PASSION COMES IN WAVES
HOW TO BECOME A PRO
OUTSIDE CORNER SURF SHOP
SHARPEYE
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Uluwatu - Bali
CAUGHT INSIDE # 134
WINDOW
TO INDO:
SIGNS OF THE TIMES, BALI, 2024
By Matt George
For surfers, it’s all still here. Despite all the expat and visitors doomsday talk of the final stages of over development and the final surrender of Bali to the almighty tourist invasion, and the destruction of the Uluwatu cliffs and on and on…it’s all still here for us. The waves, the fun, the romance, the famous dream. And it’s all thanks to the indomitable Balinese culture. Yes, the Canggu madness is very real and the traffic is very bad and the overpopulation is scary and very depressing to the veteran visitor or expat, but on the other hand, the Balinese Hindu culture is thriving and surviving completely intact and undiminished amidst all of it. Everywhere on the island. As is its perennial way. Adapting and benefiting from all the changes throughout its history ever since it was “Discovered” by the outside world. After all, it is the Balinese people’s island, not ours and they can do with it as they wish. That’s nothing new either. And the Balinese people are reaping benefits untold in better education and health and wealth. Now there is a dream come true right there. It just isn’t yours. And all the talk of now that Canggu is played out that the Bukit Peninsula is in the bullseye and will soon succumb to traffic gridlock and greed and overcrowding and all the rest of it, is just that. Talk. Because the development of Bali as an island paradise has been going on for over a hundred years. Of course this island is going to be overdeveloped. All discovered paradise’s are. Look at the Gold Coast. But the difference with this place, unlike places like say, Waikiki, or the Goldie, is that the indigenous culture here is not diluted or disappeared or overwhelmed or made fun of or diminished.
First of all, the Balinese still own everything and hold all the cards. Including their own dignity and power and faith. And second of all, their belief system is everpresent in anyone’s daily life here, local or visitor, and has never wavered in the face of empirical invasions like tourism and never will. That’s a fact. So all the fears and lamenting of paradise lost isn’t anything new. It’s evolution. And lest we forget, it is all the tourism that causes it all anyway. So to all haters out there of the modern Bali and its land rush future, to all the lamentators and grumpy influencers, remember that you caused it by coming here in the first place. All through history. It is the desire for a paradise that is not yours that makes it what it is today. So take some responsibility for it and stop whinging. And figure out a way to keep loving this island. Because it is belief in love, a love of an ancient culture and way of life, that has allowed Bali to survive throughout the changes. So forget about changing the modern Bali. Because it never has changed, really. Not in your lifetime. It has just evolved as a global paradise and continues to do so. And, despite the crowds you would also find in Waikiki or the Goldie, the waves are still here, and they always will be. So to all the doomsayers, do this: stop moaning and start loving Bali and its people and its culture again, the way it is and the way it will become. Because what’s really happening here is that it’s not time to change Bali back to “what it was”, what’s happening here is that it’s time to change yourself.
-Matt George, Editor-in-Chief
COVER: With an easy tropical lifestyle and absolutely perfect waves like low hanging fruit, Indonesia is one of the toughest places in the world to become a legitimate pro surfer. Channelling Rio Waida, the new generation of locals are going to need to ramp up the dedication, the discipline and the grit if they are going to stand any kind of chance. Kalani Ryan, threading backdoors at Lakey Peak with visions of greatness dancing in his head. As our new Junior LIGA Champion, all he needs to do is stay the course. Photography by Hu’u Images
No Sh*t. Photo: Mg
Serving as an example from Grom to Pro for this feature, we have chosen LIGA Junior Champion Kalani Ryan. While basking in the blessings of being a Bali Local, his competitive surfing is not only benefitting from his joyous approach, but his mounting aggression and power as he grows into manhood. With clear ambitions, a deep respect for learning and a Championship under his belt, Kalani is poised to be taken seriously in the upper ranks.
Photography by Guy Willimet
1. Act your age not your shoe size. Establish goals and develop a code of honorable conduct.
2. Learn at least one thing per day about the surfing industry, surfboard building and design and how sponsorship works.
3. Honor your shaper. Loyalty pays off huge.
4. Show up and perform in the best sessions with the best surfers, even if it means missing a small contest.
5. Train hard, study technique of your favorite surfers, emulate. (Look it up).
6. Stay in school, learn English
7. Win contests. Lots of them.
8. Work with a filmer, even if it’s your Mom, but analyze with a good surfer, find out who you are.
9. Ask not what a sponsor can do for you but what you can do for your sponsor.
10. Prepare to be a global citizen.
If you want to go beyond daydreaming, get some scissors and cut out these reminders above and stick it in your backpack and read them every time you have lunch. Here are some more hard facts of pro life:
Win contests.
And not second place either. Win them. Then find a trustworthy person to help you consider offers and handle your sponsorships intelligently.
Work with a filmer:
Surfers and filmer’s live symbiotic lives, equally dependent on each other. This is where developing rock-solid relationships is vital. For pro’s, follow the Florence Brothers. If you plan on being a freesurfer, follow Mason Ho. Emulate.
Be yourself, but for heaven’s sake be interesting: In the digital era you can do it. But it takes teamwork. A good example is Kanoa Igarashi, traveling with Tanner Carney and filming their “Chapters” series together, painting an intimate portrait of life on and beyond the Championship Tour. Take a good look at it.
