Press Releases . . . .

Yes, these are a little out of date, we have been so busy making boards we have not written traditional press releases lately. Check on the 'Industry Blah' spot in ThreeSixty magazine for latest updates.

Date: 2 May 2001

Industry News: Buzzard Bodyboards - new materials and shapes

Buzzard bodyboards of St Merryn, North Cornwall, are producing a wider range of boards after sourcing alternative materials and experimenting with new shapes.

'After the success of our 'Fat Boy' boards for 'the larger rider', we wanted to develop other specialised lines,' said Dave Lunnen, proprietor and designer, 'We have managed to obtain a new super-lightweight foam core. This will make an ideal board for lighter riders, particularly women bodyboarders, and the boards can be made any length from 36" to 42"'

Buzzard Bodyboards also have a source of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) slicks as an option on the larger boards, giving even more spring and stiffness to the Dow cores. New shapes include the 'Diamond Geezer', a radical design with straight rails from widepoint to tail, giving increased speed and acceleration.

Date: 17 February 2001
Heading: Buzzard Bodyboards Team team rider on boat rescued by text message

Text:
Marcus Whitney, one of Buzzard Bodyboards team riders, 
was amongst the people rescued from a sinking boat between 
Bali and Lombok after a text message was sent to a friend 
in Cornwall.

Dave Lunnen, of Buzzard Bodyboards & BodyGun UK said today: 
'We had heard about the amazing rescue after Falmouth 
Coastguard received a mayday call following a text message 
from the boat.  Then we received an email from Marcus 
saying he was one of those rescued!'

'We are looking forward to hearing the full story 
(and seeing the photos) from Marcus, but in the meantime 
we are just relieved that they are all safe and well.  
Apparently Marcus was more keen on getting some 
good rides on the break outside the hotel than 
attending the press conferences!  Top marks to Marcus 
for wearing his Buzzard T-shirt (complete with a sticker 
from Small Planet).'

Date: 2 May 2000
Heading: Buzzard Bodyboards Team 2000 board designs at the Show

Text:
BodyGun UK are in the Wadebridge Chamber of Commerce Street 
at the Royal Cornwall Show again this year.  On show will be 
the new Series 5 BodyGuns, made entirely in Cornwall, and the 
latest range of Buzzard Bodyboards, including examples of 
custom boards and replicas of sponsored riders' boards. 

Buzzard Bodyboards have signed up a team of sponsored riders 
this season, who have designed their own competition boards.  
They include Marcus Whitney, (maker of the 'Cornish 
Vibrations' video), Karl Christ, and Ryan Phelps - all 
off-the-wall boys from Portreath.   

From further afield are Rhyd Lewis, from Wales, 
(who writes regularly for 360 Magazine) and Ben Good from 
San Diego (currently studying at Sussex University). 

Once again there will be a chance to enter a free draw 
for a Buzzard Bodyboard.  Last year's winner was Rhiannon 
Morris Jones, of Stratton near Bude.

Date: 29 March 2000
Heading: Buzzard Boards travel the world with new team riders for 2000

Text:
St Merryn-based BodyGun UK, manufacturers of Buzzard Bodyboards
as well as the innovative BodyGun surf system have signed up an
exciting team of riders for the year 2000.

Proprietor Dave Lunnen explained; " Marcus Whitney, from
Portreath is staying with us for another year, also we have
signed up Karl Christ and Ryan Phelps (also from Portreath),
Rhydian Lewis from Swansea, and Ben Good, from San Diego,
California, who is studying at the University of Sussex."

Marcus is very impressed with his Buzzard boards, designed to
his own specification:  "Construction wise you can't fault the
board, it looks slick and feels solid when riding. The 400
core is responsive both prone and drop-knee  - in fact it's the
most responsive core I've ridden D.K. in the U.K."

Rhyd is off to Portugal soon, Ryan is travelling to the West
Coast of Australia, and Karl is in Wales at the moment and
making a trip to Indo soon.

Dave Lunnen is sure the future of Buzzard Bodyboards lies in
building on the success already achieved in custom board design:
"The response we have had to our website and other targeted
advertising has been very enthusiastic.  With our team of riders,
not only will the boards be seen via the Web, but also in use by
some exciting young body-boarders all around the world!"

Information:  visitors to the Buzzard Bodyboards factory are
welcome, by appointment, call Dave on 01208 812508 (mornings)
or 01841 520028.
Check out the website at:   http://www.buzzardbodyboards.co.uk .

Text:
St Merryn-based BodyGun UK, manufacturers of Buzzard Bodyboards
as well as the innovative BodyGun surf system are continuing to
make contacts around the world through their website.

Proprietor Dave Lunnen explained; " We are delighted to be
sponsoring a visiting bodyboarder, Ben Good, from San Diego,
California, who is studying at the University of Sussex."

Ben says: "After a trip to Newquay in October, I was quite
surprised to find that Cornwall actually has waves comparable
to the waves back home in San Diego (although its much much
much colder!!!). I entered the SouthWest Student championships
and saw the link to Buzzard bodyboards on the same website as
the contest.  I discovered that Buzzard is the only custom
bodyboard maker in the whole UK, and contacted Dave.  Four
days later I was in his shop looking at my brand new board."

