Ketika saya mengetahui akan ada “monster” yang datang ke Indonesia, saya langsung menghubungi teman dari King of Millenium, yang mempunyai dua kapal dan dapat beroperasi dengan baik di Mentawai, Nias, dan Kepulauan Telos: King Millenium 1 ternyata sudah penuh dan King Millenium 2, sebuah kapal besar dengan Catamaran yang mewah masih menyisakan beberapa tempat kosong. Menyaksikan ombak besar yang dalam 10 hari terakhir, saya yakin Mentawai adalah tempat yang tepat. Kemudian saya menyiapkan semua peralatan dan papan selancar, membayar kapal dan bersiap berangkat.

Jadi ini adalah hadiah ulang tahun saya: 12 hari didalam salah satu kapal terbaik di Mentawai, berselancar dengan salah satu ombak terbaik dunia. Tidak buruk. Dan yang paling utama saya dengan segera membayangkan akan mendapat makanan terbaik selama saya di Mentawai. Semua masakan disajikan dengan baik dan saya merasa sedang berada didalam resort bintang 5 di Bahamas, tapi ternyata itu King of Millenium 2 di Kepulauan Mentawai

Pemandu kami, David Valladares adalah seorang peselancar berpengalaman yang telah bekerja di Mentawai selama lebih dari 20 tahun. Ketika saya dalam perjalanan, saya mengetahui kalau semua orang sudah disana dan menanti kedatangan saya, agar kita dapat segera berangkat ke Mentawai secepatnya. Pada saat dalam perjalanan meninggalkan Pelabuhan di Padang yang sibuk, David mengatakan kepada kami bahwa ombak dan angin pada saat itu sangat cocok bagi Rifles, jadi kami semua masuk lebih cepat di pemadangan hari pertama yang menakjubkan dalam sekitaran ombak yang “ajaib” di Playground.

Hari berikutnya saya bangun pukul 5 pagi waktu Bali, atau pukul 4 pagi waktu Mentawai dan suasana sekitar masih gelap. Kami sudah berada di Playgrounds dan saya bisa mendengar ombak pecah tetapi tidak dapat melihat apapun. Saya mengerutu, hanya berpikir untuk berselancar. Sekitar pukul 5 pagi, kapten kapal menarik jangkar ke atas kapal dan penumpang kapal mulai terlihat di kabin: 4 pria Spanyol: 2 dari Pulau Canary dan 2 dari pulau utama (Spanyol), mereka sangat menyenangkan dan juga 4 orang Brazil.

Kami keluar dari teluk, dimana kami bermalam dan segera menuju ombak yang sudah menanti. Setiap menit anda dapat melihat lebih, disetiap sudut anda juga dapat melihat air bening mulai muncul, perahu, dan peselancar. Ombak di Rifle sangat besar pada saat itu, sekitar 4-5 kaki, sedikit tidak konsisten tapi memberikan kesempatan kami merasakan barrel yang bagus.

Dua hari pertama yang sangat memuaskan bagi kami di Rifle, berjalan 200 meter diatas barrel yang melaju menuju karang dangkal. Kami tidak membayangkan akan mendapatkan kesenangan ini diawal perjalanan kami, dimana setiap bagian terasa sangat pas untuk berselancar, sempurna. Setelah dua hari berlalu, kami menuju selatan mencari ombak yang sudah menanti di Maccaroni. Tunggu cerita dari Mentawai bagian kedua.

 Teks and Photos: Iuri Borba

Watch the teaser of VOLCOM FIJI PRO 2013!!

Also, you can watch the live webcast June 2-14 at http://www.volcomfijipro.com/

Video: LUEX LineUpEXplorers on YouTube

The new 700-room Mulia hotel, which has been built on the previously pristine Nusa Dua Beach. Photo: Michael Bachelard

For tourists, his 2300 square metres of emerald green rice paddy on the edge of town is a point of serene beauty – one of the things that draws millions to visit the Island of the Gods. For Nengah, it’s his inheritance: ”These five plots belonged to my father … My grandfather was also a farmer, and my ancestors.”

Nearby, though, Nengah’s uncle, Putu Wirnatha, has been forced to abandon his family plot.

”In the past five years, it is boxed in by buildings, houses … they cut his access to water,” Nengah says. ”There’s no view, no irrigation. There’s nothing we can do.”

This family’s story encapsulates the dilemma that tourism presents for Bali. The buildings erected to allow people to come and enjoy the view are spoiling it; the tonnes of rubbish dumped every day are fouling the beaches; the burgeoning traffic is disturbing the peace; and the massive demand for water could trump all these problems within five or 10 years.

