Pottsville bodyboarder Shane Griffiths has made a triumphant return to the sport, winning the final round of the pro-tour at Kiami late last month.
A former three-time National bodyboard champion, he gave the sport away nine years ago after completing a PhD in Marine Biology in Wollongong NSW and then moving to Brisbane to take a job as a marine biologist.
“I couldn’t handle not being near the ocean any longer so I moved to Pottsville in April this year, but manage a busy life by still working in Brisbane,” he said.
“I also decided to get back into bodyboarding, mainly for fitness reasons.
“I joined the Gold Coast Bodyboard club this year, mainly to make new friends since I was moving to a new area where I knew no one.
“I did really well in the club and state-level contests and qualified in the dropknee and Senior mens divisions for the “Raw National Bodyboard Titles” which were held over five days in Kiama, NSW.”
The national titles were also being run concurrently with the final professional event of the year, being the Rebel Sport Pro Tour.
“I decided to enter the dropknee division to see how I’d shape up to the pro riders,” he said.
“I won the pro event, and now I think I’ll compete on the Australian Pro Tour next year, while juggling work commitments.
“In some ways the National titles seemed like an anticlimax, even though I placed 2nd in the dropknee division and 5th in the Senior Men’s division.”
