Photo: Konstantin Trubavin
14 year old Puanani, or Pua as friends and family call her, is becoming more and more recognized on Bali as one of the new up and coming surfer girls. Pua started surfing when she was four and has been competing since she was nine in both the Girls and Boys Divisions to gain more contest experience. She has done really well with a win at the rip Curl GromSearch at Canggu this year and she made the semifinals at the 2012 rip Curl Surf & Music Festival against the Pro Women. In 2012 she was a finalist in several Magic Wave events and in 2011 she won three Under 13 Magic Wave events. Those contests are mostly at beachbreaks but most of Pua’s favorite waves are at Bali’s top reef breaks like Uluwatu, Blackstone and Kuta reef, all goofyfoot surfer frontside dream waves that with her quiver of fresh boards from Channel Islands are even more fun to surf. Speaking of support, Pua is also sponsored by Volcom, Future Fins and Nusa Dua Beach Bar and Grill. Pua’s mom is from Bali and her father is from Hawaii and used to coach surfers like Andy and Bruce Irons when they were younger. “I love living in Bali,” says Pua. “Bali has the best waves and Indonesia has the best surfers. I want to keep surfing here, getting good grades in school, and one day hopefully make the ASP Women’s World Tour and be World Champion.”