Ben took part in the heats in less than ideal conditions, windy
1-2 foot surf at Towan Beach, but unfortunately didn't get
through to the next round.  However, he did get some good waves
the next day, as he reports:

"I finally got a chance to really try out the board in the kind
of waves it was designed for. It was great, the faster the waves,
the better the board handled."

Buzzard Bodyboards now has three sponsored riders, Marcus Whitney,
based in Portreath, Rhyddian Lewis from Wales, and now Ben Good
from San Diego.  Following the 'Eclipse' event last August,
Buzzard will be co-sponsoring another bodyboard contest with
Rocky Point Surfshop, at Trevone, near Padstow, on the last
weekend in April.


Contacts: Dave & Mary Lunnen, BodyGun UK.
Tel: 01841 520028, Fax: 01841 540945,
Email: info@bodygun.co.uk.
Interviews, photos or filming at the factory welcome.

Text:
This week sees the launch of the revamped BodyGun UK Internet
website which includes full information on the new range of
Buzzard Bodyboards manufactured at St Merryn, North Cornwall, as
well as a three-day animated weather chart, and links to other
sites of interest to surfers.

Proprietor Dave Lunnen explained: "We have had a good level of
sales of the innovative BodyGun surf system through our existing
website - so it was our first priority to set up a really
interesting site for Buzzard Bodyboards as soon as the factory
was operational."

Orders for BodyGuns (the bodysurfing system that you wear
strapped to your chest) have come in through the website from as
far afield as Italy, France and America, and Dave is hoping for
an even greater level of interest in the bodyboards.

B oth the original BodyGun UK website and the new Buzzard
Bodyboard pages were designed by Dorset-based webmaster John
Baxendale of West Wind Internet.  Mary Lunnen, who deals with
marketing and PR for BodyGun UK, said: "We were delighted with
the standard of design and service we received from John when
we first set up the site.  We have worked closely together in
producing the new pages, using email as our main means of
communication, and the finished result shows just what can be
done using technology to assist businesses in Cornwall - the
Internet really can be a useful tool for marketing around the
world!"

Interested bodyboarders and bodysurfers (or net-surfers!) can
check out the site at:   http://www.buzzardbodyboards.co.uk .

Text:
The event was held on 14 August 1999 at Trevone Bay.  It was a
rather cold day with a strong on-shore wind.  Waves started at
1 - 1.5 ft, and built during the day to 2 - 3 ft.  Local
brothers Paul and James Eddleston were the star performers,
winning three of the four sections between them.   The event was
organised and sponsored by Buzzard Bodyboards and Rocky Point
Surf Shop.  Other sponsors were: Constantine Bay Surf Store,
The Pit, Terrapin Station, Treyarnon Takeaway, British Sponger
Magazine, and the Harlyn Inn.  A donation of the entry fees
collected for the event was spilt between Padstow RNLI and
Harlyn SLSA.

Trevone Eclipse Bodyboard Contest Results:

Under 14:

1. Paul Eddleston
2. Jason Morris
3. Anthony Thorpe
4. Bill Shepherd

   Under 18:

5. James Eddleston
6. Paul Eddleston
7. Alex Lyle
8. Greg Curtis

   Open:

9. James Eddleston
10. Alex Lyle
11. Paul Eddleston

    Veterans:

12. Dave Lunnen
13. Paul Roberts

Text:
The winner in the free draw to win one of the first Buzzard
Bodyboards manufactured in Cornwall by BodyGun UK has been
announced. The lucky person who now has her own Buzzard
Bodyboard is Rhiannon Morris Jones, aged eight, of Stratton
near Bude.

Mr Morris Jones said: "We were all very excited when the
phone call came that Rhiannon had won.  She couldn't wait to
come and pick up her board."


Rhiannon, her parents, and her brother were
treated to a tour of the factory at St Merryn
where the boards are individually shaped from
blocks of foam before having the decks, rails,
nose and tails added using specially-built
heat-laminating machinery.

The popular bodyboarding magazine, British
Sponger, are planning a special feature on
Buzzard Bodyboards in the next edition, and
BodyGun UK will be joint sponsors (with Rocky
Point Surf Shop and Constantine Bay Surf
Stores) of the Trevone Eclipse Surf Contest
to be held on Saturday 14 August.

Full details of the surf contest are available
from either of the two surf shops.

Text:
After months of hard work which has included building specialised
machinery from scratch, BodyGun UK of St Merryn, near Padstow,
are about to launch their new range of Buzzard Bodyboards.

The models available will suit all styles of bodyboarding, from
drop-knee to prone, and all sizes, from juniors to 'big bro'
boards.  The company will also specialise in custom bodyboards
and soft kneeboards, using the latest materials from suppliers
in the UK and USA.

Owner Dave Lunnen said: "We are very fortunate to have received
some assistance in the form of a loan from the Rural Growth Fund,
but in order to install the latest machinery at a price we could
afford, we have had to build most of it ourselves.  This has
involved a lot of work making individual components, but at last
we are producing boards in time for the 1999 season."

The new Buzzard Boards will be exhibited on the BodyGun UK stand
in the Wadebridge Chamber of Commerce Village, at the Royal
Cornwall Show, and there will be a free draw to win a customised
bodyboard to your own specifications.

        John Baxendale, West Wind Internet
        Tel: 01202 894627, Fax: 01202 872124
        Email: john@westwind.co.uk