Develop an open mind, do it now, and learn English. Every surfer on the pro tour can speak English. Get to it. Open mind? At age 15, Caroline Marks qualified for the WSL Championship Tour. Have you? Get to work. Go spy on Rio Waida, you’ll get the idea.
Well traveled, Kalani came back from a North Shore season a whole new surfer. Attacking and creating opportunities on waves rather than waiting for them. And having a strong connection with the waves of not only Bali, but Sumbawa and the Mentawai doesn’t hurt his career plans.
Photography by Cory Lopez
When long walls open up in front of him, Kalani Ryan uses his newfound height like a racehorse, really stretching out and using his speed, giving his maneuvers on the face a powerful, silky flow. He knows that it is this kind of surfing that will catch the judges eyes.
Photography by Cory Lopez
Homegrounds often make the surfer. And Uluwatu, even on common days, is
Photography by Guy Willimet
Study your craft
Become well versed in the sport and obsessed with learning everything about it. Be interested far beyond your own Instagram and your little clips. As boring as it sounds, do your homework. Know your history, become actually interested in what you are doing past, present and future. Read books on surfing, go online and study all the career paths of your hero’s. Watch movies from long ago and the ones that just came out today. Talk to tribal elders, hear their stories. Be a surfer, dammit. Not just someone who surfs.
Become a global citizen
Italian surfer Leonardo Fioravanti spent most of his youth in France and now divides his time between there and Hawaii. Kanoa Igarashi grew up in California but surfs for Japan and lives in Portugal half the year. Along with their native languages, both speak English, Portuguese, French
and Spanish. To be today’s pro surfer you need to travel the world, and you’ll never meet two humans better equipped for global pro surfing than Fioravanti and Igarashi. “Growing up in Huntington, I always stood out, because I was Japanese, I was different,” Igarashi says. “But surfing was the thing that put that racism aside and brought my world together.” So there it is. Where you are from or the color of your skin does not matter Your character and abilities do. Indonesian groms live at the crossroads of the entire surfing world. The entire world comes to us. So you have no excuses not to become like these guys.
Make no excuses and grow the hell up:
One of the best things about surfing is the adventure that comes along with it. Get into it. What you give is what you get. So embrace the world around you and be blown away by the doors that open for you. Don’t complain, work hard, go win contests and watch your life come alive.
seeing Kalani Ryan rise as one of the best prospects of his island home.
As we end the year 2024 and look back at the number of events around the archipelago, from tiny local boardriders comps at far-flung breaks on remote islands to international WSL events at world renown destinations such as Krui and Nias, to niche events like Earth Island Surf Fest, Twinny Finny and Twinkle Toes in Bali, it’s amazing what has been accomplished during the last 12 months in Indonesia.
Back in December of 2019 when we were blissfully unaware of the world wide pandemic catastrophe that was about to befall us; we were full of optimism that 2020 was going to be the best year yet for Indonesia’s surfing scene, as we looked at an exciting schedule of events headlined by the World Championship Tour coming back to G-Land after a two decade absence.
Hopes were soon dashed unfortunately as the world shut down, which began a very dark time for us in the surfing contest world, not knowing when or if ever we’d be able to work and travel again. The surfing light however refused to be extinguished, and instead there sparked an idea that soon evolved into the Liga Surfing Indonesia. Bolstered by Tipi Jabrik’s Grom Patrol junior series, the LSI was created to provide a sustainable pathway for the development and progression of Indonesian surfing, from tiny groms to opens to masters, where the boardrider’s management and members learned how to find sponsors, organize and run their own events, with guidance from the ASC.
The first day of the Earth island Surf Fest featured waves of consquence. But from grom to masters, everyone took it on. And often paid the price.
Photo: Antonio Vargas
Mr. and Mrs Jack Robinson digging the Earth Island surf fest.
Photo: Antonio Vargas
THRIVE TO SURVIVE:
OUR CURRENT CONTEST STATE OF THE UNION
By Tim Hain, Asian Surf Cooperative (ASC)
Philip Duke’s electric performance at the Earth Island Surf Fest was a direct result of his ASC training. This kid is paying attention. Photography by Simon Dobby
The LIGA contest at Uluwatu brought out the best in locals like Tumbling Sudiantara. Photo: Ulu Images
THRIVE TO SURVIVE:
And now every year they come together in the Liga Surfing Indonesia Grand Final to compete and celebrate their accomplishments, showing their progression and gaining experience. Those that attended the recent LSI Gran Final at Uluwatu witnessed the competitive pride as well as the camaraderie between clubs like Halfway Kuta, Legian, Bingin, West Sumbawa and Uluwatu, many of whose more senior members came up competing in the ISC open and junior events.
And let’s not forget how the inclusion of surfing in the Olympics, which finally opened the way for the essential governmental support needed for a National Surfing Team, something that many thought would never happen. Having Indonesia’s own Rio Waida earn his way into an Olympic appearance, not to mention being a flag bearer in the opening ceremony in Tokyo, was an unimaginable dream come true for the ASC and other surfing industry members that had been toiling for years to bring surfing to the attention of the central government as a legitimate sport.
