Jay Reale
One of the most important individuals in the sport, Jay Reale’s impact on the sport of Bodyboarding cannot be overstated. In the early 1980s, Reale successfully campaigned to overturn local anti-bodyboarding laws in Ocean City, MD. He worked with the ESA leadership to add the fledgling surf discipline into the competition program, which dramatically increased the organization’s membership. In competition, he amassed four ESA Championships, was a member of the ESA All-Star Team, and awarded the ESA’s Marsh Scholarship, which he used to earn a degree in Earth Science/Secondary Education in 1986. Reale was the U.S. Champion in 1986 and won the Morey Nationals in ‘84 and ‘86.
Reale competed fiercely in the first Morey World Championships at Pipeline in 1982 and for the next 16 years. He moved to San Clemente to join the U.S. Pro Bodyboarding Tour, enjoying success with a 4th place finish his best ranking. He competed on the GOB World Tour in the mid-90s with a 5th place finish his best year, then on the Australian, U.S, and BIA Tours, managing top 16 rankings in all four until 1998. His pro career finished on the GOB Dropknee Tour where he earned 6th place for the year.
Reale nabbed 15 magazine cover shots worldwide, was featured on countless posters and in magazine profiles. He appeared numerous times on ESPN, Prime Ticket, MTV, the Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, the Learning Channel and in dozens of videos and on local tv stations not just in the U.S. but all over the world.
Reale and his star bodyboarder wife, Vicky, have surfed on hundreds of beaches in over 20 countries on five continents. Together they launched the first online retailer catering to this sport, eBodyboarding.com, which they own and successfully operate in San Clemente today. Reale was inducted into the Maryland Surfing Hall of Fame.
Jay Reale is unarguably the Global Ambassador of Bodyboarding.
Photos by Tony Prince and courtesy Jay Reale
Video contributions by Bob Bolen, Michael Baytoff, Richard Bernardi, Bruce Chrisner, Jon Coen, Eastern Surf Magazine, Donald Cresitello, Tom Dugan, Vdon Farias, Ryan Gamma, Norm Grosskruetz, Ray Hallgreen, Carlos Hernandez, Pete Hodgson, Darrell Jones, Jon Ker, Nicola Lugo, Matt Lusk, Kem McNair, Dick “Mez” Meseroll, Eric Olsen, Larry Pope, Tony Prince, Dan Przygocki, Barry Schulz, Joanne O’Shaughnessy, Jon Steele, Mike Vuocolo, and Chris Wilson.
