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Welcome to the 13th edition of The Bodyboard Report! ๐ค
You know that feeling when you tease a final, tell everyone "my money's on Tristan," and then... he loses?
That's exactly what happened in Brazil on May 31st.
Tristan Roberts walked into the Itacoatiara Pro final undefeated for the season, and walked out runner up.
Chile's Matรญas Dรญaz produced the ride of his career, a clean 8.00 backflip in the dying seconds, to steal the win 16.25 to 8.50.
Here's the twist though.
It didn't matter in the grand scheme of thingsโฆ
Iโm coining the phrase โBoogie Bokโ and I want a buck everytime somebody says it!
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The champ. The king? The big shot!
Tristan's first two results of the year, back to back wins at Agadir in Morocco and Antofagasta in Chile, had already built him such a points cushion that the Itacoatiara result barely moved the needle.
He's still sitting top of the IBC rankings on 14,300 points, with nearest rival Amaury Lavernhe almost 4,000 points back.
And here's where it gets properly wild.
Tristan confirmed it himself on his Facebook page and the IBC backed it up. He doesn't need to win another event this season. He doesn't even need to make a final. All he has to do is paddle out at Gran Canaria Frontรณn King in October, the last stop of the year, and the points already in the bank secure him his third world title.
Just dip a toe in at Frontรณn, and he's champ.
Think about what that actually means. Two world titles already, 2019 and 2022, both won the hard way, both contested down to the wire. This one gets handed to him on the strength of a Moroccan final, a Chilean final, and simply showing up in the Canaries. Tristan called it himself, "hard to believe" when he sat down and did the math.
A third title puts him in genuinely rare company. 2 x World Champs are special. Out of SA we already have Drรฉ and Jerry - The former being the youngest ever at age 17.
3 x World Champs start getting mentioned in the same breath as the sport's true greats.
So what's he doing with the breathing room before Frontรณn? Not chasing more results. Tristan's heading back to South Africa for the winter to work on a personal project called Road to Three, a short film about the country, the coastline, and the people who shaped his journey, not just a highlight reel of contest wins. It sounds like a spiritual sequel to Jannie, the documentary he put out after his second title back in 2022.
The job isn't finished yet. But for the first time in bodyboarding history, a world title is sitting there waiting to be collected like a burger at the drive through, and the man it belongs to would rather spend the months before it's confirmed chasing waves at home than chasing more trophies.
Hereโs where it gets awesome!
In 2019 Tristan won his first world title and was crowned the King of Frontรณn.
Will he be El King Champ again? ๐๐
And yes, Iโm coining that tooโฆ ๐
The upset that did not cost T-Rob ๐
Spare a thought for Matรญas Dรญaz. The Chilean rider, age 32, had competed on tour for over a decade without a single win to his name, with two previous fifth place finishes at this exact event.
On the last day of May 2026 he finally broke through, and he did it by beating the best bodyboarder on the planet in the final.
His road to the final wasn't easy either. He came back from behind against Morocco's Chajri Badr Eddine in an early heat, narrowly squeezed past France's Ethan Capdeville in the quarters, then knocked out one of the sport's most decorated names, Amaury Lavernhe, in the semis by just 1.40 points.
"I've competed for more than a decade on tour and it never came together, but I never stopped training or competing," Dรญaz said afterward.
He's now the third Chilean rider ever to win at Itacoatiara, following Alan Muรฑoz and Moisรฉs Silva.
Tristan featured recently on SAโs morning talk show Expresso Show ๐
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Checking in on Thomas Rovira ๐ ๐
Not every story from Itacoatiara was a celebration. Almost 4 weeks ago now, Colombian rider Thomas Rovira suffered a serious injury when he was caught by a heavy wave exiting the water after a heat, sustaining a lower back injury that compressed his spinal cord and temporarily left him unable to move his legs.
His case mobilised not just the sports community but residents of Niterรณi and supporters from across Brazil and abroad. Since the first days of his admission, family, friends, athletes and fans followed every update on his health closely.
Throughout treatment, Thomas faced daily challenges, but showed real willpower and determination, and as the weeks passed, positive results began to appear, bringing relief and renewed confidence to everyone supporting his recovery.
Leaving the hospital on foot is a major milestone in that process, celebrated by family and friends as a victory built through struggle, dedication, and the support he received throughout his stay.
This is where I would love to see the global tribe at The Bodybaord Report come together! We all understand the burden of these medical costs and long road to full recovery.
๐ Support Thomas here
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Women's bodyboarding keeps climbing
While the men's tour dominated headlines this fortnight, the women's side of the sport continues building real momentum.
Austria's Alexandra Rinder, already a 3 xworld champion and the youngest titleholder in the sport's history, currently leads the IBC women's rankings.
Right behind her is Portugal's Filipa Broeiro and Joana Schenker, Japan's Namika Yamashita, and Brazil's Neymara Carvalho, mother of rising junior star Luna Hardman, to round out the current top five.
Worth noting that Neymara isn't just there for sentiment. She's a genuine contender on the world stage in her own right, which makes this boogie family story even better.
Is there any other sport that can say that?
Portugal's 2026 Season just dropped ๐
The Federaรงรฃo Portuguesa de Surf released the full 2026 national bodyboard calendar, and there's a nice connection for regular readers here.
The women's domestic season kicks off with the Cascais Boogie Chicks event at Carcavelos, the same event we've flagged before as a real engine room for European women's bodyboarding.
On the men's side, four national stops run between July and November, opening in Santa Cruz, then Sรฃo Jacinto, before a long break and a return to action in November at Carcavelos.
Reigning national champs Daniel Fonseca and Luana Dourado will be defending their titles.
And for the World Tour faithful, mark your calendars. The Sintra Bodyboard Pro Fest, the oldest event still running on the world circuit, is locked in for September 2 to 6 at Praia Grande.
Cave Rock On ๐ธ๐ค
In my back yard, South Africa's domestic bodyboarding calendar keeps churning out talent and competition.
If not Tristan and then someโฆ News just dropped that The Cave Rock Invitational in Durban is back this year!
According to the announcement, the event reigns were handed over to Wesley Coetzee and The Bodyboard Report will keep a close eye on whatโs cooking at one of the best and most powerful waves in the country.
๐ Watch this space
Wrapping up this sessionโฆ
A lot going on in boogie town!
A world title effectively settled by math rather than a final heat, a career-defining upset for a rider who waited over a decade for his moment, and a sobering reminder that this sport asks a lot of the people who do it at the highest level.
Onwards to Mexico, where the tour debuts at Boca de Pascuales from July 3 to 9.
Catch you next week!๐ค
Did you miss last weekโs publication? Check it out online here! ๐๐
Disclaimer: The Bodyboard Report is published for informational and entertainment purposes only. All images, media, and referenced content remain the copyright of their respective owners and are used for editorial commentary and community sharing. The Bodyboard Report does not claim ownership of any third party content.