Viewed 12519 times since 21st Apr 2011

RYAN Hardy capitalised on 20 years of local knowledge to take out the IBA Box Pro in WA, after the average conditions for February's Pipeline Pro the new-look IBA world tour's second stop delivered the kind of stormy slabs bodyboarding was made for.

Early rounds held at nearby Gas Bay allowed competitors in the new three round non-elimination format three chances to reach to the knockout stages, crucially giving second place finisher Magno Oliveira the chance to progress despite missing his first heat.

Once the action moved to the Box viewers of the live stream witnessed snapped boards and spilled blood as the competitors got stuck into the solid multiple-lipped offshore reef.

Hardy's win puts him in second place in the IBA rankings behind Pipe winner Jeff Hubbard, both past winners at the next stop, the notorious El Gringo in Chile. The event's 10 day waiting period kicks off on May 20th.

© IBA World Tour - 2012