OUTSIDE CORNER SURF SHOP
SHARPEYE
SURFTIME INSPIRATION # 136
and gales, and only now and then that there appears on the face of facts a sinister violence of intention.
-From
COVER: The prodigy who fades is an old story. Surfing’s history is peppered with gifted little kid surfers who cannot maintain the lofty orbit of adult expectations. But the prodigy who sets a high mark and then hits that mark, and then exceeds it, over and over again, is truly remarkable and worth celebrating. Dylan Wilcoxen, hitting the mark in his homegrounds again and again and again.
Photography by
Liquid Barrel
Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad-
Photography by Pete Frieden
STARDUST THE
COSMIC REALITY OF DYLAN WILCOXEN
“You can call it a blessing that surfers like Dylan Wilcoxen have received but there is no doubt that it really just comes from within them. The stardust inside them. You cannot train it or unlock it. It’s just there or not. It just comes from the sky or the DNA or something”. -Matt Biolos- Photography by Manu
As discussed with Matt Biolos
By Matt George
by
Portrait
Matt George
In this conversation, maestro shaper Matt Biolos opens up about his singular relationship with team member and young Mentawai Phenom Dylan Wilcoxen. And why he feels that surfers like Dylan provide essential meaning to our sport.
Matt Biolos: I first saw Dylan surf in the Mentawai in the Fall of 2020. He was probably eleven years old. And what immediately struck me was, regardless of his provenance, you know, that he grew up at the Kandui Resort in front of flawless waves, was that Dylan seemed to be touched by that rare, innate, raw natural talent that is hard to find in any sport.
That un-planned, un-coached, natural ability, free from thought or premeditation. Which I don’t see often in my world today, not with all the parents involved and the intense coaching and training that is going on. But I have seen Dylan’s kind of talent before. Like I once saw it in Chris Ward and Curren and guys like Bruce Irons and Dane Reynolds. I mean I spent a lot of time with Wardo and Bruce when they were teens and for me, on the close-up, Dylan’s was the first time I had seen that same unique brand of surfing in over 25 years. That control of the body and the wave in a thoughtless, unplanned, untrained, uncoached manner.
Dylan Wilcoxen, 2020, staring out from his front yard into the best surf in the world with his first custom shape from Matt Biolos. An image of wild potential. Photography by Matt George
With aerials as spectacular as the backdrops of the waves where he surfs, Dylan Wilcoxen lives a Peter Pan existence at home in the Mentawai. But make no mistake, his talent is not a fantasy.
- I think Dylan, because of his almost oddness, I think there is a real privacy to his surfing. It can almost be mistaken for an aloofness. Maybe because it comes so easy for guys like him. Like a Curren, you know?
Just all spontaneity and an ungodly natural talent. These kind of guys have that magical physical control over their bodies without forcing anything. They just get it. So the benefit to all of us is that this brand of skill is really entertaining to watch. It’s magnetic.It keeps the concept of style alive. That untouchable, beautiful thing known as a great, memorable style. It inspires all of us to try and have a bit of style and that is something surfing has to have or we have nothing.
-You can call it a blessing that surfers like Dylan have received but there is no doubt that it really just comes from within them. The stardust inside them. You cannot train it or unlock it. It’s just there or not. It just comes from the sky or the DNA or something. And win or lose you can still make a a great career out of this kind of surfing. You can have a good career without competition, of course. Because people want to see this kind of surfing. They will always want to see it. This supernatural surfing. The magic of it.
Photography by Liquid Barrel
“Astonishingly, at six years old, Dylan was already exhibiting his remarkable understanding of the dynamics of surfing. I didn’t know what to do with him, so I just let him run with it”.
-Ray WilcoxenPhotography by Ray Wilcoxen
-I haven’t put all that much effort into Dylan design wise. Because with a guy like that you don’t have to. But I’ve been around him since he was eleven years old, travelled with him everywhere and he stays with us sometimes, he’s always welcome. But going from eleven to sixteen years old, it’s not like I am really designing specific boards around Dylan’s specific ability. I mean, like Curren, Dylan can surf anything and make it look like the right board. Design wise it’s more about maintaining him on cutting edge boards appropriate for his size and growth. Just keep him on appropriate sized boards that the best in the world are riding. It’s also great that he has a feeling for alternative boards. It keeps surfers like him fresh. We throw him fishes or Cheyne Horan Zappers or Modern twins and he just goes out and rips on them with no warm-up at all. He
just gets it. That thing. That relationship between a surfer, a board and a wave.
-You know Dylan’s father and he have goals together. Dylan wants to be a competitive surfer, wants to be on the world tour. Whether or not that happens is up to Dylan. But these young surfers have to realize what a hard road it is. It does require training, it does require coaching, it does require strategy and holding back from time to time. But you want to be careful to keep the magic. Like Curren did. Because competition surfing today requires surfing with pre-thought and Dylan is just so damn good at surfing without any thought.
