A world bodyboarding champion passed on his skills to riders from around the country over the weekend.
Iain Campbell from South Africa, who has moved to St Austell, took part in a coaching event organised by BodyBoard-Holidays, which is based at Newquay Activity Centre in Fore Street.
More than 10 riders of all abilities received some top tips on how they can improve their bodyboard riding, which ranged from someone who has never ridden a bodyboard before to the former English champion Bjorn Storey from Plymouth.
The coaching event was greeted with perfect four to five foot waves at Praa Sands on Saturday and three to four foot waves at Tolcarne in Newquay on Sunday.
Iain showed the bodyboarders how to perfect various manoeuvres they have found tricky including spins, barrel rolls and the more advanced air, roll spin.
Iain said: “It was a really good experience.
“The whole crew has been unbelievable. It was good watching everyone progress in their own levels was something that I wanted to see and something that I did see which was great.”Iain has enjoyed living in Cornwall since he recently moved over from South Africa.
He said: “The Cornish lifestyle is very similar to where I was in South Africa.
“It is really laid back and there are some great waves around.
“My wife and I are really enjoy the slower lifestyle which is pretty prominent down here in Cornwall.
“We visited here last year and decided this would be the perfect place for both of us to live.
“Before I made the decision to come over people were saying why would you go to the U/. There are no waves there but I’m been surprised by the amount of waves and the amount of time you can surf.
“I’ve enjoyed bodyboarding on the north coast including in Newquay. There are waves all over. There are waves at Land’s End and the south coast and on the Lizard.
“There are so many good waves, so it makes choosing really hard. The bodyboarding community has been helping me make the decisions of where best to go on different swells.
“It has been good hanging out with a good group of bodyboarders. I’ve really enjoyed being in the ocean. At the end of the day that is what it is all about.
“The level of bodyboarding in the UK is surprisingly good. I think because you don’t see much in the way of bodyboarding videos from the UK if you are not living here, you doubt the fact there are good bodyboarders here.
“But for me since arriving here and seeing the level it is good to see a lot of the guys really rip.
“For me it has been really nice to be welcomed into a community like this even though I’m not from here. To have the opportunity to surf good waves with like-minded people.
“One of the benefits of being a bodyboarder you find people with similar interests. You get along with them and it’s fun to be around those kind of people.”
Iain says he now plans to concentrate on bodyboard coaching rather than competing on the world bodyboard tour.
He said: “I did well recently at the Sintra Pro in Portugal in the drop knee division where I was placed third but for the most part, I’m kind of done with the world tour at the moment.
“I want to focus on other things. I feel like I’m being pulled towards coaching helping people better their own bodyboarding.
“I feel that I can help people enjoy the ocean more on a bodyboard and that is where I want to put my time and effort into.”
Iain Campbell will be hosting another coaching day with Bodyboard-Holidays in January and will also be taking part in international coaching events in the future as well as private coaching sessions.