Joel Parkinson Shares wave with bodyboarder, is reprimanded

All photos by Trevor Moran

Awesomely chill dude except for when he’s in the water, Joel Parkinson (you sure learn how to share waves growing up in Coolangatta!), got in a squabble yesterday at Peniche. 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.

Now, Joel’s owner of one world title and currently chasing a not-completely-outta-reach second one. He’s in Portugal to compete, and every surf outside of the contest area is important to what happens inside the contest area. Regardless of whether or not it’s his fault, there’s gonna be a squeak of entitlement in his mind.

Conversely, the bodyboarder is totes mad because Localz Only. The 34 best competitive surfers land at your home spot, each with a four-pack entourage in tow? You’re gonna get a little shirty when they roll up to Your sandbank and start sharing waves. Then again, they’re only at your spot for max. two weeks, and really, trying to slap someone cause they burnt you after you maybe snaked them is just, like, not mellow.

“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.”

This situation isn’t the kinda thing you see Joel in the mix with often. The churning sand pit he squeezed through after the incident however, certainly is. The incident has also led to Peniche enjoying increased police. Why don’t we just increase the peace instead? Here’s a challenge: Read this without commenting about surfer/bodyboarder hierarchy!