12
- What kind of wave would I want to see Dylan surf that I have not already? That is a great question. Hmmm, J-Bay? No, a little too slow motion for Dylan, he thrives in the hectic. I was thinking rifles, but I have already seen him there. I just spent time with him surfing good Snapper and he just lit it up. He got better waves than anyone in the water, because Mick just sat out the back in front of the rocks and took the bombs that could kill you. But Dylan just stayed busy and got wave after wave after wave and just figured out the crowd and made Snapper look actually ridable on a public day. I also think it would be great to see what Dylan could do at Skeleton Bay. Or maybe Sunset beach on a gun if everybody started taking off outside again. That would be interesting.
-I think it would be amazing to get Rip Curl to get their sh*t together with Dylan and do some really radical stuff with him, some creative projects. And maybe get him to travel with guys like Mason Ho. Just to really uncork Dylan and see what he could do.
-More than thinking about a future for Dylan I think more about his perspective. We have developed a really great relationship with his family and the business they have and the extended family with all the lost boys in the Mentawai and my son River and Dylan are close. Its just a very organic set-up. It’s healthy and natural and family oriented. A very enjoyable experience as opposed to my hectic pro surfing involvement and my hectic business, but at the same time it still includes this gifted, world class surfer in our midst.
Shown here at
years old, Dylan Wilcoxen was already hungry for size and power, with a knowledge for ocean survival that could only be described as feral, having been raised by waves instead of wolves.
Photography by Ray Wilcoxen
“I really don’t worry about Dylan that much. We are just lucky to have him around. In many ways, surfers like Dylan are the reason why the rest of us love surfing. And isn’t that enough?”
-Matt BiolosPhotography by Liquid Barrel
-So whatever path Dylan ends up taking, I am all in. And right now I am supporting he and his fathers dreams of Dylan being on the CT. But if that doesn’t work out and he doesn’t become a world tour surfer, no one in the world is in better position to dominate the most fertile surfing grounds on the planet. The Mentawai. He lives at Kandui Resort, with the greatest surf literally in his front yard. And he just owns the surf. He has had his own Jetski and boats since he could barely walk. And he just tears around surfing perfect waves. And his brand of surfing in his perfect waves will always be in demand. And his dream situation out there will always capture everybody’s imagination. And it can always be documented in a beautiful way. That is something our world will always need. So I am not concerned about Dylan’s future at all. I just hope he keep doing his magic thing, win or lose. He can have my boards as long as he wants them.
- The overall situation with Dylan reminds me a little bit of the past. If I would have been a 50 year old man overseeing the Chris Ward experiment back in the day. When that went down with us Wardo was fifteen, sixteen yeras old and Mike Reola and I were only twenty five and we didn’t know what the f*ck we were doing. Just winging it with Wardo. And now that I am grown-up with some responsibility and with kids of my own its almost like a second chance to be involved with a prodigy and to help him grow. I really wish Dylan and his surfing the best. Like I said, with guys like Dylan, with his natural relationship with the ocean, I really don’t worry about him. We are just lucky to have him around. In many ways, surfers like Dylan are the reason why the rest of us love surfing. And isn’t that enough?
WOMEN ON FIRE
Grajagan
Photography by WHSUP!!
your competitive aspirations.
Spread: Coach Chelsea Hedges from Surfing Australia’s session briefing with Isi Campbell, Ziggy Mackenzie and Charlie Hatley before hitting the pumping G-Land line-up.
Above: Ziggy Mackenzie, demonstrating the benefits of what a rigorous coaching program can do for
Bobby’s G-Land camp set the stage for a very unique happening recently. Chelsea Hedges, a top coach with Surfing Australia, led a team of rising amateur female surfers to our premiere wave in order to help hone their skills. It’s all part of Surfing Australia’s serious and enviable national coaching program to develop young hopeful surfers as they move into a professional career. And if not that, then at least to help them reach their full potential in surfing. Surftime met with Chelsea about this extraordinary opportunity and here is what she had to say:
Chelsea Hedges: This was one of Surfing Australia’s latest strike missions for coaching. The concept is to identify waves that are either world tour locations or locations that are similar to CT contest locations. This is so we can take our athletes there for exposure and experience in those types of wave profiles. Like if it’s not a world tour location like cloudbreak, we try to go to a place like G-Land to simulate it. So that’s one part of the program. For exposure in reefy, barrelling left hand waves, the main part of my coaching at G-Land was to coach them on deep barrel riding techniques, backside and frontside, depending on their stance.
At S.A. each coach has a cohort of athletes that are assigned to us. And these three junior women are who I am currently coaching. Ziggy Mackenzie, Isi Campbell and Charlie Hatley. It’s a very serious and deeply committed program that we hope leads to creating world class potential. We are coaching what we call Pathway athletes, surfers who we feel are emerging and developing pro level athletes. We do our best to bring out the potential that could lead to a podium finish on the CT.
I would say our G-Land trip was successful in giving these women exposure to world tour waves because I feel that Cloudbreak is quite similar. It’s not just a grab-a-rail and hope-for-the-best kind of wave. You need to be aware at G-land and read really read the wave. You have to explore the line-up and figure it out or you get either pummelled or left behind. So, teaching them how to navigate a long, left reef break was and important skill to master. It was great to see Ziggy really step up. Obviously growing up in Bali and knowing Indonesian perfection and her Padang Padang performances put her in a notch above.
The travel and culture aspect of the program is secondary to performance but we were fortunate with these women that they are already quite experienced in traveling. So they are already ready for that. But still, especially when you go to Indonesia, life on the road skills are an imperative.
