While surfing the world's most infamous wave with three other people out stands as a reward in itself, bodyboarder Josh Kirkman will still be looking for a big result when he competes at the Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational in Hawaii later this month.
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He's aiming for a podium finish at what will be his first time competing in Hawaii in more than a decade.
"It's been about 13 years since I competed in Hawaii," Josh said.
"I'm really excited to compete over there."
Finishing 2019 ranked 17th in the world, he's hoping to continue the good form that saw him post a big result at the Gran Canaria Fronton King in the Canary Islands last October.
Considered the heaviest wave on the Association of Professional Bodyboarding (APB) tour, Josh said his seventh place finish at Fronton gave him a lot of confidence for the upcoming Pipeline contest.
"It was my best result," he said.
He'll also draw on his previous experience in Hawaii, where he's spent a considerable amount of time surfing in the past.
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Josh has been back in Tuncurry preparing for the event since December and is in the process of relocating to Australia after a number of years living in Sweden.
"It's wonderful to be home," he said.
"There's been a lot of waves."
Following the contest at Pipeline, Josh will chase as many events on the 2020 APB tour as he can, with the goal of winning a world title still in his sights.
"It's always been my dream to win a world title," he said.
And while he admits the world of professional bodyboarding is nowhere near as lucrative as other professional board sports, he says that's not why he and his fellow competitors do it.
"There's a little bit of prize money and a lot of passion - and that's where I fit in," he said.
The waiting period for the 2020 Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational begins on February 24.
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