Behind the Scenes of the 2025 Bodysurfing World Tour Finals

Darren Verrenkamp and the Australian Team, Driving the Future of Bodysurfing

As the 2025 IBSA Finals draw to a close, the spotlight naturally shines on the world champions. But behind every great final lies an organising team whose dedication, vision, and commitment make excellence possible.

This year in Australia, that team was led by Darren Verrenkamp, supported by a passionate and highly organised crew — and from the athletes’ perspective, their impact was impossible to miss.

From an organisational standpoint, Darren’s influence on Australian bodysurfing has been years in the making. As IBSA World Tour Director Jérémy Winer explains, “Darren and Lynda were the visionaries who started the Coolum Wedge, which was a new bodysurfing competition for Australia — and my first competition experience.”

Driven by Darren Verrenkamp and Lynda Franklin, the organising committee endured the challenging early years of building the event from the ground up. “They did the hard years in getting the right information on how to run and judge a competition,” Jérémy notes. Through strong local engagement, they secured significant sponsorship from the Bendigo Community Bank and local businesses, allowing them to bring in professional-level infrastructure — including a head judge, contest announcer, and dedicated water safety.

Darren’s business acumen has been a defining factor in this growth. “Darren brings his business acumen to the competition organisation,” says Jérémy, “which has seen the event grow each year, qualify as an IBSA event, and assist other competitions — like the Festival of Froth — to get started.”

For competitor Paddy MacNally, one thing stood out immediately: Darren takes bodysurfing seriously.

Coming from a high-pressure business background, Darren brings structure, precision, and attention to detail into a sport that is often driven by instinct and freedom. Despite working with a tight budget, the event felt professional at every level.

“Everything runs like clockwork,” Paddy explains. “He goes to great lengths to ensure us amateur competitors feel like we’re getting the real McCoy.”

But professionalism alone is not what defines the Australian Finals. According to Jack Lewis, 2025 World Vice-Champion and winner of the Australia–Asia Regional Tour, the event was deeply rooted in community.

“The event centred around the community,” Jack says. “Everyone helping out were volunteers who genuinely love bodysurfing.”

This sense of collective purpose extended well beyond logistics. Organisers stayed in close contact with competitors throughout the waiting period, working together to ensure the Finals were held at the right place, in the right conditions.

The energy of the event was already building weeks before the World Finals, carried by the Coolum Wedge Festival — a celebration of bodysurfing that brought together all ages and levels, sharing waves and stoke.

“That energy carried right through the Finals,” Jack recalls, “including the Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony led by Aunty Bridgette — who also seemed to send us some waves for the event.”

For Anna Lei Petit, who won the 2025 Australia–Asia regional title, Darren’s work went even deeper — beginning long before the first heat of the season.

“From the moment Australia was confirmed as host, Darren started implementing World Final-level processes into our domestic competitions,” Anna explains. “This helped prepare both athletes and officials so that everything would operate seamlessly.”

Jérémy Winer highlights that this effectiveness comes from Darren’s rare ability to understand — and separate — leadership roles. “He has a strong understanding of the differing roles of Contest Director, Chef de Mission, and Team Coach. He can wear each of the caps well.”

That clarity was on full display at the 2025 IBSA World Finals. “At the IBSA 2025 BWT Finals, Darren was able to step away from the role of Contest Director — which he appointed to me — and be in the Aussie Ospreys tent as the dedicated Team Coach,” Jérémy explains.

During the Finals themselves, the level of organisation and athlete care was unmistakable. A dedicated team supported competitors through every transition, from heat preparation to rash vest distribution. Athlete safety was clearly prioritised, with lifeguards positioned both in the water on a Jet Ski and on land. Live scheduling and real-time heat tracking allowed athletes and teams to stay fully informed throughout the event.

“The judging panel was outstanding,” Anna adds. “Highly professional and consistent, which created trust and confidence among athletes.”

What truly sets Darren Verrenkamp apart, however, is his presence and leadership. As Paddy describes, he is not simply a manager — but a conductor.

“He knows how to lift laid-back surfers into the focused mindset competition requires,” Paddy says. “He knows when to keep us cool, and when to flip the switch.”

That leadership was felt strongly within the Australian team. Throughout the season, Darren organised team video calls to explain judging criteria, scoring priorities, and performance strategies. During the World Finals, he was constantly present under the Australian team tent, offering clear, practical guidance before each heat — from positioning in the lineup to wave selection and tactical decisions.

“He was deeply invested in every athlete,” Anna says. “Everyone felt supported, prepared, and confident going into the water.”

For Jérémy Winer, Darren’s contribution has had a lasting impact on the sport itself. “The Australian bodysurfing team and competition community would probably not have the strength and depth that it now has, at a world-class level, without the contribution that Darren Verrenkamp has made to the sport.”

For Jack, this level of commitment is essential to bodysurfing’s evolution.

“Without people like Darren and the Wedge crew, competitive bodysurfing would still be pretty ad-hoc,” he explains. “There’s a vision for the sport that keeps evolving every year.”

That vision extends beyond competition. Over more than ten days of events surrounding the Finals, Darren and his team brought together athletes, officials, and supporters from around the world — strengthening bonds, sharing experiences, and celebrating bodysurfing as a global community.

As IBSA continues to grow the World Tour, the importance of organisers who balance professionalism with humility, structure with soul, has never been clearer.

The 2025 Finals in Australia did more than crown champions. They showcased a model for the future of bodysurfing — one built on community, care, consistency, and a shared love for the ocean.

As the year draws to a close, this legacy will resonate far beyond the final heat.

Photos: Marina Travesso