”Yes,” says the chairman of Bali’s tourism board, Ngurah Wijaya, ”we are loving Bali to death.”

Bali’s sophisticated communal irrigation system, in which water flows from channel to field and back to channel among multiple farms, is called subak. Negah Daryana says that ”as long as the subak system still works” his father will not sell their land to the developers.But subak is not just about irrigation. It’s a network of farms, a ritual of meetings and agreements and an important expression of the Balinese religious philosophy of ”Tri Hita Karana”, which holds that there are three sources of happiness: people’s relationship to God, to each other, and to nature.

Disrupt the flow of water, and you disrupt water worship in Balinese Hinduism, the rituals of which are part of the island’s allure, as well as its World Heritage listing. Now, though, because of tourism, the entire water supply of Bali is under severe stress.

The soundtrack at hundreds of upscale Bali hotels is the gentle play of water in swimming pools and fountains. But despite its tropical rainfall, clean water is in critical undersupply. I Made Suanatha, from the local non-government Wisnu Foundation, says locals use about 150 litres of water a day, tourists in hotels use 1500 litres or more.

Most of it does not come down pipes from dams. Those who are connected to piped water find that it rarely actually flows. Instead, businesses and households rely on wells. The hand-bored wells of the locals are about 10 to 12 metres deep. At the big hotels, artesian water is pumped from 60 metres underground.

All wells are supposed to be taxed and regulated but nobody pays and nobody measures how much is extracted. The volume is now so great that saltwater is beginning to spoil them.

A researcher at Bali’s Udayana university, I Nyoman Sunarta, has identified saltwater intrusion throughout Bali’s southern tourist strip and says water quality has ”degraded quite alarmingly” in recent years.

British academic Dr Stroma Cole says 260 of Bali’s 400 rivers have run dry and Bali’s biggest natural reserve of water, Lake Buyan, is in deep trouble from shrinkage, sediment and the inflow of agricultural chemicals.

Water that once flowed from springs and into and out of rice paddies to feed the subak system is being sold to the drinking water companies for purification and sale in plastic bottles, or diverted to keep tourist activities such as rafting afloat.

The catchments are declining fast. Bali’s zoning regulations require a minimum of 30 per cent of the island be covered by forest, but that figure is now 23 per cent and falling.

Continue reading and watch also video “Loving Bali to death”, here

Source: Sydney Morning Herald | Author: Michael Bachelard

Video: ouisurf.ca on Vimeo

Photo: Frank Quirarte/BillabongXXL.com

The 32-year-old Santa Cruz resident caught the superlative wave on December 21 during a terrifying session at the Cortes Bank, a notorious offshore hazard to shipping located over 100 miles west of San Diego in international waters. Dollar won a total of $30,000 in capturing both the Pacifico Paddle and the XXL Biggest Wave divisions at the 13th Annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards held on May 3 at the Grove Theater in Anaheim.

A panel of experts measured the wave at 61 feet on the face. Dollar caught the wave using only human paddle power, yet it turned out to be bigger than any waves caught by any means in the last year — including those caught with the use of jet ski assists.

This is not Dollar’s first visit to the Guinness Records pages.  In 2010 he rode a wave at Maverick’s off Half Moon Bay, which was measured at 55 feet and surpassed the previous best set by Taylor Knox in Mexico in 1998.  Dollar’s first tenure as a record holder was short-lived, however, when Hawaiian surfer Shane Dorian bettered the mark with a 57-footer at Jaws, Maui the following year. “Is this really happening?” asked Dollar rhetorically after his XXL victory.  ”Are we really paddling into waves bigger than what we used to tow?  It’s surreal, it’s such an honor.”

How big did that wave seem to him as he experienced it, alone, 100 miles from shore?

“It’s hard to put numbers on those things, but it was the biggest wave I’ve ever seen in my life,” Dollar said.

The announcement on the Guinness World Record website can be viewed, here

Sources: surftweeters.com

Coming fresh off the last stop in Lakey Peak Sumbawa on the 12^th May where the Groms faced heavy barrels, Groms are now preparing for the mellow long rippable walls of Medewi.

Rip Curl’s Top Team rider Oney Anwar took time off in his busy schedule of the World Qualifying Series to help with the last event in his home town of Lakey Peak commenting; The Waves were pumped for the last event – the morning was perfect 3-4 feet and glassy giving the boys a good chance to show off their skills. The kids were ripping and having so much fun! The level of Surfing was really strong too. It’s good to be back in Lakey judging and enjoying the competition with the Groms from my home town!”

