Surfing
Surfing
Indonesia turns back time and serves empty perfection to the Bali brigade
Bali delivers peak season perfection for a crew of locked-in locals and long-time residents. "It feels like the old days," says Indonesian icon Rizal Tandjung, "like when I was a kid!"
It's fair to say 2020 has meant many different things to many people from all corners of the globe, but if you're a surfer there are not many places you'd rather be holed up for an extended period of time than Indonesia in the middle of the year.
With flights grounded around the world Indonesia's tourist season slowed down, but for the Indian Ocean swell gods it was business as usual. Suddenly a tight crew of Indonesians and long-time local expat residents found their wildest fantasies coming true, as the waves of their dreams rattled off all but empty.
Swedish-Brazilian young gun Kian Martin lines up a dreamy green wall
© Hamish Humphreys
Varun Tandjung floats high over a right coast ramp
© Hamish Humphreys
All style and smiles for Marlon Gerber, sitting pretty on Bali's East Coast
© Hamish Humphreys
This East Coast session was one for the books and Lee Wilson ruled the day
© Hamish Humphreys
Alongside Bronson and Rizal, Indonesian stalwarts like Marlon Gerber, Betet Merta, Garut Widiarta, Nyoman Satriaa, Alik Rudiarta, Darma Putra Tonjo and his twin brother Darma Yasa Bleronk joined in the feast, both on the Bukit Peninsula and up the East Coast. It was here that the wildly talented Lee Wilson scooped into what many are calling the biggest tube ever ridden in Bali, a ride that you'll need to hang around till the end of our edit to see, and that'll you'll need to see to believe.
Watch out world, Indonesian young gun Bronson Meydi is coming in hot
© Hamish Humphreys
Rizal Tandjung is still the man on perfect days at Padang Padang
© Hamish Humphries
Bronson Meydi is all smiles as his surfing goes from strength to strength
© Hamish Humphreys
Tropical adventure guy Tai Graham wrangles a Bukit Peninsula foamball
© Hamish Humphreys
On the expat side of things young Swedish-Brazilian style master Kian Martin joined Bronson and Varun in announcing his arrival as a force to be reckoned with, while long time standouts Tai Graham, Koby Abberton and Jared Mell continued their decades long love affair with the Island Of the Gods.
Our favourite production team of Scotty Hammonds, Nathan Lawrence and Hamish Humphreys were in Bali for the lock-in, and while an all-star squad got stuck in to solid swell after solid swell, the lads captured every last celluloid moment to bring us the edit you see in the player up top, and the sterling collection of still its pared with. Kick off your sandals, hit play, and start dreaming of the land of black sand beaches and emerald green waves now, you're going to love it.
