h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Your intro is excellent - but for one omission - that of Bjorn Dunkerbeck who with 11 PBA world titles, ranks alongside Roby Naish as one of the greatest of all time.

I did mention Dunkerbeck's shock win in a high wind course race on a slalom board in the late eighties that changed the face of course racing at the top level and sold a million boards to people who'd never use them properly . On the other hand, while Dunkerbeck has been incredibly consistent in winning title after *overall* title in the overall competition, he's been pushed hard in that time by Naish and others (Bringdal, Teri'itehau, etc.) and not always been the wave champ. In racing, of course, he pretty much rules.

Another thing I'd say (from the point of view of a non-professional) - the equipment Dunkerbeck won his first title on doesn't look *that* different from the stuff he rides today - indeed, put him on that kit and he'd probably still be good for the top ten. The equipment *Naish* won his first title on wouldn't have fetched £50 at a car boot sale by the time he'd won his last.

I put him above Dunkerbeck or anyone else because he was *the man* during the sport's most formative and boom years, a time of incredible change in equipment design and competition standards, and therefore to my mind has a historical significance which Dunkerbeck does not. I don't think it takes anything from Dunkerbeck's outstanding achievement to say he did it in a much more consistent period of the sport's development.

Thanks for reading, especially thanks for taking the time to comment!


H.