And what is important to our coaching vision is not only create the worlds best surfers but the world’s best human beings as well. That is a really important part of Surfing Australia’s values when it comes to coaching these athletes. A really important element. Good values and a winning way of life. Their surfing skill development is forefront, but it is also about helping to create a well-rounded, worthy human being. We never forget that surfing can give you that if you really pay attention.
Isi Campbell, maintaining speed and grace while setting up for the notorious speedies section. The confidence that calculated coaching is giving these young surfers is obvious.
The great thing about the program is that the coach gets to teach by example. Chelsea Hedges on the bomb of the day, ready and able, planning what’s ahead for not only her students, but for the future of women’s surfing.
CAMP CORY
CORY LOPEZ gEts it
Left: Mentoring is not about making people like you, but about helping them become the best version of themselves. The lucky few juniors that get to travel with Cory Lopez are able to absorb lessons from a man who has created a surfing life well lived in and out of the water. Kalani Ryan, star pupil, putting the life lessons to work. Photography by Cory Lopez
Right: For Cory, there is no money involved, it is not an official surf camp experience at all. It’s just a family surf trip, but with underlying purpose. With a lucky hand-picked group of local junior surfers that Cory trusts will absorb the lessons he has learned about the surfing life. Left to right, Layla Lopez, Cory Lopez, Luke Lopez, Kalani Ryan, Alana Lopez, Zoey Matthews, Philip Duke. Photography by Cory Lopez
Cory Lopez, in his prime, putting in the work that made him one of the most respected surfers in history. Now, at 48, a family man, he continues his successful life of professional surfing, maintaining the same intensity and performance levels that makes him one of the most photogenic surfers in the game. Photography by Pete Frieden
Cory Lopez, now 48 years old, has certainly earned his place in the pantheon of surfing greats. In bald statistics, even his long passage in the the venerable Encyclopedia of Surfing recognizes this. Calling him a “Nervy goofyfoot pro from Indian Rocks, Florida… world-ranked #3 in 2001…A visceral show-stealer, with diamond-hard balls…began surfing as a preschooler… made a reputation as the world’s best young highperformance free surfer, quick and flexible, with gyroscopic balance that guided him through the most ambitious tailslide and aerial maneuvers ever seen…
During an early round heat at the 1999 Gotcha Tahiti Pro, the handsome dark-haired Lopez rode deep inside the tube on a pair of big, thick, deadly lefts at Teahupoo, getting annihilated both times but setting a world tour standard for reckless cool…he returned to Teahupo’o in 2001 to win the event…in 2003 he won the US Open of Surfing… Lopez was featured in more than 30 top ranked surf video’s and was one of the first to surf the mind-bendingly long tubes at Skeleton Bay, Namibia, which earned the “Best Barrel” award at the SURFER Poll Awards…through all this he was also tight friends with fellow hard-charging surfer and partier Andy Irons”.
There it is, in that last line. His deep relationship with Andy. And though Cory is so often described as “Andy Irons sparring partner”, it is not the only element that defined him. What has defined him has always been the code he has lived by. Even at a young age, he was centered, responsible and future minded. Smart enough to monetize his surfing ability, smart with his friendships and smart with his success despite the personal challenges of the world tour. And that remarkable code continues to serve him today. Still surfing at professional level ability, he now finds himself a successful father of three and along with Jenn, his wife since teenhood, is currently raising three children in the ways of the world and professional surfing. Son Luke and Daughters Alana and Layla in tow, he travels the world and shares the joys of surfing with them. Both professionally and recreationally. Surftime was lucky to catch up with Cory and family on their annual Indonesian surf trip as they returned to Bali from Sumbawa where what is affectionately known as “Camp Cory” just wrapped up. Cory, now dedicated to inspiring his kids and other world class juniors with his unique code of conduct and what can only be called a training program. It is an elite experience that he runs with the efficiency of a drill sergeant for some of the best junior surfers in the world.
Instilling in his next generation of chargers, not only the techniques of world class surfing, but the value of the proper approach to throwing yourself into a responsible surfing lifestyle. Here are some short excerpts from a long conversation Surftime had at the Uluwatu Villas with Cory as he and his kids were packing up their gear for their next great adventure. These are some very personal thoughts that Cory shared with use regarding his close relationship with Andy Irons and the future of surfing. The kind of thoughts that he will be thinking about as he inspires the next generation at future “Camp Cory’s”.
Who was the Greatest surfer you ever saw from water level?
Andy Irons would lead that conversation. I mean surfing with him and Kelly at the same time was incredible enough. They were peers in ability, no doubt. But there was this thing with Andy. The unpredictability, the places he would choose to go on a wave were so futuristic. And I believe Andy would do that same thing I said about Kelly, where Andy would elevate to a higher realm. But the way it happened to Andy was different than how Kelly would get there.
