I’m sure a lot of you have seen this clip recently of Mark Matthews and Taj Burrow charging a massive bomb at “The Right”, in tandem and getting one seriously cool angle in the process (see clip below).

Now, we at WB have the upmost respect for all water men that push the limits of riding and photography and we take our hats off to these two for pushing those limits. HOWEVER, the coverage from Redbull has left a somewhat bitter taste in our mouths. In the accompanying article Redbull go on to say:-

“for a massive swell at an incredibly dangerous surf spot, get them to catch the same wave, shoot a photo and you’re done. Just like that, you’ve got the most interesting – and coincidentally, the most dangerous – surf image ever taken”. They continue:- “The Right is currently the last wave in the world that hasn’t been paddled”.

Firstly, this image has been attempted before.. and guess what, it was a bodyboarder. Mark Matthews trailing Chad Jackson about 4-5 years ago in almost exactly the same position as the video above (Photo credit: Tungsten). Secondly, The Right has been paddled before by one of the most famous bodyboarders in the world, Ryan Hardy.

Again we would like to congratulate Mark Matthews and Taj Burrow on an epic ride but isn’t it about time bodyboarders got the respect we deserved as true pioneers and equals in the water…!?