Surfing
Surfing
Bali is a non-stop high performance party and everyone's invited
It's no secret that the surfing world is head-over-heels in love with the Indonesian island of Bali, but why? Our latest instalment of No Contest investigates, with the help of a few famous friends.
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10 min
No Contest 2018 – Bali
See the surf world tour's best railing perfect waves in Bali, Indonesia.
The Balinese leg of surfing's world tour was always going to be an event and a half after sharks forced the cancellation of the Margaret River contest and the world tour decided to finish proceedings at Uluwatu, at the conclusion of the Keramas competition. Confused? Don't worry, most people were, till they realised it all added up to more time in The Island Of The Gods, and order was restored.
Indonesia has been a surfing rite of passage since the late 1970s, the Indian Ocean's answer to the Pacific mecca of Hawaii. Competition has been sporadic however, thanks to a combination of political unrest and surf industry decline. From the Om Bali Pro in the '80s, to an incredible few years at Grajagan in Java, and a couple of brief dalliances in Bali this millennium, events have come and gone with the tide, but it seems now things have finally changed for the best.
Julian Wilson sends one silly and lights up the pre-dawn show
© Nate Lawrence
Wildcard Mikey Wright might be top-10 by the time he bails Bali
© Nate Lawrence
Griffin Colapinto's youthful abandon has been a breath of fresh air in 2018
© Nate Lawrence
Although he destroys them, deep down Jordy Smith loves the waves in Bali
© Nate Lawrence
The high performance righthander of Keramas, on Bali's East coast, has been reinstated as a permanent venue on the world tour, and the guys and girls of the Top 34 and 17 couldn't be happier about it. Posting up at the incredible Komune Resort, where perfect waves gatecrash pool parties every day, this was an event for the books, and Red Bull's Jacob Wooden and Stab'sDylan Roberts were there to record the best of it.
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