And let’s take a quick glimpse back in time, when the ASC was the ISC (Indonesian Surfing Championships) and surfing competitions were plentiful. Rip Curl, Quiksilver, Billabong, Rusty, Oakley, Reef, and Volcom all funded virtually all the junior and open contests in Bali and other areas of Indonesia for several heady years. But then came the near collapse of the surf industry, which saw the golden goose laying far fewer and much smaller eggs, and their resulting struggle to sponsor contests, which then led to a significantly reduced number of events in Bali and around Indonesia.
Made Lana with the spoils of victory well in hand at Surf Liga Photo :Ulu Images
The Surf Liga Crew and the Uluwatu Boardriders celebrating the love. Without the ASC, none of this would have ever happened. Photo: Ulu Images
Mega Artana with his eyes on the Prize at Surf Liga. Photo: Ulu Images
THRIVE TO SURVIVE:
Fortunately, the ISC/ASC’s work with local governments to use surfing competitions as a sports tourism activity provided a way forward, as they started funding major international competitions such as the Krui Pro, Nias Pro, G-Land Pro, and the Manokwari Pro, which kept the contest momentum going on to what we are experiencing today.
So after such an amazing 2024, what is coming in 2025? In the pipeline are more WSL Qualifying Series events in Indonesia, with proposals in to the various governmental departments, an expanded Grom Patrol series with more Asian region locations participating, and the Liga Surfing Indonesia adding more boardriders clubs and searching for an amazing Grand Final location. We’re also working closely with the PSOI (Indonesia’s governing body for surfing) to assist them in increasing
surfing event activity in their 18 regions. We’ll see the return of the many yearly specialty events in Bali, and as usual the ASC will be roaming around Asia providing technical teams for contests and doing educational programs in other Asian countries in support of their surfing development efforts.
So as we celebrate our 20th year, we are exceeding thankful to all the support and trust that we’ve been given over the years, with a special thanks to the OG crew of Steve Palmer, Paul Anderson, Jeff Anderson, and Kane Faint, whose time and valuable resources early on allowed the ISC to form and then grow and evolve into what the ASC is today. Thanks to all of you, the Asian Surf Cooperative remains resolute in our mission. To create a thriving surf culture in Indonesia and ensure its survival for generations to come.
Dhany Widianto, competition honed and slicing toward the ASC podiums. Photo: Ulu Images
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
(And Getting Better)
SINAR TANDJUNG, 14 yEArs Intelligent, Observant, Powerful Homegrounds: Bukit Peninsula
“If there was ever a legacy surfer, here he is. The second scion of the Tandjung family. Son of the great Rizal, younger cub to the ferocious Varun, Sinar was patient before throwing his hat into the ring of the family surfing fame. A young man of many talents, a gifted athlete and a great chef of all things, his surfing has come of age. Not so much a keen competitor as a keen observer of the greatness available on a wave. He could win anything he put his mind and talents to. Actually, he already has”. Photography by Jason Childs
Alin Wilcoxen, 14 years Enlightened, Calm, Gifted.
Homegrounds: Siberut, Mentawai “Gifted indeed, Alin, sister to wunderkind Dylan Wilcoxen, is a talent all on her own. With her almost introverted surfing style, whether on a long or short board, this remarkably talented and stylish young lady is a surfer Indonesia can be so proud of whether she competes or not. Hailing from the nether world of the Mentawai, raised in undeniably perfect waves, her world on a wave has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with the beauty she brings from within. We are lucky she is here among us”. Photography by
Liquid Barrel
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
(And Getting Better)
Kiran shai vitt, 15 yEArs Mature, Connected, Clean Homegrounds: Sanur
“Kiran surfs with a maturity far beyond his years. Waves to him seem to be something he reads more than just rides. At any moment Kiran is always in the right place, the momentum carried, his maneuvers sharp yet smooth and complete. This is a surfer that already understands that waves are not just to be ridden, but interpreted”. Photography by Simon Dobby
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
(And Getting Better)
LiDIA KATO, 16 yEArs
Energetic, Committed, Centered Homegrounds: Halfway Kuta Beach
“You cannot help but notice Lydia’s hands when she surfs. So graceful and rhythmic. As if she is a conductor guiding the wave itself as she rips along. There is a lot to be said for a surfer who can bring beauty to a wave. And it comes so naturally to Lydia that it makes you wonder…what is more graceful, her or the breaking wave itself? Ever the interpreter, here Lidia blends her grace with a very challenging wave dynamic, flowing with the unpredictable contours rather than against them. Not many surfers can do that”. Photography by Antonio Vargas
Oscar Glossop, 15 yEArs Explosive, Fast, Serious
Homegrounds: Padma, Legian
“It seems that every wave this young man surfs is an undertaking. An experience. He wrings out everything that the wave has to offer and uses it to pull off the wild. Yet there is a rare sense of control here. As if by giving the wave his all, the wave gives back. He rides without compromise, and it seems as if the wave itself senses this and gives him the respect of opportunity”. Photography by Antonio Vargas
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
(And Getting Better)
FIONA,11 yEArs
Spry, Unrestrained, Futuristic
Homegrounds: Halfway Kuta Beach
“After building up speed on the face of a wave, Fiona knows how to make the most of her turns by using her rare talent for extension. When she carves, it is a whole body maneuver, from her scalp to her toes. She demands a lot of her surfboards, demanding that they keep up with her momentum and forward thinking. She is always two turns ahead of what you see. This is how you win at anything in life”. Photography by Antonio Vargas
the
the
and
Steeped in
mythology,
hard realities
blessings of the North Shore, with RESCUE: HI SURF Matt Kester has become the most credible showrunner of any surf based TV show that has ever been filmed in Hawaii.
