing from Espírito Santo, Brazil.

I wonder what they put in the water over there… 🤔

Between these fine women, they have already collected 8 x world titles:

🏆 Neymara Carvalho 👉 5 x Senior World Champion
🏆 Maíra Viana 👉 1 x Senior World Champion
🏆 Luna Hardman 👉 2 x Pro Junior World Champion

And now Luna has added another piece of silverware, or brass? to the family collection.

Her mother's trophy from 2008 has a new companion. 👏

If not obvious before, it is now. The next generation has arrived. 🌊

Day 1 at Praia Grande belonged to the home crowd.

Portugal's Rodrigo Lopes produced one of the standout rides of the opening day, throwing a huge right hand backflip for an 8.75 and backing it up with a 7.50 to post a 16.25 heat total.

Then Day 2 flipped the script.

Small surf forced the riders to get technical, and Portugal's Filipa Broeiro rose to the occasion with a 14.00 heat total, the highest women's score of the event so far.

On the men's side, Spanish teenager Ethan Pérez produced the standout ride of the day, linking an ARS into a rollo for an 8.50, the day's best wave, and a 15.00 heat total.

But the real story was who didn't make it through.

2 x World Champ Alexandra Rinder was eliminated in the women's repechage, alongside Portugal's Mariana Silva.

In the men's Rising Series, reigning world champion Uri Valadão was knocked out by local rider Miguel Ferreira, who took the heat win with a 7.50 wave.

Meanwhile, defending Sintra champion Pierre Louis Costes made a strong start to his title defense, while current world No. 2 Amaury Lavernhe and 2024 world champion Armide Soliveres also moved safely through their heats.

And the Brazilian connection is still very much alive.

Neymara Carvalho, Maíra Viana and Luna Hardman all survived Day 2 and advanced to the next rounds, with Luna arriving fresh from her Miss Quebramar Cup victory.

The 30th anniversary edition continues…

As I’m writing this, Day 3 just kicked off.

Live coverage on 👉 IBC World Tour YouTube

👉 Sintra Pro Highlights Day 2

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