At IBC, we’re excited to present the third installment of IDOLS & LEGENDS in the bodyboarding world.
We want to create a space to celebrate these amazing riders, and for those who don’t know them yet, to learn a little more about their journey and contributions to our sport.
Today, we’re bringing you an exclusive interview with a charismatic Australian athlete — a rider who’s been and still is a true idol and a major influence in global bodyboarding.
His unique style has taken the sport to the next level — perfect lines on the wave, great reading of the surf, smooth flow, and flawless maneuvers. He’s versatile on both lefts and rights, doing all his tricks with the same style on both sides in any conditions. Honestly, this guy is a total legend in bodyboarding.
Plus, he’s got a great personality — super friendly with friends, passionate about nature, in love with his family, adventurous, funny, and above all, a genuinely good person.
So, here’s our exclusive interview with RYAN HARDY.
Age – 45
Place of Birth – Margaret River
Years bodyboarding – 34
Hometown – Margaret River half the year and Bali, Canggu half the year.
- How did bodyboarding start for you and what does the sport mean to you?
My Dad was a surfer and I started standing up on his single fin surfboards at age 7. Then at age 8, 1987, the family got Mach 7-7’s and I rode them with my brothers in whitewash at the local Margaret River beachbreaks.
- What was childhood like in Margaret River?
My childhood was awesome with family, my brothers and friends being raised in Margaret River in epic free nature play with the bush, beach, sports and all outdoor settings acting as our playgrounds. It has nice weather for most of the year to be outdoors and the temperate in the ocean stays relatively warm all year.
- How did the idea of evolving the technique and style of this sport come about?
At my peak time of riding progression and evolution it’s interesting that I didn’t have the goal of evolving/changing the style of the sport. I primarily emulated and made an effort to copy the styles of my favourite riders and their moves; primarily Mike Stewart along with Eppo, Wingnut, bullet, Tamega, Skipper and pick bits of their style of moves into my own riding to aspire my riding to be at the highest level it could be and with an aesthetic look; style, equipment, colours that made me feel the best. The influence and evolution of that style that came from my personal endeavours was a by-product of my deep spirited dreams to be one of the best bodyboarders in the world.
- Who were your mentors who helped you achieve this challenge?
My older brother Gene reached a high level in bodyboarding early on in our family bodyboarding quest and was charging the heavy reefs and bigger waves in our local area that he would push me to go harder in shared sessions. My Dad took me and my brothers to powerful spots from an early age and he supported my choice to bodyboard rather than stand up like him and inspired me to rider with an aspired level of perfectionism and mastery like he did in his stand up surfing and board shaping. I didn’t have any specific coaches, my twin brother and our friends used to video each other a lot in our teenage years which we used in self coaching.
- Many bodyboarding films showcase your skills, likeable personality and skills with humour. What do you remember about the bodyboarding film era? Can you name some of your favourite films? Anything else about that time in bodyboard films?
I remember that era as a lot of fun times, adventure and crazy sessions with my friends. Constantly pushing the limits in the water and coming up with fun things to do. Some of my favourite films were The tension series, water works and perspectives and hardlyfe movies for pushing myself the hardest for the best quality performance and film and it was epic with Chris Bryan and editor Dave Willcox who shared similar perfectionist qualities to create an epic fim, that was exciting and motivating. Probably the premieres were the most memorable and epic things about that 2000’s film era. Particularly the tension series, knowing a new film premiere was coming up created a lot of anticipation and excitement. There was always a young and amped crowd that made for a really good amping and funny atmosphere and bodyboarders were coming together to share it all and meet the riders in the video which made for a big buzz also. It was a really cool time to have been a part of and it was an epic time and also a proud moment to have been one of the main riders featured and influence bodyboarders in a positive way and encourage them to get out in the water and have fun.
pics: http://bodyboardmuseum.com.au/
- What’s life like now between Margaret River and Bali?
Life now is definitely busy! I have family life with my wife Leah and 3kids. Like any other family trying to make money to pay the bills and support the family and raise the kids the best we can; we do our best to manage it all and ride out of the hard times together while embracing and enjoying the good times! I go back and forth to Bali while the family stays at home in Margaret River, WA between May and November. Every 4weeks, I go for 2 x 1week camps. I really love the pace of life in Bali and everything about the island. It’s hard to imagine finding a better job than working on the Bali Bodyboarding camps. It’s such a good balanced routine for me of early wake up, chase surf in fun waves and warm water, watch the video with the guys afterwards. Rest in the afternoon, scoot around on a moped for island adventuring and then watch the sunset somewhere, get dinner somewhere and then get to bed early. That’s a pretty complete day for me and 2weeks of that is really nice. I miss my family a lot, especially by the 2nd week but I definitely enjoy myself 🙂
- How do I feel about your son Oli getting into bodyboarding, what experiences do you want to have with him? What goals would you like him to have?