Competition was very tight in both divisions during the Lakey Peak leg of the series.  With first place in the under 14’s finally attributed to the powerful Ompu who steamrolled his way to victory with 11.5 points, followed by Arpad (10.4 points), Daniel (8.1 points), Irfan (7.3 points) Bronson (6.8 points) and Idris (5 points). The four first winners were rewarded with Rip Curl goodie bags, Stickers and Sticky Bumps wax.

In the Final of the “Under 16” division, around 20 Groms competed for the coveted prize of a spot in the National finals to be held in Bali in September. The day was not short of drama – During round 1 Dedi Supriadin charged one of the biggest sets of the day resulting in a heavy fall, broken leash and lost board.. After being pounded by the remainder of the set, Dedi finally made it to the channel where he was reunited with his board. One bonus was his beating won him the best wipe out of the day and some free goodies!

Riman from Lombok took first place in the main Under 16’s division (13.5 points) thanks to a combination of perfect turns and tube rides. Close behind Riman was Andre Anwar from Lakey Peak (11.6 points), Max De-Santis of Hawaii  (9.8 points) and Febri from Java (8 points).

Given that Riman already won a ticket to the National Finals at previous GromSearch event earlier in the series, the official winners who join National Finals are Andre Anwar, Febby and Finda from Lakey Peak and Febri from Java.

As far as the expression sessions were concerned, it is Gazalin from Lakey Peak who won the Best Wave thanks to a lengthy and well-maneuvered wave. Halik, also from Lakey Peak differentiated from others by an outstanding figure which brought him to win the best trick of the day.

In addition to the exciting performances in the water, Groms voluntarily cleaned up the beach fulfilling their commitment to environment helping preserve nature and make a great example to other locals and surfers in the area. The Grommets also enjoyed playing games such as a running competition and “the last chair standing” game in a very friendly atmosphere.

Rip Curl Team Rider and Contest Director Dedi Gun said: Everybody worked really hard to organize this GromSearch Series #6. Many thanks to the judges, Locals,  Sponsors and everybody that participated in making this GromSearch unforgetable !”

Rip Curl GromSearch 2013 Lakey Peak, Sumbawa, Contest Results:




Under 14’s Division (Boys):
1st – Ompu (11.5 points)
2nd – Arpad (10.4 points)
3rd – Daniel (8.1 points)
4th – Irfan (7.3 points)
5^th – Bronson (6.8 points)
6^th – Idris (5 points)

Under 16’s Division (Boys):


1st – Riman (13.5 points)
2nd – 
Andre (11.6 points)
3rd – 
Max (9.8 points)
4th – Febri (8 points)

Best Wave – Expression Session:
- Gazalin (Lakey Peak)

Best Trick – Expression Session:
- Halik (Lakey Peak)

Schedule of events for 2013:
26th May, Medewi, Bali
2nd June, Kuta, Bali
9th June, Padma, Bali

NATIONAL FINAL – September, Somewhere in Bali (TBA)

Video: Marroke Surf Expeditions on Vimeo

Photo: will-on-board.com

The survey recommended that more serious action be taken by relevant stakeholders to overcome the traffic problems.

Tourism Agency head Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu said that besides collecting data on general characteristics of the tourists, the survey also asked for the respondents’ opinions about public services, including customs, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, taxis, traffic, cleanliness and attractions.

Generally, respondents were positive about public services, although a small percentage said they were dissatisfied.

Regarding traffic specifically, 57 percent of respondents offered negative views. The agency conducted the survey in two phases: the first in August and the second in October last year.

The survey involved 1,000 respondents who were approached at Ngurah Rai’s international departure gate.

Subhiksu said that 34.4 percent of respondents said traffic conditions were not good, while 23.3 percent said they were very bad. Twenty-eight percent said the traffic was pretty good, 11.5 percent said it was good, and the remaining 2.8 percent said it was very good.

“Their negative opinions are understandable, especially in south Bali that has popular destinations, such as Kuta and its surrounding areas.”

Several mega projects, including the airport expansion and the construction of a toll road and underpass have made traffic worse.

Subhiksu stressed, however, that the central government and the regional administration, as well as businesspeople and the public, had been working together to overcome the traffic problems.

read more, here

Sources: Bali Daily | Author: Wasti Atmodjo