Photography by Fred Pompermeyer
Matt George
By
Sunset Beach, O’ahu, Hawaii, 2024
As he gazes out to the northwest, the tradewinds sweeping down from the heights and out over the ocean tug at Matt Kester’s hair and whisper into his ears. Drops of water hang on his eyelashes and as he blinks they fall and make their way to his upper lip. He tastes the salt of them on the tip of his tongue. Upright, his left hand on his thigh and rotating his legs he holds his position on his surfboard. He is far out to sea and with his right hand he picks at the wax of his surfboard’s deck and he waits, confident and spirited. A horse ready to run.
The towering humps of the northwest swell have been hammering through the west bowl here at Sunset Beach since dawn and he has timed his noon go out for the best conditions of the day. The massive reef spread out below him seems as eager as he to receive the big waves. It is a reef he knows well. A passion decades long. He is in his fifties now, rangy, still muscled tight and he has been tuned into the break since he first paddled out here at sixteen years old. His desire for this wave is a vow he has never betrayed. He lifts his chin higher to look out at the horizon and he waits for the inevitable.
Each actor in RESCUE: HI SURF had to become a certified Hawaiian lifeguard before they would be considered for their roles. Sneeze at the plot points all you want, but know that these guys are the real deal.
His inevitable, his ride. He sits high on his surfboard and this is all he needs in his life during these moments alone. He has earned them.
At a restless sixteen years old he’d grabbed a surfboard and ran away from his Ventura home and its Mormon tenets. He’d found a different brand of spiritualism that he knew he would on the North Shore of O’ahu. The god almighty space of it, the constant hissing sound of the surf, the scent of plumeria’s, the calls of mourning doves and a brand of heroism he always felt he was capable of. A wild west setting that California could never have lived up to. He was surviving to surf. Just he, Hawaii and his instincts.
Possessing a rare discipline he got himself through high school in Hawaii with a pizza delivery job and rented closet space as his base of operations. A bright, creative student, the faculty didn’t ask too many questions as long as he kept making them look good. Luck came his way when he met an local family that saw a goodness in his raw spirit and they helped him out with things far more valuable than money. The family lived right on the point at Sunset Beach and he would spend his weekends with them getting a real education on how to fish and dive and surf Sunset Beach without a leash. And in that way the waves at Sunset Beach became his. He’d never been afraid to earn anything. Particularly self respect.
Knowing that being a deadbeat haole wasn’t for him, he turned to academics in earnest. He was a natural. He vectored his Mormon background into a shot at Brigham Young University just around the corner from Sunset Beach. Still working at pizza joints for twenty bucks a night and all the lasagna he could eat, taking odd jobs washing dishes and setting fins and hot-coating surfboards at backyard swamp factories, it took him eight hard years to graduate from BYU debt free as a history major. The achievement an uncommon marvel in itself.
He’d also fallen in love and married a beauty named Summer with no more than a hundred bucks in his pocket. His wife had a sort of hair salon out the living room of their small rental. They just got by. It was the year 2000 when a job came up in California selling ads for an upstart surfing website. The dough seemed good, so he had to take it.
Matt Kester, in Bali mode at the White Monkey Surf Shop, October 16th, 2024, 1:15pm. Portrait by Matt George
As capable a team of both lead actors and rescuers ever assembled. Whether or not you are a fan of the show, the verisimilitude is omnipresent.
So he and his lady moved to the mainland to get ahead. But the job just didn’t fit, so he stuck it for a year, saving pennies, and then quit and split for Santa Barbara with his eye on earning a masters degree at UCSB. By 2003 he and Summer had had two kids, he had earned a Masters degree in History and he was well on his way to a PhD. Again, debt free. There was that discipline again.
The big picture all along was to get back to the north shore and nab a professorship at BYU. BYU was, after all, only a few miles from Sunset Beach. What he ended up with was better. He impressed the boys at BYU for a second time in his life and scored a gig running the archives there. A miracle job for a prospective doctor of history considering the Mormons had been running around Hawaii since 1850. That and the fact that he and his good friends Tamayo Perry and Pancho Sullivan were the first ones in the water at Pipe and Sunset every morning also fit like a glove.
But PhD or no, money was always an issue. So he wrote a book on the history of Polynesians in the old west. The Oxford press picked it up to
some acclaim but the riches did not appear. That’s when Kyle Harimoto, an old friend and a writer on the new Hawaii Five-O TV show, read Kester’s book, loved the style of it and suggested Kester try his hand at a screenplay for some cash. So Kester did. Turns out Kester’s script was so good that Warner Brothers bought it. Then came the agent and the manager and the leave of absence from the BYU archives to move the family back to California to chase the Hollywood dollar.
The money was handy, but the family was miserable in LA. So Kester quit tinsel town and returned to the BYU archives, poorer but far richer in waves and friends and happiness for he, Summer and the kids. But money was always tight and with a third child now, the strain was showing.
