A bodyboarding icon
Tom Boyle is a Honolulu native who played a pivotal role in shaping modern bodyboarding culture. A competitive rider in the Morey Bodyboard Pipeline Championships and an accomplished water photographer, he founded the original Bodyboarding magazine, then turned his focus to film and video.
Under his Eye Spy Productions banner, Tom created the legendary Bodyboarders Video Magazine, producing twelve iconic editions between 1988 and 1998. He handled nearly every phase of production himself: filming, writing, directing, editing and narrating.
The series debuted in 1988 with Tribal Trials, featuring a profile on Ben Severson, Jack Lindholm and Mike Stewart at Pipeline, and the Pipe Littles pro contest. Winter on the Rock followed in 1989, offering an intimate portrait of Pipeline pioneer Jack “The Ripper” Lindholm and the North Shore winter season. In 1990, The Indonesian Experience took six Hawaiian riders on a groundbreaking journey to Bali and Java.
Throughout the 1990s, the series pushed the sport’s visual boundaries. Shock Island followed world champion Mike Stewart to Australia’s formidable Shark Island; Mutant Slabs & Monster Barrels delivered a classic North Shore spoof starring Chris Taloa in his breakout role; Core captured pristine waves in Tavarua, Fiji; and Girl Jam (the 12th edition) showcased the world’s elite female riders, including Neymara Carvalho, Daniela Freitas, and Vicki Gleeson.
Tom also trained his lens on stand-up surfing in Style = Shred+Soul (1993), featuring Kelly Slater's iconic 1992 wave at Pipeline, along with Tom Curren, Gerry Lopez and Rob Machado. In 1998, he pushed creative limits once more with Recon—a futuristic bodyboarding narrative set in the year 2071, co-starring Chris Taloa and John DeTemple.
