Based on visuals alone, Joel took off on the outside of a bodyboarder, who didn’t appreciate sharing, and relayed his thoughts to Joel with broken English and swing o’ the palm. Joel’s gestures to the takeoff zone suggest that he feels he was next in line. This is what happens when two people are in the right.
“There’s always a couple of heated moments,” said Joel after his heat. “It’s the day before the event, you’re trying to catch a couple, and y’know, there’s a few bodyboarders, there’s always one or two bodyboarders that are, I guess, trying to stamp their authority. We were just trying to get waves, and I had a little run in, but it’s all sorted, it’s all good. I think if we all show respect and treat each other how we should treat ourselves, I think it’ll all work out. But definitely, I think it just gets heated when there’s not a lot of waves, and one comes and it’s your turn, and someone drops in, so… that’s how it happens.”
So lets chat about surfer/bodyboarder hierarchy in the comments section below shall we!?