That’s when out of nowhere the agent called with another TV show writing gig. And Kester’s discipline kicked in again. He took the gig. But this time things would be different. This time he would gamble it all. He went to LA alone, bought a big white van, surf rigged it and secretly lived in it while sending every dime he made back to the family
in Hawaii. Impossibly, he got away with it for three years. Three long, scrabbling years of van life before their was such a thing. Three years of secret overnight parking spots and public bathrooms, dodging executives, parking down the street from the studios, lonely laundromats and a dodgy shower he’d found in the bowels of the Griffith observatory. Doing it tough for the for the family and in a way, for Sunset Beach. Beyond the realms of all reason, the hardships of van life paid off. And a humble house for his family, near enough if not exactly on Sunset Beach, was the result.
Round about that time, John Wells, super producer of such TV hits as ER and The West Wing, impressed with Kester’s work ethic, approached Kester and asked him what kind of show he would write if left to his own devices. With Hawaii and family in mind, Kester answered on the spot. A lifeguard drama set on the North Shore. A show about the heroism that his friends exhibit every day. Miraculously, John Wells said go for it.
So Kester wrote the script. And RESCUE: HI SURF was born.
So now, a couple hundreds yards from Sunset Beach’s Lifeguard tower number 25 and not seven miles from house and family and not much further than that to his new hit TV show’s production offices, Matt Kester sits on the biggest surfboard in his quiver, scanning the horizon at Sunset Beach waiting for the very waves he has fought so hard for. That he has dreamed of riding for the rest of his life since he ran away from home at sixteen years old. The waves that had become more a belief than anything else during those long years of sacrifice.
And then the waves arrive. And in a mountainous phalanx they rise and fringe and the tradewinds tear at them, turning their upper reaches into showers of saltwater smoke and Kester makes his choice and slides down onto his stomach and with ten powerful strokes he finds himself dropping into a giant. A menacing, moving wall of water and turmoil. All his life, a prize that he has taken wild gambles for. And in those rushing, thunderous moments, all the gambles have paid off and he has won. And with a love of family and a security he has never known, Matt Kester has finally found his way home.
Kester’s white knight. Van life out of necessity and long before it was cool, from living in this this van Kester rose to the top in one of the toughest businesses on earth through dedication and sacrifice in the name of his family and surfing.
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: THE SUPERMODELS
In today’s computerized surfboard manufacturing world, we tend to forget that these things we call surfboards are still magnificent pieces of hand-made, badass sporting equipment. Unlike any other in sports. Despite the new technologies that have allowed our shapers to become full time designers and take our sport into the stratosphere of performance, surfboards are still handmade objects created by remarkable craftsmen and artists and made with, well, love. Which is why we as surfers literally love our surfboards back.
In the spirit of the art of making surfboards and the artists that make it possible, Surftime offers these supermodels, among the best here in Bali, in a visual museum setting. These magnificent seven as an art installation. We hope these pages offer our readers a chance to just stop, really stop, and reflect on the craftsmanship, the hydrodynamic form and striking beauty of these modern machines. As well as all surfboards everywhere. Without which, we, as surfers, would not exist.
Sharpeye Synergy
“ The keen blade”
Arakawa RP
“Hawaiian Warrior”
JS Big Horse “A Serious Matter”
…LOST Sub Driver 3.0 “For the Hard Corps only”
Channel Islands Happy Everyday “Free and easy”
Pyzel The Ghost “Breakfast of a Champion”
Eight ooo Asym “The psychedelic groove”
PORTFOLIO: A TOM SERVAIS
MENTAWAI 2000
RETROSPECTIVE
What makes this image of Andy Irons remarkable is that though shot in 2000, most pro’s today would be hard pressed to duplicate it. The reason why? This is actually the result of one of Andy’s whipcord backside cutbacks as he returns to the pocket from the shoulder. Take a moment to look at the absolute perfection of his body dynamics in this moment as they match the speed and power of the wave like a glove.
Left: Sunny Garcia, could bring his power to any size wave. Here he buries the hatchet in the magic light of evening Lances Rights.
Right: Back then, as it remains to this day, the Bali experience was synonymous with the Mentawai groove. Uluwatu humble ding repair on the cliff that tells a very different story today.
Left: Tom Servais has always had his eye out for the extraordinary. Here he captures a very rare backside moment of Tom Curren negotiating the deep within a very hefty Kandui Left. It takes as much energy to shoot the icons as it does for the icons to surf the waves. It is this synergy that Servais has always sought.
Right: On another golden evening at Lances Rights, perfect barrels or no, Servais noticed Bruce Irons experimenting with the heights of his wild airs. Turning his camera exclusively on Bruce, Servais was able to capture an air for the ages. When Bruce landed this one, the entire channel erupted into cheers. At this point in history, no had seen anything like it.
Considering the liquid forces of the surfing universe, it was inevitable that Gerry Lopez and Rob Machado should meet and surf together. The influences handed down across the generation gap are obvious. Servais understood this immediately and sought to capture a single image of master and pupil. This magic moment, with Green Bush all to themselves, says it all.