Says Cory about his friendship with Andy Irons: “It was very different then a brotherly love because we were both out there hitting it hard in the same sport. But I would say the core of it all was a real, trustful love between us”. Photography by Pete Frieden
Luke Lopez, following in the footsteps of a legacy with the same intensity and purpose as his father. He dreams of winning at Teahupo’o someday just like his father did. And with surfing like this, he just might. Photography by Pete Frieden
There is a trickle-down performance effect that hits all locals everywhere when a world class surfer shows up at their break. And in Lakey Peak it is no different. Here, Satrio from the local boardriders club, joining the Cory crew for a wild session at Periscopes, finds the inspiration to fly above his dreams, perhaps to reach them someday, as all do who believe in themselves. Photography by Cory Lopez
Kelly would push himself there consciously, purposefully, and Andy would get there more like a bolt of lightning had hit him. You know, the reason I say Andy here was because of the way he could manhandle a wave. The power he had, the fearlessness, the creativity. Andy had that perfect weight on his body for a surfer, he was the perfect height, and he could just really let himself go all the way. I mean when the waves became serious he would just manhandle the lip power for power. In waves that could really hurt you. No one else did that. Andy would play with a gnarly lip where the rest of us, even Kelly, would work with lip, you know, make sense of it. But Andy would just decimate the wave’s power, making it work for him as if he was in charge of it. No one else in the world have I ever seen do it like that. I mean Kelly and Andy were equals, of course. But Kelly was perfection, and Andy was animal.
So what was the greatest thing about your life-long friendship with Andy Irons?
I think it was the the mutual respect and love we had for each other. For one thing, we were great friends since we were kids. And we loved to surf against each other. That was really interesting. It wasn’t an angry thing. It was a fun thing, even though we were both vicious in a heat together. I also think another thing was that even our freesurfing sessions were very competitive and we both became better surfers because of it. But on the beach we were just good friends and had everything that comes with that. Like family. And I guess we understood each other inside all our fame madness that we were both dealing with. And a lot of that comes from spending so much time on the road with someone. And remember, both our girlfriends were great friends with each other too and that adds a lot to that family feel even though we were so young. But both our girlfriends became our wives, so there was that. Andy and I dated our wives from a very young age and they grew up with us and that really creates a rare bond on the tour and in a professional surfing life. A very family orienting thing. And I loved that even if we hadn’t seen each other in awhile, like when Andy was with Billabong and he was so famous and winning world titles, and my wife and I would not see him and his wife for a little bit, Andy would just call randomly in the middle of everything and just want to say whats up and just to talk like normal friends do. Like a normal thing inside all the un-normal things in our lives that fame brought. Andy and my friendship was a friendship with a lot of love. And very different then a brotherly love because we were both out there hitting it hard in the same sport. But I would say the core of it all was a real, trustful love between us.
So what is the greatest thing about the future of surfing?
The next generation. Kids will always be able to go to the beach. I mean it sounds simple, but think about it. You are around the ocean. That is the greatest thing ever about surfing, Just being around the ocean and being on the beach. I mean, the future of surfing will always be at the beach and as surfers, we own it.
“We feel cold, but we don’t really mind it, not if we are surfing. And if we never wrapped ourselves up against the cold, then we would feel other things, important things. Like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the Aurora Borealis, or the mist from our lungs, or the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. It’s worth being cold for that.’’
-Brian Gavin, cold water surfer/poet-
A MARCUS PALADINO PORTFOLIO
“Like love, it doesn’t matter if any water is cold or warm as long as you want to wade through it anyway”.
-David Lupo-
“Nothing
― George R.R. Martin,
Author, A Game of Thrones-
Surftime recently got a read on where Harry’s head is at when it comes to settling into our very unique surfing community. The following are some of his thoughts and reflections in what became a surprisingly personal conversation.
- I am from Torquay, Victoria, Australia and the surfing culture there turned me into a very competitive surfer. Before coming to Bali I held six Victorian state titles, I had spent three years on the QS and I had won the Rip Curl Bells Beach trials. But I felt that that the trials win was a real closure on my competitive career and I was ready to create a new life experience. I guess the universe was listening because the opportunity to come to Bali and work for Rip Curl came out of nowhere and I jumped
you get an idea of the surf scene and the waves, but obviously you don’t get deep enough into the culture during a vacation. But once you live here you realize that the Balinese culture is the main highlight.
- One of the first things that happened when I came here to work was the Padang Cup. And I remember being at the opening ceremony watching the Kecak dance and I was hanging with the Indonesian staff and they gave me a deeper understanding of the story behind the dance. That just blew me away. It was one of the best experiences I had ever had. And it made me keen to learn everything I could about the people and the culture of this island.
With six Victorian Junior titles under his belt, Harry Mann is happy to trade in his wetsuit for Indonesian perfection. Photography by Liquid Barrel
-Bali has taught me to just have a go at things, to let your guard down and be yourself. As soon as I did that I felt like my life just really expanded here. And I am so grateful to Bali for that.
-Moving here I fell in love with surfing again. I felt sixteen again. I was getting up at 4am and driving around, on the search again. It was exhilarating. It was a new spark in me. The adventure of it all. Going to other islands and surfing new waves. A renewed froth to get out into the ocean and enjoy the sport I have dedicated my life to.
- Like just recently, spur of the moment, I just decided to wake up and jump on the ferry to Nusa Lembongan for the first time. And I caught up with friends over there and started surfing five hour sessions with them. It was new waves and new challenges that really stoked me up. It’s that sense of simple exploration here, even if its just a drive over to the east side, it still feels like exploration in a way.
