Pierre-Louis Costes has taken out the 2019 Kiama Pro, at Kiama Surf Beach, in New South Wales, Australia.
The French bodyboarder defeated Hawaiian powerhouse Sammy Morretino in a high-octane final which involved several backflip and aerial moves.
After defeating Eder Luciano and Dave Winchester in the semifinals, the duo paddled out in wind-affected, three-to-four-foot waves.
They both knew there was a lot at stake. A win in Kiama could result in a comfortable advantage over the opponent and, eventually in the future, a world title.
But PLC used his experience to control Morretino's attacks and ended up taking the win.
"It's pretty special. Usually, we try to train for something specific, but here we just had to adapt to any conditions. I'm happy the waves turned on this year," said Costes.
"I haven't done well in Australia for a while - probably because the weather is too good - but I tried to focus, and it worked out."
"We all have to agree that Sammy was the stand-out rider this year. He came out from qualifier to world title contender."
Following up on the success of last year's tow-out demo, AirAsia joined the bodyboarding elite and offered 500 AUD and a ticket to Bali to the highest-flying bodyboarder.
In the end, George Humphreys stole the show with an air reverse followed by a nearly landed, yet monstrous 540 air.
The APB World Tour will now travel to Europe for the final two stages of the competitive season - the Sintra Pro and Fronton King.
2019 Kiama Pro | Final
1. Pierre-Louis Costes (FRA) 15.87
2. Sammy Morretino (HAW) 13.53