DESERT STORMED
Photography by Pete Frieden
Tahitian Eimeo Czermak, raised in the hydraulic caverns of Teahupo’o, naturally gravitated toward the hairiest inside section of the point on the hairiest of days. “It’s a bigger playing field than Teahupo’o, that’s for sure, but at least you can straighten out and bail if you get in trouble at Desert’s. At Teahupo’o at this size, straightening out would be suicide”
“One year we went off on this great adventure,” Surfer Pioneer Dave Andrews shares of his many 70’s Indonesian exploits. “We had no idea what we were getting into; there were ten surfers, five crewmen and my wife, and we all got onto this forty-foot turtle boat, sailed out of Benoa Harbour at midnight and saw Mount Agung as the sun rose. We turned across the Lombok Strait and one of the crewmen started tying everything down. I had no idea we were going to be going out into these radical ocean currents, with whirlpools and raging rivers in the middle of the ocean like you could never imagine. We had everything on that trip; there were three fires on that boat, we had a mutiny, a mattress caught fire and they couldn’t put it out so they just threw the whole thing over the side. But that’s when we discovered Desert Point. Bangko Bangko, it looked a lot like a desert to us and it had a perfect point wave, so we named it Desert Point.”
Like some blissful, beneficial parasite, the memories of those idyllic four months percolated continually in Dave Andrews mind and soul. He regaled friends with tales of his experiences, he mind-surfed the empty, tropical, crystalline waves over and over again and he knew he had to return. “I was just a young, broke surfer at that time, so it took me seven years to save up the money to go again.” But each trip back uncovered a new corner of Indonesia to Dave. First, Bali, but soon after, Nusa Lembongan, Lombok, Nias and Desert Point would follow. The destinations changed little, though as time progressed and Bali’s tourism industry and infrastructure boomed along with its traffic, crowds and trash the journeys in between became more, not less, challenging.
An Uluwatu Standout known only as Special Ed, represents all the unknown talented chargers that have an intimate relationship with the Desert Point wave itself. Not interested in photos or clips, guys like this are in it for the rush alone. And it is that purity, that focus on the moment rather than followers, that allow the true moments like this that last far longer than any Instagram post.
“At Desert Point, all of the sudden out of nowhere a guy like Gabriel Medina will show up and blow minds” says photographer Pete Frieden, “and all of the sudden the whole level of performance for everyone goes through the roof. It’s like watching a rock band really hit their groove in the middle of a set. And the craziest thing? Medina landed this thing on the back of the wave still standing. But no one got it on video. And when he paddled back out by me, he was so stoked I don’t think he even cared”.
“That was a great experience; the discovery of Desert Point. It’s become one of the greatest surf spots in the world, and the kids that go there now… it’s unbelievable what they do. I couldn’t say I was the first there, but I was one of the first. We wouldn’t know; we were the only ones there and never saw someone else. Though over the years I’ve heard other claims, and I don’t know for sure, but I was definitely one of the first. All the things I did in Indonesia, I guess I was one of the first”. We can’t go back in time. We can’t claim discovery of G-Land or Lakey Peak or Lance’s Right. Like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, these breaks have the names of those that went before us indelibly embossed into each and every glassy wall that breaks upon them.But that’s not the way discovery works. It’s a personal journey and one that, as long as we remain true to ourselves, none can take from us.
Discovery exists outside of our comfort zone, away from suggestions and rumours, beyond the hours and minutes we plan in advance and into the realms of the unknown. It doesn’t have to be unknown to the world for it to be our discovery, only unknown to us. If we stumble across a perfect wave, a stunning headland, even a populated point break we never knew existed until we rounded the corner of a sixlane highway, we have experienced, and can claim a type of discovery, a sensation that we all seek as surfers. It might even exist at the end of your street as an eight year old kid dragging his board across the sand down the beach away from a crowd. Discovery is not about being the first, it’s simply about discovering what you never knew existed. A curiosity satisfied. A passion quenched. And it’s that driving force for this newness that will always maintain surfing as, pompous as it may sound, a bit of a heroic quest.
Usman Trioko, the undeniable master of the break, getting his propers from a visitor. “Usman surfs so well and so relaxed at his home break” says Frieden, “that his ownership of the wave is unquestioned by all. He surfs like a King and is treated accordingly”
Dawn.
That break from the sun.
The sounds of silence.
Lucky is he who knows how much to leave to chance.
By Holden Trnka
Tosh Tudor, deep and getting deeper, coming around the corner of a Lombok Beauty. What makes his tube riding so notable is the seeming ease in which it is done. Casting that spell that defines all the great stylists, the art of maintaining a calm grace under pressure. Photography by Pete Frieden
“I will push you beyond limits, I will test and challenge you because I know what it takes and I know what you are capable of. I am hard on you because I know you can do it. I will never give up on you. I will always be your biggest fan”
-Father’s everywhere-
Anyone who has ever been a father or a son involved together in sports will see himself in the following essay. Like snapshots of family life at its most emotional. Whether the stories take place on a diamond, a court, a gridiron, a fairway, a chessboard, or a wave, it’s all about fatherhood, and sonhood in one of the world’s most intriguing sports.
-Editor-
I’ve seen Tosh Tudor twice in the last six months. First, as he stopped in Northern New South Wales just days before flying to Indo, and second, during a brief Bali stint between his various strike missions.
The kid lived in Indonesia for just about the entire 2024 season and, as you’ll see above, he was more than efficient with his time. Tosh isn’t exactly the type to get lost for weeks in Kuta nightclubs, and he’s got the footage to prove it.
“When I first went out there this year, we scored a month of crazy waves with Zeke and Jade and Skip,” he tells me. “We’re about to drop a big movie with all those clips soon. Then there was a gap in July where there weren’t too many crazy swells. Then this whole video was filmed in August by my friend Kalani Minihan. My dad was messaging me, because California was so flat. He came out for a month and we got lucky with waves. It was pretty much consistent swell the whole month of August.”
