MITCHELL Atherton walked away from Port Macquarie Bodyboarding Association’s first competition day of 2017 without a win, but he was arguably the most impressive.
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The PMBA kicked off their 30th season at Town Beach on Sunday with encouraging four-foot waves that provided an enthralling backdrop.
Media officer Luke Filipek said the teenager “had a big future” despite being beaten in the AA division final to Jumaane Fredricks.
“Mitch is a rising star in bodyboarding and is on the way to making a name for himself,” he said.
“We saw some good surfing in the pro division with Sam Bennett coming up with the aerial move of the day before Charlie Holt caught a long barrel.”
Filipek said conditions were perfect for bodyboarding when they started early in the morning before the waves dropped off as the morning progressed.
“We were pretty lucky with the waves,” he said.
“When the tide ran out in the morning it was probably four foot, but as the tide came in they got smaller.”
Organisers were encouraged by a good turnout for the first competition of the season.
“We had about 40 competitors which was really good, but hopefully we’ll get more next time,” Filipek said.
“If anyone is interested in joining, just search for PMBA on Facebook.”