Simply put it’s just so fun, adventurous, exciting and spiritual being out with him in the ocean. Once we get out in the water together it feels like we’ve transcended into another realm and I feel like my surfing family is out there with us, sometimes they are, his uncles, aunties, cousins and it has a very sacred, timeless feel. We look out for each other, we encourage each other, we watch the ocean, we celebrate and mingle with the animals we see. It’s always been our sacred place of enjoyment, we can always find a fun, positive time with each other and for the beach that we play on and we have done since he was two and we rode our first tandem waves together. We dug holes in the sand to fill a pool and jump in it together when the waves washed up and splashed water around us. To me and my family, the beach and the ocean is a sacred place of love, fun and a good time. A place to be respected and care for, a place to love and share the good times. Our family always unites harmoniously at the beach and looks out for each other in the ocean.
- What are your current and future projects?
I’m really getting into writing; creative writing and writing in general. I plan to write a book on my bodyboarding life and my story on my mental health journey and raising my family etc. I’m looking forward to that and also writing other pieces about things that inspire and entertain me in the natural world like the ocean, nature and our connection with each other and nature.
- Who were my role models in bodyboarding?
Stewart, Eppo, Bullet, Wingnut, Tamega, Roach and Skipper.
pics: http://bodyboardmuseum.com.au/
- What are your favourite spots and waves in the world?
Favourite spots to visit are Tahiti, Mexico, Canaries, Portugal, Bali, Chile, New Zealand and Hawaii.
Favourite waves are Pipe, Chopes.
- What message do I have for young people starting bodyboarding?
I’d recommend first getting in the waves with someone you feel comfortable with who has ocean experience and go slowly, slowly. You’ve got your whole life to ride bigger and better. Enjoy and hoot when you feel it! It’s one of the best things you can do in life.
pics: http://bodyboardmuseum.com.au/
- How do I see the current level of bodyboarding? Name a few riders that catch your attention?
The level is high for sure particularly with symmetry of air moves (flips, inverts and air spins going both right and left). Those riders who catch my attention are Tanner McDaniel, Tristan Roberts, Pierre always, Lewy Finnegan. It will be awesome to see other riders and new styles and new performances coming through in the years to come.
- What are your best moments in competition?
Winning first Under 14 State Titles in fun waves at home. Getting 2nd at the U/18 National Titles. Winning the Tahiti Skins with a spin in the barrel at the 1st contest there in 2000. Winning the Island Comp in 2006. Winning the Pipe Contest in 2009 with the supporting Aussie tribe on the beach after I’d had the 2007/8 season off when I was first diagnosed with Bipolar. Being a part of the World Title Races and finishing 2nd overall to Jeff Hubbard in 2006 and 2011. Getting 2nd to Hubb in the only ever world tour Mexico event at pumping big Puerto. Winning the first Arica Challenge in 2004. Winning the Australian Tour in 2006. Competing at Fronton in general and being a safety rider in the channel when it was massive in 2012 (I think it was when Finlay won), that was amazing.
- What’s some good travel stories or memories?
I think my best and funnest memories was travelling on the world tour with my Australian friends and mingling with the International bodyboarders. Bodyboarders in general are a crazy bunch of people that do stupid, funny and wild shit in the water that like to share the good times together and it’s basically the same on land.
I plan to talk in detail about a lot of the fun and crazy adventures and antics in my book, “Live It Up” I’m planning to release in the next couple of years.
- Do you want to thank anyone or celebrate anything to finish?
I’d like to thank all of my immediate family for the important part they each played in my path to pursuing my pro bodyboarding career. I’d like to thank my wife Leah for her loving support and belief in me through all the years not just in my bodyboarding career but also over the years supporting me with love, perserverance and strength living with my mental health condition and also her patience and faith with me travelling away so much particularly in the 10years or so before we started a family.
I’d also like to thank my bodyboard shapers, Mez, Todd Quigley,Jarrod Gibson and Dan Sivess for their support and contribution to shaping me the best possible crafts in my competitive years, thanks fellas. I’d like to thank Todd for working close by me over the years, always pumping out my boards when I asked and working with my obsessive and perfectionist ways which made for a lot of work on his end and resultingly on my end a high level of understanding board performance dynamics. Legend mate, cheers!
I’d like to thank my sponsors over the years for their encouragement and financial support, particularly Eppo at Billabong and the Toobs/4play team with thanks to Ben Gallen for his belief in me and then Mez with VS for the huge support through my time off managing my bipolar. Also a big thanks for the awesome years travelling with the team and providing for a good, sustainable lifestyle with my family while I was full-time bodyboarding professionally.
A last big thanks to the international bodyboard community in general that hosted myself and my Aussie travel friends around Australia also. All the families, clubs and communities that took me in and showed me, my friends and my family warmth and made for one hell of a good time! May the good times keep rolling as the ocean spirit continues to call us and bring us together to enlighten our lives.
Very last ultimate thankyou to the ocean. Life has been such a joy since you’ve enlightened my feelings in life from a young age. I look forward to sharing many more moments, days and years being in the water, by the coast and loving it!
Thank you for the special part you’ve played in my life for me, my family and friends all around the world.
Instagram: #harballs / # balibodyboarding
From all of us at IBC and the entire bodyboarding community, we’re really grateful to you for taking the time to chat and share a bit of your life with us. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts — here’s to many more years of good times and great waves. No doubt, you’ll always be a part of our sport’s history.
pics: http://bodyboardmuseum.com.au/
Photos provided by Ryan Hardy himself.
THANK YOU RYAN!