Father/son tuberiding pairings are a timeless fixture of surf culture, with Pete and John Mel, Michael and Mason Ho, and Herbie, Nate, and Christian coming immediately to mind. With the above 16-minute edit not featuring a single turn clip, Joel and Tosh have certainly tossed their names in the bucket for the most coned genetic duo in the game.
“It was just sick to have my dad there. I’ve never gone to Indo with him. He hadn’t seen Bali in like 30 years, so that definitely blew his mind. The culture shock was pretty huge, seeing Russian nightclubs everywhere,” laughs Tosh. “He got some fun waves at Deserts and then we got to surf that Padang Cup expression session together, which kind of made the trip for us.”
Oh, and right after August ended, Tosh hopped a plane flight to Florida for the beginning of this year’s Stab Highway. Count on seeing a lot more of Tosh in the coming years, Because it’s his turn now.
Perhaps it is his countenance of innocence that make his elegant surfing so hard to believe. Tosh Tudor, photographed at the White Monkey Surf Shop, 7:02pm, October 28th, 2024.
MOMENTS
CONTROL
AGGRESSION
STORMS
DESTINATIONS
MOMENTS
CONTROL
AGGRESSION
STORMS
DESTINATIONS
Previous Pages: The great Made Winada Adi Putra, years ago, exercising his birthright and deep connection with the restless sea. But what breath has put him there? Gazing at this image one must consider the divine.
Photography by Tom
Servais
This Page: The irrepressible and joyful surfing of Ian Crane belies his remarkable skills as a powerful, creative wave rider and aerialist. A committed surfer who shares a profound love for Indonesia and its waves. Honoring that passion for place every time he takes off anywhere in our fair archipelago. And he landed this.
Photography by Oneill
AGGRESSION
STORMS
DESTINATIONS
Previous Pages: In this one image is captured the hope, the desire and the power of dreams in regards to our WQS warriors out there. Competing month after month after month against faceless odds, in such far flung and foreign and lonely places as Nias, putting every ounce of effort, every penny they have, every shred of belief that they can muster into the moments that will grant them knighthood on the WCT. To those who keep it coming, surftime salutes you. Jarvis Earle going for gold at Lagundri Bay.
Photography
by
Tim Hain
This Page: At the worst named spot in Indonesia, talent and courage rises from the local populace. Surrounded by the more famous stars in the celestial body of pro surfing, Sumabawan charger Hamzori shows the world how it’s done at lightning speed.
Photography
by
Damea Dorsey
RIP CURL INTERNATIONAL GROMSEARCH: THE BEST OF THE BEST
The 2024 Rip Curl GromSearch International, presented by Sun Bum, wrapped up in Bali today with great performances at Pererenan Beach, solidifying its reputation as the premier event for young surfing talent around the globe. The event saw the UK’s Lukas Skinner successfully defend his title while the USA’s Eden Walla claimed victory for the girls. .
Lukas Skinner’s journey to the final was extraordinary. He scored a perfect 10, with a flawless alley-oop into a carve, finishing with a clean air reverse. In the nail-biting final, Lukas faced off against Spain’s Dylan Donegan. Lukas was trailing for most of the final, but caught one of the biggest waves of the day at the end, launching a huge straight air to seal the deal with a 9.33.
“Man, it means the world to me,” said Lukas. “Dylan had me on the ropes. We both got two eights, I knew I had to go big on my next chance. I’ve been struggling to beat Dylan all year, he pushes me so much, and
I’m stoked to finally get him.”
In the Girls division, American Eden Walla emerged victorious, overcoming an in-form Ziggy Mackenzie from Australia in the final. Eden’s composed performance in the high-pressure format was a testament to her poise and talent. “I think my dad was more nervous than me” said Eden.
Another highlight included surf legends Steph Gilmore, Molly Picklum and Rosy Hodge taking over commentary on the live webcast for the day.
The Rip Curl GromSearch International is more than just a competition; it is a launching pad for future professional surfing stars. Two-thirds of current Championship Tour (CT) surfers are former GromSearch competitors, underscoring the event’s significance in shaping the careers of some of the most successful surfers of all time.
OUTSIDE CORNER SURF SHOP
OPENS IN ULUWATU
In what is the newest and welcome addition to the Uluwatu surf scene is the Outside Corner Surf Shop. With its name that honors the waves of Uluwatu themselves, this modern, ultra cleanly designed surf shop is ideally located right in the middle of all the Bukit action. And with its generous parking right out front, the convenience is a huge plus in the busy scene of the Bukit these days. Whether you need to run in for a quick bar of wax or take your time for some early Christmas shopping, the Outside Corner not only has everything you need for a great day of surf. And plenty for the women too with brands like Sisstreevolution, Lili Koi and Blood + Bone. Outside the bright white entrance calls while once inside the cool confines you will find a wood accented shopping experience that is all class. And with the latest styles from over a dozen different brands on display in this spacious, well-lit shop, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for. And don’t forget the surfboards they carry. Cutting edge brands like Sharp Eye and Arakawa and more, specifically designed for the power of our Indonesian waves. Outside Corner Surf shop is happening now, so get in there.
