24
THE
NEWS
29 August 2018
MY Sport
Tristan Roberts: Chasing waves around the world
H
e might be spending half the year travelling overseas, but 21-year-old bodyboarder Tristan Roberts says he will always think of Onrus as “home”. This is after all where he grew up and where he first took to the waves at the age of six, following his older brother Carden’s love of the sport. As a professional bodyboarder, this is Tristan’s third year on the World Pro Tour organised by the Association of Professional Bodyboarding. He has shot up the rankings and is currently number 4 in the world. This achievement comes after many hours of training in the world’s oceans. His schooldays were spent in the waves on Onrus beach, learning from Carden and his friends. At the age of 12, Tristan was selected to represent Boland at the South African Championships held at Lamberts Bay, where he won the boys U15 division. By the age of 15, he had five South African titles under his belt. These wins included two in the U15 boys division, two in the U18 age group and one as the South African Pro Champion. In 2015, Tristan was chosen to represent South Africa at the Bodyboarding World Games in Chile and won the Pro Division at the event, which fell under the auspices of the International Surfing Association. In the same year, he matriculated at Curro Hermanus where he was head boy and made the decision to become a fulltime professional body-
RIGHT: Tristan Roberts on his old stomping ground, Onrus Beach, where he enjoys bodyboarding whenever he returns home. PHOTO: Hedda Mittner
boarder. And I dare say that chasing waves as a career seems to have worked out pretty well for this dedicated sportsman. “I’m getting to see the world, meet amazing people and ride the waves I dreamed of as a kid,” he says with a big grin.
BELOW: Tristan chasing waves on the World Pro Tour. PHOTO: Josh Tabone
And how does Onrus compare to the rest of the world? “I enjoy Portugal and Australia, where the waves are really good and the people most welcoming,” he says, “but home will always be home and I’ll forever think of Onrus as the place to be. “This beach,” says Tristan, gesturing towards the waves from the Milkwood balcony where we are enjoying a coffee, “provided the best training ground. It might not have the best waves, but it has a variety of every type of wave – beach breaks, reef breaks, small waves and big powerful waves. This in my opinion prepares you to compete in any conditions.” The Bodyboarding World Pro Tour consists of nine events which are organised by the Association of Professional Bodyboarding in South America, Australia and Europe. Tristan won the Chile leg of this tour and gained second place in Brazil. He has just returned from Australia and will be heading off on 10 September for the Portugal leg of the Pro Tour, and then on to the Canary Islands in October. We wish him all the best – and that he will soon be the world number 1! - Tony O’Hagan
