BUCCAN teenager Dale Proctor has smashed his way onto the international flowboarding stage, claiming title after title on a recent tour of the USA.
The 16-year-old was named breakthrough body boarder at the 2015 Flow Tour, after winning five gold medals and a bronze.
Proctor won gold in the men’s junior body boarding at Wildwood in New Jersey, at the Carmel Parks Clay & Recreation centre, at the Lindon Aquatic centre, at Provo Beach and at Flowrider Utah.
He claimed bronze in the junior flowboard at Wildwood, but did not stop there.
Proctor also entered the 2015 Flow Series while in the USA, defeating seasoned professionals in the junior men’s body board and the pro body board categories.
He said those titles were a dream come true.
“I was not expecting to do that well at all,” he said.
“I was just hoping to podium but in some of the semi finals I was getting more points than world champions.”
Proctor started flowboarding at Dreamworld just two and a half years ago.
He said the sport – which combines elements of surfing and skateboarding on an artificial wave – was still developing in Australia.
“I had tried it at Dreamworld when I was younger and then a couple of years ago a friend said to come and try it out again,” he said.
“I ended up getting a season pass to keep riding but I had never entered competitions before, I always did it for fun.”
Proctor’s first stint at competitive flow riding came in September last year, when he was invited to join team OzFlow, a group promoting the sport at an elite level in Australia.
He joined OzFlow on its tour to Melbourne in January this year.
“We did a demo and set up and competition for the locals,” he said.
“It’s organised to get kids interested in the sport.”
He said when he was invited to join the North American flow tour shortly afterwards, he jumped at the chance. He arrived back in Australia just last week, after spending almost six weeks on tour.
“I’m really inspired since coming back, having seen how big it is in America,” he said.
“I gained sponsorship with World Class Bodyboards while I was over there.”
Proctor said it was his goal to tour the USA again in 2016 but in the meantime, help grow the sport in Australia.