The Location Outside Corner
Jl. Labuansait No.89A Uluwatu - Bali
ALAMAYAH: SUMBA DREAMING
Sumba is known as the forgotten island. The word Sumba literally translates to “No interference”, “Native”, “Original” and holds one of the last megalithic cultures on the planet. With the eternal search for an untouched society increasingly difficult to find, a lot of people are unaware that one of the last sanctities of purism is only a 50 minute flight from Bali. The culture, traditions and megalithic burials still used to this day date back to the BC era and are just as relevant in society today. Alamayah is situated in the heart of this and has a passion to provide guests with one of the purest cultural immersions found anywhere in the world. The hotel sits in one of the most remote, culturally preserved and traditional areas in Indonesia. Alamayah’s vision has been to create a gateway for tourists to come and explore the raw and rugged traditional beauty of Sumba, whilst experiencing a 100% locally built and operated world class luxury hotel. Alamayah is the first and only luxury private villa and boutique hotel on the island of Sumba and disputably one of the best in Indonesia, it provides the epitome of lavish and sumptuous accommodation. Alamayah has taken tourism back to the roots and established why people travel in the first place. Being completely built and operated by the beautiful Sumbanese people, its intentions and philosophy are based around so-
cial sustainability and cultural preservation. Alamayah’s model focuses purely on education, supporting both life and career-based skills for the local people. We believe sustainability starts with the people. Inspired by the spirit of luxury, Alamayah facilitates everything you would need to fully immerse yourself comfortably within the Sumbanese culture and landscape. Your private guest captain will customise each day to suite your needs. Your knowledgeable tour guides will take you to see the stunning private beaches, sacred caves, waterfalls or village immersion by mode of trekking, mountain e-biking, horse back, boat, jet ski or your private driver. Swim at the beautiful white beaches with our horses and you will most likely be accompanied by a herd of the local water buffalo as well. Your adventurous spirit will be ignited by our local Sumbanese staff which gives an even stronger sense of connection to the local people. Within the hotel you will find all the comforts of any luxury hotel which includes hot and cold baths, steam room, spa, gym, fully stocked bar, pool, swim up bar and in house restaurant. Alamayah works as a brush that paints everlasting and humbling memories in the minds and hearts of our guests and continues to bloom even after our guests return home. A holiday where travellers can finally breathe in freedom.
ARTIST OF THE MONTH: DULLY JABRIK
In a brand-new column for Surftime, each issue we will now be featuring the surf artists of our community. This issue we are featuring the art of Dully Jabrik. His simple, folk-art style and Naivety belies its complicated context and the skill that it takes to produce such visions. Here we see three of his works that reflect the passion that only a surf artist could retain. A green barrel that looks back at us, eliciting that feeling we get when paddling out over riderless waves while staring into the vortex. A visual love poem to the complex emotions that overcome us all in the surf and simple figure riding above and beyond with the sun on his back and the darkness of night chasing him down. One last wave before the stars appears. It is this kind of expression, this kind of art that helps us all regard the cosmic forces of our sport beyond photographs and into the realm of pure imagination. To see more please visit instagram at digital_dully_art. Surftime looks forward to more art submissions from our community from artists of all ages. Simply contact us at Surftimemagazine@gmail. com. Good luck to all.
Lone Ripper.
Cry for Ombak
Ombak Bali
Surf trips and family holidays rarely mix. You’re either sneaking dawnies while the crew sleeps or explaining why “just one more sessa script. Set on Bali’s east coast, this spot isn’t just about scoring waves —it’s about keeping everyone stoked.
Keramas for You, Everything Else for Them
Let’s start with the obvious: the wave. Keramas delivers black-sand perfection, and it’s right out front. While you’re trading hacks and tubes, the family’s busy owning their day. There’s a skate park for the groms, yoga and fitness classes for the wellness warriors, and a spa that might have you faking postsurf soreness just to book in.
Then there’s the recovery center, ice baths, compression therapy, the works. It’s where you reset after a few too many duck dives or just recover from chasing the kids around. It’s a total family solution.
Komune isn’t in your usual Bali chaos. It’s tucked away on the east coast, where the vibe is slow, the crowds are thin, and the only soundtrack is the ocean.
Think less “tourist trap” and more “secret escape.” And yeah, the kids can cannonball into the pool while you sip a smoothie and pretend you don’t see them.
Sell It as a Holiday, Live It as a Surf Trip
Komune has cracked the code. The family thinks they’re on a wellness retreat with black-sand beaches, organic eats, and activities galore. You know better. It’s a surf trip with a built-in excuse to stay longer.
Book it. Paddle out. Everyone wins.
Get the family on board at komuneresorts.com
CLOSE OUT
World Champion Marco Luciano Occhilupo, Big Wave World Champion Shane Dorian, World Champion CJ Hobgood, Eddie Aikau Champion Bruce Irons, Three time World Champion Andy Irons. Digging on the Mentawai vibe during the OP Pro Boat Trip Challenge, 2001. Has there ever been a more talented and accomplished group of close friends in the history of surfing? Who would be the five man equivalent of today? And who of those new five will be going on to unquestioned legendary status in their careers? History changing surfers don’t come along that often. But at this moment in time, five of them gathered on the bow of a boat a long way from home and smiled for the camera. A simple moment in the complicated lives of five unforgettable surfing greats.
Photography by Tom Servais.