- The biggest lesson for me is that in the Bali culture I feel like no one is bigger than anyone else. And you are not bigger than anything either. Like you can shut down the streets here for ceremonies because something bigger is going on. A belief in a spiritual life is more important than just rushing around in the rat race. I have already seen people who resist this rather than flow with it and they just don’t last long here. The power of the beliefs in something bigger than yourself here are just too strong for them.
- I am not a big future planner but my original plan was to do only two years. But now I feel like I have been through a big, valuable experience professionally and personally and I am hoping I can work here for at least another two years, maybe more.
-I have been so impressed with the rate of how much the boardriders have developed here. I feel like here they are growing at an amazing rate and it really looks good for Indonesia’s future. There are some powerhouse clubs here, I mean halfway and Legian are competitive at a global level already.
- I have been really impressed with Darma Wisasa. When we did the first Gromsearch I saw a little 11 year old kid with a proper rail game and amazing airs and just a polished act. I got him on the team because I think he is a future CT surfer. He has all the skills and the fire to develop into something special.
- Right now there is a massive s pool of talent here led by Rio Waida and Bronson Meidy. I would be very surprised if Bronson didn’t qualify for the CT this year and join Rio out there. Bronson is easily a top ten CT surfer.
- The greatest thing about surfing in Bali is having a launching pad to search and discover the best waves in the world. If you are willing to put in the effort, you will be rewarded. That is what is happening to me now. If I ever move away, that will be a heavy loss. What can compare? I have learned now that I will always love Bali.
Harry Mann. Absorbing both the culture and the business of surfing in Indonesia.
THE ANTONIO VARGAS EXPERIENCE HOME GROWN:
Bronson Meidy
Wayan Betet Merta Rocco Rigliaco
Surftime Staff Photographer Antonio Vargas has got to be the hardest working photographer on the island. But the thing is, he doesn’t consider it work. “I am also an architect, so I am used to seeing with an artist’s eye for function and form. That is why I consider surf photography such a joy, there is so much function and form to it”. To say “Tono” is tireless is an understatement of fact. A big fan of the youth competitive scene, he can be seen at just about every club contest we have. And he is also an essential element of the Canggu scene at sandbar and the right. His brand of photography is deceptively simple. Peak action of local surfers both freesurfing and competing. “I like to focus on closeups” says Tono, “Real up close and personal. To see the expression of a surfer’s face, that focus, that drive, that hope”. Always quick with an irrepressible smile, Tono’s positivity translates directly to his photography. His tight action shots of hero’s and little groms alike exude the celebration of the act beyond mere performance. “There is a lot going on emotionally when a surfer is on the face of a wave, that is something we don’t consider very often until the wave is over and we can see the stoke, but I like to go after that emotion that happens on the face of a surfer when he is on the wave”. Witness here a collage of Tono’s latest emotional moments.
Bronson Meidy
Ketut Agus
Natan Johanes
Carla Morera
Fraser Standen
Hiroshi Setiadi
Italo Fereira
Dhany Widianto
Diana
Made Balon
Made Dera
Oney Anwar
I Made Pajar Ariyana
Dhea Natasya
Jacksen Dorian Baby first surf
Ken Uemura
Jordy Smith
Suri Jabrik
Varun Tandjung
The storm before the calm. If only the whole world would listen to the silence. Photography by Antonio Vargas
SURFTIME OPINION:
The day of silence on Bali is worth global consideration
By Matt George
Once a year, the authorities will shut down the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali to all air traffic and operations. And it remains so for exactly 24 hours. This is the same airport that has been delivering surfers to the island’s dream waves for over 60 years. Diverting all flights, it’s the only international airport on the planet that completely shuts down for religious ceremonial reasons. And there is a certain amount of pride in this for a local surfer. When night falls, with absolutely no light pollution, a carpet of stars sprays itself across the sky and the faint colors of the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye. From any hilltop, under a full moon, volcanoes rise through the silence bathed in a spectral blue and the island landscape appears as haunted and empty as it did in its beginnings. And for 24 hours the surf is left totally empty, by order of the Gods themselves. And for the local, there is a certain pride in this as well.
But for the visiting surfer it can be confusing. And more than one visiting surfer who, astonished at the empty perfection peeling off on every reef of the island, has risked it, attempting to paddle out. Only to be picked up by the patrolling “Pecalang” enforcers of Nyepi who then throw the offenders in a jail cell for a few days of penance. What makes this so interesting though, is that most surfers, both expat and local, honor the tradition and follow the rules. Regardless of the abandoned waves that are rolling in unmolested. And it doesn’t seem the threat of capture is the force holding them back. Rather it becomes an escape from the chaos of what the passion to surf drives one to do. To take a peaceful break from the hunger and the seeking and the anxiety and the elation of surfing in order to respect a culture and an island and an ocean that is giving you the waves in the first place. An opportunity to simply stop and consider just what the hell one is doing with their surfing life.
