Boyton handy on the waves
ROB Boyton is one of the most passionate bodysurfers on the Gold Coast, according to Travis Davies, organiser of the Slydefest, a handboarders competition to be held on June 1 on Gold Coast’s northern beaches.
The one-day handboarders event has attracted open men, women’s and under-15 mixed competitions with 15-minute heats and a 20-minute final.
“Handboarding is hugely popular in America and especially Hawaii,” said Davies, who is keen to promote the sport where the participants refrain from wetsuits and wear swimwear (budgie smugglers) instead of board shorts.
There are two disciplines; one is bodysurfing without the handboard, the other uses a handboard with a wrist leash.
Both use swim fins but the Gold Coast Slydefest event is a compulsory handboard-only.
Boyton uses a handboard and goes out in all types of conditions. He learnt to surf on a surfboard inspired by fourtime world champ Mark Richards in 1977, and relied on local legend Guy Omerod and his big wave knowledge at Burleigh Point.
Boyton made the switch from surfboard to bodysurfer in 1981 after watching a young grom cracking waves at Narrowneck.
“I was walking along the beach after a surf at the Neck and saw this kid having a crack on a handplane,” he recalled.
“I got talking to his Dad and found out it was a Taylor’s Mistake Handski (originally from New Zealand).
“I bought one for $75 and splashed around with it for six months and finally bought a pair of swim fins.”
The first thing he noticed was how much more effort is required.
“You think you’re fit but getting out, catching a wave, doing manoeuvres, even just trying to stay in one spot all requires more effort,” he said.
The second thing was the connection to the wave.
“You can feel the set coming and when you take off you feel the face of the wave across your body. On a bigger wave you feel the power pocket; it’s like kicking against a moving wall that bends your back as the wave pushes you forward.”
He described the difference between surfing and handboarding as a sensation of floating and water moving around you. “You don’t get those sensations on a surfboard,” he insisted.