Amaury Lavernhe, a 2x world champion and one of the veterans still following the bodyboard world tour, is representing a new country flag in the 2026 season.
The French bodyboarder, 40-years-old, world champion in 2010 and 2014, and 4x Frontón King winner, lived all his live in the Reunion Island until he moved to the Canary Islands (Spain) a few years ago with his wife and son.
After an uncertain 2025 where he competed in just two events of the IBC, Moz is entering the new competitive season in full power mode and wishes to do more events with the support of family and sponsors.
This year will be his 21th year on the world tour besides the “long run with ups and downs, going through different entities, different locations and waves, different riders but always with the same goal: doing my best on every heat I was competing in, representing France and Reunion Island.” He wrote yesterday. The man still has the fever.
However, the gladiator from the Reunion Island is changing his nationality representation for this year’s tour. Until now – and since he was 13yo – he represented France and was in fact financially supported by the French Government. According to him, that “support has been an amazing help in my career.”
But it happens the public support stopped this year, by French Sports Minister order, based on the fact bodyboarding did not enter in the Olympics. “Such a wrong decision when France never had that many riders on the World Tour,” Moz attests.
Living in the Canary Islands for many years now, Amaury Lavernhe finally decided to take advantage of the local government, where the support for bodyboarding is real and very relevant. “I have been missing important amounts of subvention for not representing Spain on the world tour.”
Amaury Lavernhe is already a Spanish citizen and will compete on the first stop of the bodyboarding world tour, happening in Morocco from February 2nd to 12th, under Spain’s flag. So don’t be surprised when you see the Spanish colors by his name.
“Definitely not an easy decision, but in the sport of bodyboarding any support is welcome if you really want to realise your goals. I hope that French bodyboarding one day regains the recognition it deserves”, Siñor Moz wrote last.