In this way, Nyepi’s values can be profound for a surfer. It is no secret that Bali is under the siege of tourism and poisonous over development. With most of it due to surfing itself. Over 240,000 surfers visit Bali annually and scant few of them are environmental warriors. So aside from all the alarm bells going off when it comes to Bali’s destruction, aside from the fact that a parking lot is being carved out of the cliff at Uluwatu, aside from all the fist shaking at the evils of overcrowding and tourism, aside from all of that, the fact remains that Bali is and always has been a survivor of the irresponsible desires of surfers. And that the day of silence might be a more effective reminder of one’s surfing responsibilities than any impotent grumblings or protests against the system. Responsibilities to oneself as a surfer and to Bali itself.
Imagine a world where for one day, just one day, for 24 hours, not one wave was ridden by any surfer on this planet. Voluntarily. To let the ocean just be. To allow the waves to approach and break and dissipate one after the other utterly untouched by our desire. To allow their own value of existence. To allow them to remind us, in their nakedness, of just how essential they are to a surfer’s well-being. To our balance. Our harmony. Imagine how those wave’s value would increase. Like water in a desert that a thirsty man would have to watch flow undisturbed. The value it would become.
And so, as a surfer, next year, consider your surfing, Bali and the spirit of Nyepi. The communal silence. Consider the answers in it. That balance of consideration for something over the lust for it. If just for one day. To take that time to find the meaning of surfing and the honesty of the waves we need and of why we need them. To take a lesson from Bali, one of the greatest playgrounds we have as surfers. To consider its day of silence. To consider that spiritual balance that going without can bring. Because the evils of our desires do not lie in what we want, but in what we want too much.
Gene Kreyd, Bali’s resident surfing artist, has been creating his unique art for as many years as he has been riding in the hollows of his beloved Padang Padang. From his hillside artist’s retreat, with its vast, breathtaking view of the entire Bukit, he works prolifically in multiple mediums on the inspirations and impressions of his long time Bali experience. Recently Surftime visited the artist to catch up on his latest work and we were startled by his newest vision. Bali as a victim of its own beauty. More insightful than bitter and wildly bold, we thought we would present this small collection of his latest insights with his quotes that help illustrate the context of each piece. So, take the time to regard these statements from a surfer/artist/ lover of Bali, even as he rages against the machine that is bringing such modern changes our timeless island.
“The magnificent sunsets of our island. As forever as ancient blocks of stone” -GK-
“The
thoughtless, greedy developer. May he burn in hell”
“Canggu. Once a home. Now a type of global madness” -GK-
“Bukit souls. Faces of hope. Magic will always exist. It is not something you can kill” -GK-
www.Genekreyd.art | Genekreyd@hotmail.com
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
SHIA JABRIK, 12yrs
Homegrounds: Legian Beach
Surftime Call: There is no denying the pedigree of his blood. Not with a father like Tipi Jabrik. A man who along with Tim Hain, has not only believed in the future of Indonesian surfing, but went out and created it. Still, every time son Shia takes off on a wave he proves he is his own man. With the centeredness of a martial artist, the flexibility of a yogi and the developing power of a wild animal, look for creative performances ahead from this young surfer. The greatest power a family can instill is heart. And Shia has plenty of it. Photography by Antonio Vargas
Hiroshi Setiadi, 12yrs
Homegrounds: Halfway Kuta, Beach
Surftime Call: Lean, wiry and sure-footed, Hiroshi is our young version of Rob Machado. The style is not a put-on, it’s a functionality. Looping one turn into the next, building speed for a crescendo and then building that looping speed again, this guy knows how to surf a wave in its entirety. Each wave ridden like the next verse of an ongoing song. With a little more weight and a little more muscle, Hiroshi is poised to become yet another goofyfoot sensation in our beloved land of lefts. Photography by Antonio Vargas
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Aditya Somiya, 14 yrs
Homegrounds: Halfway Kuta, Beach
Surftime Call: Aditya is the kind of surfer that knows how talented he is. And, like a young Mick Fanning, this brings confidence, aggression and boldness to a young man’s surfing. Aditya approaches each wave as if his life depends on it, and maybe it does. But watching Aditya surf makes you proud to be seeing an Indonesian taking Rio Waida’s advice and surfing every wave as if you mean it. As if you want it. As if your dreams will come true. And if Aditya stays the course, they will. Photography by Antonio Vargas
FIONA Alexandra FUANTE, 12 yrs
Homegrounds: Halfway Kuta Beach
Surftime Call: Where did this new talent come from? It seems she just burst upon the grom scene from out of nowhere. Stylish, elegant beyond her years and always on the right board, Fiona is surfing with a maturity that is astonishing. And she is always on the best waves. Not an easy trick in these highly competitive male line-ups around here. Surftime has an eye on this young performer. Where is she going to take her surfing next? We look forward to finding out. Photography by Antonio Vargas
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Paris Nalendra, 14 years
Homegrounds: Legian Beach
Surftime Call: Not many female groms take on overhead G-Land, but for Paris? It seems like a walk in the park. Courage is her hallmark. With courage comes comfort in the surf, and with comfort comes style and with style comes class. Smooth, unhesitating and aware, this young lady knows how to read a wave from start to finish. Sure, growing up in a surfing family helps, but deep down, with talent like this, Paris is sure to make a mark of her own on the Indonesian surfing reality. Photography by Antonio Vargas
Zoey Matthews, 12yrs Homegrounds: Uluwatu
Surftime call: Fearless in her approach, proud of her local status and growing in skills daily, Zoey Matthews is sure to be a recognized force in the future of women’s rankings. It’s almost shocking to watch her paddle out into any surf and take her place in the line-up with the confidence of a 25 year old. Because Zoey doesn’t ask for respect, she assumes it. And it is given. There’s just some young surfers who have that aura about them that demand it. It could be her Sumbawan blood, or maybe her supreme confidence in her abilities, but this young warrior will be blazing set waves for years to come. Photography by Liquid Barrel
The greatest thing about Photographer Pete Frieden is that he I still doing it. And that he is still on the cutting edge of technique and imagery. A veteran master since the 90’s, he can still be seen today speeding across the Lombok Strait in a jet boat just to catch the right tide at Desert Point, or broiling on the black sand of Keramas to capture the action of today’s top Indonesian stars or swimming out into spinning barrels of our best surf to bring the magic of Indonesian surfing perfection alive. Just think of all the moments he has seen, both historic and contemporary, through the lenses of his arsenal of equipment. This is passion for a very physical brand of art. And in these images before you, part two of our retrospective on Frieden’s massive and important past body of work, is just a glimpse into the world of a photographer who not only sees the greatest moments of our sport, but actually captures them to timelessly be honored throughout the ages.
