The Man Who Invented the Bodyboard

Anyone who has been involved in the sport of bodyboarding knows that Tom Morey, an inventor, musician, surfer, entrepreneur, mathematician and engineer originally from Michigan crafted the first modern bodyboard, which he called the Boogie (see our blog post about this) in 1971.  

Since then, Tom has kept quite busy coming up with new surf craft, inventing things and in general, thinking forward.  To those of us that have devoted our lives to riding bodyboards, Tom has always been regarded as somewhat of a living deity, garnering praise, reluctantly I might add, for his invention and it's powerful influence on many of our lives. 

Tom however isn't one to bask in the adulation heaped on him.  Instead, he prefers to live in the moment and in the future and downplays his role as a figure of worship to us all. 

I've had the honor and pleasure to know Tom since 1982, and speaking with him and his wife Marchia is always an adventure.  You never know where the conversation will go.  Sometimes on-topic, sometimes way off-topic, but always interesting.  

I sat down with Tom on Friday, November 3rd, the eve of the inaugural International Bodyboard Day, a worldwide celebration that was the brainchild of Damien Alexander, the founder of the Vintage Bodyboard Collectors Facebook group, which has gained a massive following, so much so that if you search #intbbday you'll find celebrations around the world that took place on the first Saturday in November 2017 and continues to this day.

A big thanks to Tom and Marchia Morey for their time for this interview.