The "brave" Cornish trio stepped onto the North Shore, Oahu, as the first Brits to ever enter the Banzai Pipeline Classic Championships. Facing 25ft waves in the first of the heats, Tim Bawden, Mark Craze, and Andrew Whitworth are from a rather different mould to their fellow competitors.
The UK Bodysurfing Team, all in their late 30's and hailing from the tiny village of St. Agnes, hit the freezing Celtic sea every day in the run up to the event and relied on a diet of Cornish pasties, supplied by sponsors, Ginsters, to get them through their gruelling training regime. As their heats began, Tim and Mark, who had expressed nothing but complacency throughout the lead-up, took one look at the enormous waves and decided that their time would be better spent sunbathing. | "To be honest, the UK Bodysurfing Team is lucky to make it back to Cornwall alive." | | Tim Bawden |
However, despite being deserted by his team-mates, like a true British Olympian, Andrew remained valiant. The plucky Cornishman took to the waters and on grappling with a colossal swell, claimed sixth place. Out of six. UK Bodysurfing Team member and pub landlord Tim Bawden said: "Mark and I were completely out of our depth. Rather than compete, we felt that it was a lot safer to lie back on the beach and watch Andy make a fool of himself - show him some real support. To be honest, the UK Bodysurfing Team is lucky to make it back to Cornwall alive".
While the other entrants fought off fierce competition to earn a place at the exotic event, the UK representatives took a slightly different route. Bawden, Craze and Whitworth set up their own bodysurfing tournament in Trevanaunce Cove, Cornwall, 10 years ago. Having all won the event at some stage, the three felt entitled to crown themselves UK champions, therefore making themselves eligible for the championships in Hawaii. A quick phone call to the tournament's organisers was enough for the trio to secure a place in the history books as the first ever UK Bodysurfing Team to enter the event. A spokesman from Ginsters says: "Everyone in Cornwall's very proud of the lads for getting so far. We applaud their real honest attitude, besides, it's not the winning that counts, it's the taking part." On arrival in Hawaii, BBC Radio Cornwalls' James Churchfield interviewed them ahead of the contest. To hear the interview click on the link below.
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