David Hubbard's full name is now as recognizable as his last in the sport of bodyboarding.

He proved that last year with a No. 10 ranking on the International Bodyboarding Association's world tour.

His older brother, Jeff Hubbard, finished No. 11.

"I don't feel like I was ever in his shadow, and I never will feel that way," David said. "But I'm 6 1/2 years younger, and he established the (Hubbard) name first. For a while it was 'are you Jeff's brother?' So it's pretty cool to finally be right up there on the same level with him."

The Hubbards — who are from Lihu'e, Kaua'i — will enter the IBA Pipeline Pro this week.

The Pipeline Pro is staged at the famous Banzai Pipeline, and is considered the most prestigious contest in bodyboarding. It will also serve as the first event of the 2008 world tour.

Jeff is a two-time former Pipeline Pro winner, and won the world championship in 2006.

David, 25, would like to join both lists of champions.

"Last year was my best year on tour," David said. "So it gave me a lot of confidence and I just want to keep it going."

He's already off to a good start in 2008. He won the Margara Challenge in Puerto Rico last month. It was not part of the world tour, but it did earn David $4,400 in prize money.

David is still trying to break into the top five of the world rankings, but it's not like he was an unknown competitor in the sport prior to last year.

David made his mark in bodyboarding as a "drop-knee" specialist. In drop-knee contests, competitors must ride waves with a one-knee stance.

He won several national and international drop-knee titles, and is widely considered the best in the world at that style of riding. David said it was his way of "differentiating" from Jeff.

"I wanted to earn my own place, so I focused on drop-knee 100 percent for a few years," David said. "I think it paid off. People started to recognize me more for being the drop-knee guy, than just Jeff's brother."

But drop-knee champions are not regarded as highly as open champions. At the Margara Challenge, for example, David received $3,500 for winning the open division, and $500 for winning the drop-knee division.

Two years ago, David started to enter both drop-knee and open competitions. He did well enough in 2006 to qualify for the 2007 open world tour.

The brothers traveled together on the world tour last year, and will likely do so again this year.

"It really helps to have him there," David said. "We were on the same flights, stayed at the same places. It was cool."

While growing up on Kaua'i, David said he tried to emulate his two older brothers. Mike, the oldest, was a standout shortboard surfer; Jeff, the middle brother, was into bodyboarding from a young age.

"I kind of wanted to be like both of them," David said. "When I was really young, I would bring a surfboard and a bodyboard to the beach. That was a special time because I had great role models in my own family."

Now, David and Jeff are rarities in Hawai'i — full-time professional bodyboarders. David said sponsors Custom X, Foam Company and Plastic People provide him with enough income to stay on the tour.

Most other bodyboarders in Hawai'i need other jobs to supplement their income.

"I'm lucky," David said. "I get paid to travel the world, see new places, meet new people and ride waves. You can't beat that."

Just to be sure, David is a graduate of Chaminade University, with a degree in criminal justice.

"I wasn't sure how it would work out for me in this sport, so I made sure to finish my schooling," he said. "I'm glad I did, but I'm happy doing what I'm doing now."

The Hubbard brothers and Mike Stewart of Kailua, Kona, are the only Hawai'i competitors on the 2008 world tour.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.