Name: Bede Durbidge
Nicknames: Durbo, The White Fijian, Bej
Hometown: Currumbin, Queensland, Australia
Age: 26 (Dob 23 Feb 1983)
Stance: Regular
Sponsors: Fox Clothing, Ocean Minded Footwear, Mt. Woodgee Surfboards, On A Mission (OAM) Accessories, Xcel Wetsuits, Freestyle watches and Green Stuff Surf Wax

Bede Durbidge has left a blazing trail over the last few years on the ASP Championship Tour.  He finished 3rd in the rankings after Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson in 2009, and he is up there with the best for a reason. 


This tall powerful surfer from Queensland, Australia has a great arsenal of techniques... carving bottom and top turns in the big waves, and punchy aerials in the smaller.  He has managed to climb the rankings since his ASP inception in 2005, and has risen from his 25th placement in 05' into the top 5 in 07', 08' and 09'.  In 2008 he was the ASP's world championship runner-up to the one and only Kelly Slater.  Not bad for the 26 year old from Stradbroke Island.

“Durbo” has received a good deal of support from his crew since he was 14 years old and competing in the Australasian Juniors Series.  However, it hasn't always been an easy road for Durbidge to succeed on the tour.  After spending 3 years on the grueling WQS tour, he finally managed to put together enough points to launch onto the ASP dream circuit in 2005. 

The then relatively unknown Durbidge was soon to gain notoriety in his second year on tour, when he won the Boost Mobile Pro of Surf 2006 at Trestles, beating Kelly Slater to the post.  However, at the start of 2007 he was dropped by his primary sponsor.  Where other men would have called it a day, Durbidge funded his world tour quest and finished 07' at 5th in the world.  In the process of achieving the superb ranking, Durbidge won both the Billabong Pipeline Masters and the Triple Crown of Surfing over in Hawaii.  He was the first Australian to claim the Triple Crown after a wait of over 10 years.


After a brilliant past 3 years of finishing within the top 5 surfers in the world, what will 2010 bring for Durbidge?  He has been inspired by his Aussie friends Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning to train hard and truly challenge their recent dominance in the sport.  Over the last month Durbidge has been training in Oz with the legendary charger Gary “Kong” Elkerton.  He is also pushing the boundaries of surfing by experimenting with the new “bullet” (super short) surfboards shaped by Wayne McKewen at Mt. Woodgee, performing aerials and challenging himself to be in great shape for the Goldcoast Quiksilver Pro competition that starts on 27th February.

So watch this space for updates on how this dark horse for the 2010 world title does in the up and coming contests.  In the meantime check out his moves at the classic Billabong Pipeline Masters 2007 where he claimed the title.