Kaua'i's David Hubbard experienced the ultimate turnaround in bodyboarding last weekend.

Due to time-zone differences, Hubbard was able to compete at separate events in Australia and Hawai'i in the same weekend. He lost in the first round at Australia on Saturday, but won the event in Hawai'i on Sunday.

"That was a first for me," he said. "I didn't plan it that way, but once I realized that's how it was going to work out, I got pretty excited."

It started on Saturday, when he lost his first-round heat in the Shark Island Challenge at Shark Island, Australia.

His older brother, Jeff, also lost in the first round, so they agreed to fly to Honolulu as soon as possible.

"We knew there was a contest back home, so we got on the Internet immediately and saw that we could change our flights," David said. "It was a 10-hour flight ... I had a whole row to myself, so I slept the whole way. I think that helped."

Less than one hour after arriving in Honolulu on Saturday morning, David and Jeff were at Sandy Beach, signing up as last-second entries for the Senor Frog's Sandy Beach Pro.

"Two contests in the same day so far apart," David said. "I don't think there's too many people who can say they did that."

David and Jeff advanced through the Saturday heats at Sandy Beach. On Sunday, David eliminated Jeff in the semifinals.

David then went on to win the contest, receiving scores of 7.5 and 7.0 for his two best barrel rides in the final. He earned $1,000 for the victory.

"Once we lost in Australia, we said let's turn this negative into a positive, and it certainly worked out for me," David said.

Jacob Romero of Maui placed second, Paul Benco of Wahiawa was third, and Spencer Skipper of Hilo was fourth.

The Sandy Beach Pro was the third stop on the United States Bodyboarding Association National Championship Tour. David Hubbard is currently ranked No. 1 on the national tour, and is also a contender on the world tour.

Claudia Ferrari won the women's pro division of the Sandy Beach Pro. She is originally from Brazil, but now resides on O'ahu's North Shore.

WOMEN'S LONGBOARD CONTEST IN FRANCE

Hawai'i surfers Crystal Dzigas, Joy Monahan, Kelia Moniz, Carissa Moore and Miku Uemura are among the field of 48 in the ASP Women's World Longboard Championships contest in France.

The event is scheduled to start today and run through Wednesday at Biarritz, France. The winner will be crowned the women's world champion of longboard surfing for 2008.

GROM CONTEST THIS WEEKEND AT WAIKIKI

The 11th annual T&C Surf Grom Contest is scheduled to run tomorrow and Sunday at Kuhio Beach, Waikiki.

The event will feature competition for youth surfers ages 14 and younger in shortboard surfing, longboard surfing and bodyboarding. For information visit www.tcsurf.com/grom08.