Mike Stewart competed on the world tour on the edge of turning 59.
Considered the G.O.A.T. and the godfather of bodyboarding, the 9x world champ Mike Stewart competed of the first stop of the 2022 IBC World Tour in Chile – The Arica Cultura Bodyboard presented by Pride Bodyboards, which ends on May 7th.
The Hawaiian waterman is turning 59 in more or less 13 days (May 17th) and put on the jersey comp one more time, showing the fans of bodyboarding that he still has the fire in him. Here’s what he had to say about his participation:
“I have to say it’s a bit surreal to be in a comp jersey. I have often looked at my wave-riding career as climbing a ladder. The next steps are only accessible once you work your way up to them.
There’s no skipping steps without falling back. Once you do climb [and it is a climb] to various levels, unique possibilities can reveal themselves.
This trip to Chile is one of these steps. It’s a personal exploration of the plasticity of my mind, body, and what I am capable of as I near my 59th birthday. While I have maintained a high enough level of physical functionality to ride, my mental congestion is whether or not I can be competitive? I am not sure how all of this will go and so long as I don’t kill myself or get too badly injured I am hoping that maybe this will help redefine my personal paradigms, and perhaps show a way to navigate mental obstructions.”
That said let us inform you that uncle Mike did competed on Heat 6 of the Round 3, but lost in third place with 12 points. The winner of the Heat was Sergio Alonzo, from Venezuela, with 13,40 points, with local boy Diogo Sepulveda coming in second with a score of 13,15 points.
The Chilean event has a surprising list of riders that includes current world champion, Tristan Roberts, defending Arica winner, Jeff Hubbard, Pierre-Louis Costes along with other previous winners, such as Tanner McDaniel (2018), Iain Campbell (2016), Jared Houson (2015) and Amaury Lavernhe (2014).
Fact: Mike Stewart is the most successful male athlete in the North America region (United States, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe) winning 12 events in Hawaii. Mike won 12 world tour events including 11 Pipeline titles and has 1 win at the Ledges Pro in Maui. Jeff Hubbard is the man close to beat Mike’s record with 10 world tour event wins in the North America region including 5 Pipeline titles, 2 wins in Puerto Rico, 2 wins in Mexico and 1 win at the Sandy Beach Pro. xxx
