EVERYTHING old is set to become new again – that’s the aim for new Port Macquarie Bodyboarding Association president Clayton Pickworth.
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Pickworth will take over from Phil Baker for the 2018 season as he returns after a 10-year stint out of the spotlight.
The life member has been involved with the club for almost 30 years and felt the time was right to “give back to the community and the club again.”
“There are a group of guys that have come on board to take some weight off the crew that have been hanging on there for the last few years,” he said.
“It’s pretty much whatever is old is new again.”
Pickworth said one of the main focuses would be on making sure there is a pathway from grassroots level through to the national titles.
(This year) pretty much whatever is old is new again.
- Clayton Pickworth
“We’ve had a long history with the club back in the early 80s and 90s and our main focus this year is to run some good local contests and get the kids involved,” he said.
“We also want to promote healthy lifestyle sports on the coast because we are the bodyboarding capital of Australia.”
After competing for the club, Pickworth progressed through to state and national levels before he gained a place on the world tour as a national judge.
“We want to rebuild the club once again,” he said.
“It ebbs and flows so now it’s our turn to give back, get things back on a running level and make it profitable and have good surf awareness.
“We want to try and get more parents and kids involved as well.”
After being president in 2007, Pickworth was looking forward to continuing the tradition of the club that has created world champions.
“It’s housed blokes like Eppo and Kingy and we’ve got so many young guys who can travel the world that come from Port Macquarie,” he said.
We’ve got so many young guys who can travel the world that come from Port Macquarie. We need to get their faces out there into the public.
- Clayton Pickworth
“We need to recognise those guys and get their faces out there into the public.”
The new PMBA president said bodyboarding had changed for the better in the last 10 years.
“The manoeuvres in the sport have gone through the roof over the last 10 or 15 years,” he said.
“The young guys that are coming through are impressing so much because a lot of them look at a gymnastics type background as well.
“They’re getting more eager and want to get that exposure where they push into bigger and better waves so our job is to introduce them to that.
“We want to give them a successful pathway into the future.”
