The 9th World Belly Boarding Championship (WBBC) takes place this Sunday 4th September 2011 at Chapel Porth, and it’s not to be missed.
Here are the WBBC basics:
Date: Sunday 4th September 2011
Location: Chapel Porth Beach, Cornwall, UK
Requirements: A bellyboard, swim suit and sense of humour
Start time: 9.00am
WBBC History
Martyn Ward and Chris Ryan created the Bellyboarding Championship in 2002 at Chapel Porth. It began as a tribute to the late Arthur Traveller, a much loved Londoner who spent his holidays with his wooden board at Chapel Porth every year.
From simple beginnings with a small group of amateur competitors, it is now a prestigious but lighthearted World Championships, with over 200 entrants from across the globe.
Belly Boards
The WBBC rules state that competition boards should be less than 5ft long, 2ft wide and ¾” thick.
All belly boards should be made from wood.
Traditional 1ft wide plywood boards should be considered for the Arthur Traveller Memorial Trophy.
New fangled surf craft are permitted for the expression sessions.
Swimwear
Bathing costumes only, no wetsuits allowed.
Booties are permitted if nasty weever fish are present.
Colour coded swim caps must be worn to aid identification by the judges.
For expression session wear what you like.
Bake Off
For landlubbers, there is a bake off competition. For cooks and cake lovers this complimentary competition provides a visual and taste sensation.
For more information and entry details visit the official bellyboarding website.
Here’s a flavour of what to expect:
The World Belly Boarding Championships 2010 from Sideways Cornwall on Vimeo.