Michel Bourez, Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Nathan Fletcher, Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Shane Dorian, Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Paul Patterson, Waimea Bay, Hawaii, USA.
Kelly Slater, Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Cory Lopez, Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
WHEN WERE SURFERS HAPPIEST?
By Sam George
I’ve recently been clicking on the comments sections of various surfing websites, just to check in on our sport’s current zeitgeist, perusing reaction to content ranging from professional competition and surf travel, to more fraught cultural issues like wave pool proliferation and the transgender surfing crisis (if such a thing actually exists). Now, I realize that you can’t accurately judge the collective tone of any demographic based solely by online comments, any more than you could’ve back in the day, when “letters to the editor” served the same function in print. However, the level of vitriol expressed in modern “comment culture” does give one the impression, at least, that today’s surfers are a pretty unhappy lot. Which, in my opinion, begs the question: “Collectively, when were surfers happiest?”
Incredibly, happiness has only been a subject of serious study since the late 1990s, when leading researchers like Marty Seligman, Sonja Lyubomirsky and Ed Deiner began quantifying the concept of subjective well-being and what came to be known as “positive psychology.” In the scientific literature related to this new field of study, happiness is referred to as hedonia, defined as the presence of positive emotions and the absence of negative emotions. Elementary, and much easier to calibrate when viewed subjectively, on the basis of individual experience; try telling the rankest beginner, standing up on their surf school soft-top for the first time and riding whitewater all the way to shore, that they’re not the happiest surfer who’s ever been. But the question of when hedonia applied most pervasively to the majority of surfers in any particular period in history invites a more objective take, with those results telling us as much about the current state of the sport as it does any past era.
“There’s always the temptation to look back at surfing history through rose-tinted glasses,” says Matt Warshaw, eminent surf historian and author of The Encyclopedia of Surfing. “But Malibu in the 1950s, experienced by a very small group of surfers, like Vickie Flaxman, Matt Kivlin, Joe Quigg and Tommy Zahn, represented a peak era, so far as happiness goes. For all the surfers in Southern California, really. We had just won a world war a few years before, the economy was booming and the future looked pretty good. Surf-wise, they were doing something no one else was doing, everything with board design and performance was changing quickly, and if you want to believe that photos of that time truly captured what was going on, that whole period just had a dreamy feel. A lot of the things that have stressed surfers out for so long afterward just didn’t exist.”
I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t blame you — ask just about any surfer, of any age, to name the main source of stress in their lives and the same word comes
up time and time again: crowds. Crowds of “other” surfers, the primary component of negative emotions, i.e. unhappiness. And sure, those hordes of fellow waveriders are an easy hook on which to hang all that angst. But when viewed from a higher altitude, maybe a little too easy to blame. After all, while a relative handful of proto-California surfers were seriously vexed in the wake of the early-60s, post-Gidget surf boom, the rest of all those new surfers clogging the lineups here in the U.S.A. and around the world were almost joyful in the discovery of this new sport; was there ever a happier depiction of surfing than in 1966’s The Endless Summer?
The title said it all.
“When it comes to defining collective happiness during any particular period in surfing, you have to consider the impact of the accoutrements surrounding it,” says Dave Gilovich, 73, who, having served as a surfing magazine editor, influential surfwear executive and director at Surfline, offers what could only be called an extremely informed perspective on the topic. “So, you have to look at the early 1960s. The films, the music, the magazines, all of it telling you how great surfing was. No other era celebrated surfing like it was a years-long party, and in many ways, it really was. Before there were any intellectual conversations about the meaning of it all, it was just presented as being so much fun. Which is what brought so many people into it.”
There it is again, the whole “So many people” problem, undeniably the source of almost all the stated dissatisfaction, disappointment and, yes, unhappiness associated with the modern surfing experience. Considered in this light, not simply blaming crowds for a lack of hedonia becomes a radical idea. One that Malibu documentary filmmaker Roko Belic hasn’t been afraid to examine.
