Skip to content
IBC Bodyboarding World Tour
IBC WORLD TOUR HISTORY / 2021
All NewsEvents

IBC WORLD TOUR HISTORY / 2021

April 26, 2025

Back in 2021, we were still coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, so we couldn’t do the full tour this year, but we did manage to hold some events. This year, the world champions in DropKnee and Junior Men divisions were crowned. Here’s a rundown of what we did in 2021, the different events, and…

Back in 2021, we were still coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, so we couldn’t do the full tour this year, but we did manage to hold some events.

This year, the world champions in DropKnee and Junior Men divisions were crowned.

Here’s a rundown of what we did in 2021, the different events, and the champions.

A big thank you to all the riders and promoters for making it happen during such a tough year.

JULY 2021

THE TAND INVITATIONAL (SOUTH AFRICA)

Competitors were greeted with solid waves and beautiful sunny conditions — the famous “Tand” in South Africa came alive! The surfers shined in the heavy conditions, with big tubes and ramps. Jared Houston, Iain Campbell, Tristan Roberts, and Mark McCarthy all did great, making it to the finals. Despite Jared Houston’s strong effort, Tristan Roberts proved to be the best and took home the Tand Invitational 2021 title.

Tand Invitational Champion 2021

TRISTAN ROBERTS (South Africa)

Photo: © Craig Kolesky

SEPTEMBER 2021

SINTRA PORTUGAL PRO WORLD CUP / 25TH ANNIVERSARY

In 2021, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Sintra Bodyboard Pro in Portugal — the longest-running event on the world tour, making it a major highlight of our sport. In Sintra, the world title in DropKnee was decided in a super close final, featuring Hawaiian riders Sammy Morretino and Dave Hubbard. Sammy Morretino was crowned the 2021 DropKnee World Champion. It’s worth noting that for the first time, a Women’s Pro Junior event was held — even though it wasn’t part of the tour points, it was a first step toward including this division in the world tour years later. Plus, the Junior Men, Women, and Men divisions also took place.

DROPKNEE WORLD CHAMPION 2021

SAMMY MORRETINO (Hawaii)

SINTRA PRO 2021 DAY 1 dropknee
Women Champion SARI OHHARA (Japan)
Men Champion URI VALADAO (Brazil)
Men’s Pro Junior Champion DAVID PÉREZ (Spain)
Women’s Pro Junior Champion MADALENA PADRELA (Portugal)

OCTOBER 2021

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING WORLD CUP

In 2021, the World Circuit made its comeback to the Frontón, which had the honor of crowning, for the first time in its history, the junior world champion. The young rider from Cantabria, Luis Tausía, achieved this feat, also being crowned as the King of the Frontón. It was undoubtedly the best final in recent years, with packed stands and incredible conditions, and Pierre Louis Costes took home the championship title. The Gran Canaria Frontón King is, without a doubt, one of the best shows in the world.

Junior Men’s WORLD CHAMPION

LUIS TAUSIA (Spain)

King of Frontón 2021 PIERRE LOUIS COSTES (France)

DECEMBER 2021

PRIDE ANNAËLLE CHALLENGE

The seventh edition of this invitational contest took place in December in Brittany, in the northwest of France. Just a heads-up, it’s an event where only 16 riders are invited — the top locals, the best athletes from France, and the top international bodyboarders.The event went down exactly as expected, with mutant waves and super high-level surfing that put on an awesome show.

French surfer Pierre Louis Costes wrapped up the year with a new win in an epic final. His fellow Frenchman Yann Salaün was right behind him, taking second place. The third spot went to the great Canary Islander Lionel Medina, and Jéremy Arnaux from France finished in fourth.

Annaëlle Challenge Champion 2021

PIERRE LOUIS COSTES (France)

Stay tuned for the third part of the IBC World Tour History series, with a recap of 2022!

Athletes in this story

JH

Jared Houston

RSA

Tristan Roberts

Tristan Roberts

RSA

DH

Dave Hubbard

USA

SO

Sari Ohhara

JPN

Uri Valadao

Uri Valadao

BRA

David Pérez Miranda

David Pérez Miranda

ESP

MP

Madalena Padrela

POR

Pierre Louis Costes

Pierre Louis Costes

FRA

Yann Salaun

Yann Salaun

FRA

Lionel Medina

Lionel Medina

ESP

EventGran Canaria Fronton King 2025EventSintra Bodyboard Festival 2025
2025 bodyboarding ibc world tour tristan roberts sammy morretino sintra portugal pro fronton king dropknee junior men professional bodyboarding 2021 world champions wave riding pride annaelle challenge tand invitational
Cuffed Beanie
Stainless steel water bottle with a straw lid
Unisex t-shirt
Unisex Sweatshirt
Official IBC Store

IBC Merch

Wear the colors of the world tour. Premium apparel and accessories designed for bodyboarders.

Shop Now