In solid four to eight foot waves, Joshua won both his third round heat and all important quarter final heat in dominant form when he competed on Tuesday, October 17.

The famous El Fronton on the island of Gran Canaria is known for its shallow reef and dangerously large swell.

It is arguably the best bodyboarding wave in the world and holds a special place for competitive bodyboarding due to its notoriety.

“I really found that with this wave at Fronton, it is such an intense wave, it is as much about the mental approach as anything else,” Joshua said.

“If your head isn’t clear, then you aren’t going to make the drop.

“I managed to stick to my plan of getting two average scores each heat and remaining in a strong position from the start. Nothing spectacular needed, just solid scores.”

Joshua’s result will take him into the main event and a match up against Brazil’s Roberto Bruno and bodyboarding legend, Mike Stewart in the first non-elimination round.

Joshua said matching up against Stewart was a significant highlight.

“I never had a heat with Mike in all of my earlier career, so to have the opportunity to surf for 20 minutes with one of the greatest riders of all time is a really special moment for me,” he said.

“Mike has been an inspiration for generations of riders and he is still world class.”