“When you look at all the old pictures from the forties and fifties, at places like Waikiki, San Onofre and Malibu, the surfers look blissed out,” says Belic, 53, and an accomplished surfer himself. “Like they’re out there playing in the surf, for fun. Too often today, surfers don’t look like that anymore. We’ve intensified the experience with all these unreasonable expectations, which leads to added stress, and, ultimately, disappointment.”
Belic isn’t just riffing here. His award-winning 2012 documentary, Happy, took a deep dive into the concept, resulting in a surprising revelation about not only the health and psychological benefits of positive emotions, but the role surfing had to play in his own emotional state.
“I began working on the film during a 12-year hiatus from surfing,” explains Belic. “But when I started learning more about the value of play as it relates to happiness, how powerfully play affects the brain, I decided to
start surfing again. It was almost like the child in me knew how fun and rewarding surfing could be if thought of as play.”
Yet there’s something else at play here , an awareness of which makes my initial question meaningless in the narrowness of its scope. The idea that surfing happiness, whether collective or individual, isn’t something we have to look back for, but a state of positive emotion to be found by looking inward.
“Again, look back at those photos of the old-timers,” says Roko Belic.
“And beyond just how much fun they seemed to be having, you could tell by their expressions how grateful they were. Grateful just to be there, to be doing something as wonderful as surfing.”
Naïve? Perhaps. But perhaps worth a try. If each of us began approaching the surfing experience with more gratitude than unreasonable expectation — not all at once, just baby steps — the individual ID just might become the collective’s, hedonia could reign in even the most crowded lineups, and this one you’re living in be the happiest surfing era ever.
"True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future". -Lucius Annaeus. Photography by Pete Frieden
LOCAL HOME DESIRE FLIGHT
Left: Tommy Sobry cruising through a timeless afternoon at his local wave. While in the background all the madness of tourism that surfing has brought to Bali can be seen in stark contrast to the perfect waves that continue to roll over our reefs like sirens. It’s not too late to save it all. It never is.
Photography by Nara_Surf
Right: Badass Philip Duke, vaulting at Keramas. Here is a local surfer who is very much in command of himself. And it shows every time he paddles out.
Photography by Pete Frieden
LOCAL
HOME
DESIRE
FLIGHT
Left: On any Sunday, the action at the Canggu sandbar can be the heaviest scene on the island. Pajar Aryiana leading the charge at low tide, pushing the levels of committed maneuvers into the stratosphere, daring others to follow.
Photography by Antonio Vargas
Right:World Champion Bronson Meidy, slamming the door open at Keramas, taking the standard of Indonesian surfing to a global level.
Photography by Pete Frieden
LOCAL
HOME
DESIRE
FLIGHT
Left: Let us not forget that our local women surfers are pushing their performances beyond all expectations. Una Tasma announcing her presence with the most radical off-the-lip of the year. Another example of how far Indonesian women’s surfing has come, and how far it has the potential to go.
Photography by Antonio Vargas
Right: Another local young woman making her presence known. Monster Chong, focused, intense and charging into the future with the courage and audacity it takes make a memorable mark on the sport.
Photography by Antonio Vargas
Left: Jack Robinson. When he shows up, an ordinary day at Keramas ends. A frequent visitor to Bali, we are lucky to have such world class talent mixing it up in our line-ups, inspiring our next generation to chase their dreams.
Photography
by
Pete Frieden
Right: After his latest Australian Campaign, Rio Waida returned to Bali in late May and suddenly seemed to be everywhere, lighting up incredible sessions from Keramas to Canggu. His effect was profound on the island as local surfers watched on in awe at what discipline and desire can bring to surfing. Ripping waves in what seemed to be a different realm, Rio is proof positive that the biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.
Photography by Antonio Vargas
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NO BAD DAYS AT THE LAWN CANGGU
Front-row to the surf breaks of Batu Bolong, The Lawn Canggu Beach Club isn’t just your average beach club hangout—it draws both locals and travelers looking to lounge by day, catch the island’s best sunsets, and move to curated beats.
Beyond its iconic location, The Lawn offers a laid-back yet vibrant atmosphere, with music at its core. From daily sunset sessions featuring resident DJs spinning everything from balearic grooves to tropical house, to high-energy nights headlined by international acts, The Lawn has cemented its reputation as one of Bali’s most sought-after music destinations.
Past events have seen global names like Anderson .Paak, Tame Impala (DJ Set), Tash Sultana (DJ Set), and FKJ take the stage—bringing serious sound to the Bali coastline and setting a new bar for beachside music culture. Music and surf culture have always been about freedom and expression. At The Lawn, it’s all baked in. Whether you’re fresh off a surf or just chasing the vibe, this is where Bali’s beach and music scene comes alive.
IG: @thelawncanggu
Ziggy Alberts
Tash Sultana DJ Set
Tame Impala DJ Set
Temper Trap
FKJ
Yussef Dayes
Strength grows in the moments when you think you can’t go on but you keep going anyway. Remember this, life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Pete De Vries facing a moment of cold truth somewhere in the wilds of Tofino, Canada.
by
Photography
Marcus Paladino
