Chairman of the board

By KEVIN JAKAHI

Tribune-Herald sports writer

The absence of big, difficult and gnarly waves tested Patrick Orr’s patience, but when something tasty finally approached at the U.S. Bodyboarding Association national championships, the 15-year-old Hilo High sophomore was ready to shred.

After the waiting period nearly ran past its expiration point, the waves at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, an inlet of Point Pleasant Beach in New Jersey, cooperated just in time, rising in size with a storm named Michael.

Behind his new best friend, Orr did enough good work on his dozen waves, scoring high with smooth airs and barrel rolls to win the 14-18 amateur title, capping a two-week journey that concludes the three-site national championship circuit.

“I was happy, and I finally beat my friend Tanner McDaniel of Kauai,” Orr said. “He’s a good friend, but I have a 3-10 record against him and I finally beat him at this contest. I thought I was third, but a friend told me I had won.

“I can surf but you get higher in the air than a surfer and have bigger barrels. The thing I like about competitions is getting to travel and skipping school.”

Don’t think for a second that Orr is some surfer slacker dude. He’s holding a 3.5 grade point average and also joined the Hilo swimming team last season, competing in the freestyle and breaststroke.

There are three main stops on the USBA tour (East and West coast and Hawaii), sponsored by Scion, and each carries a side benefit for the Orr family: dad Marshall, who runs Marshall Orr Physical Therapy at the BJ Penn Training and Fitness Center; mom Carol, a physician at Kaiser; and younger brother Micah, a fourth-grader at Haaheo, who’s into baseball.

At Point Pleasant, it was not only father-son time, but also a chance for Marshall to visit his brother, who lives on the East Coast. When the tour competition hits California, it’s a family of four trip because Carol has family there.

The father also recognizes the value in his son’s passion, something that can run $2,000 for a trip with airfare, hotel, car and the cost of food thrown in, sometimes covering long waiting periods. The duo left Aug. 30 and returned Sept. 12.

“He has a lot of fun doing it. It keeps him in shape, and he gets to enjoy something outside,” Marshall said. “He does everything he needs to do before he goes on a trip, like his school.”

Orr also has made friends from all over, including places in Florida, California, Brazil, Australia and the Caribbeans. He’s met good dudes on Kauai and Maui, too.

Also, Orr encountered his hero one fine, glorious day on Oahu’s North Shore. He was in the water and there was Pierre-Louis Costes, a pro bodyboarder. Just so happened that the French dude saw Orr’s board — a Costes model — and a conversation was struck.

That board is no Walmart cheapie either. It’s $240 and rides like a Cadillac with kicks. And Costes, seemingly an astute entrepreneur, has moved on to another sponsor. His new board is a cool $500.

The nice thing when you win is sometimes people take notice and give you free stuff. Congo Bodyboards, a company in Florida, is Orr’s new sponsor and will soon air-mail him a factory-fresh board with his favorite dimensions.

Another swell thing about bodyboarding is it’s a sport less about repetition. It helps golfers if they become like a robot and can repeat their swings. The dudes in the water don’t need that. It’s freestyle all the way, man.

“I go to Hakalau, but I go whenever there’s surf. It’s not like baseball where I have to practice every day,” said Orr, suddenly subjected to leg kicking from his baseball-playing brother.

He has a simple goal for his future bodyboarding endeavors.

“I’d like to win another contest,” he said, all ready to add to his haul from Point Pleasant, a first-place grab bag that included a board, leash, T-shirt and two nice trophies.