01/04/2022
With the Airport open to direct flights again…wave starved surfers are returning to
with Tracks Magazine] breaks down the current vibe in some surf zones of Bali…
Once again, the traffic explosion has dissected our surfing world into its four distinct geographical surf zones. Each with their own individual…well… challenges. The Bukit, Kuta, Canggu and our distant eastside cousin, Keramas.
THE BUKIT: You’ve seen those photos of hundreds of people backed up on the ice trying to get to the summit of Everest? Ok, reverse that and you get the idea of what is happening at Uluwatu. Pale riders, not sunburned-in yet, boards brand spanking new, in a filtering pilgrimage down into the almighty cave and out into the Uluwatu wave field. “We are stoked to have the surfers back” Say’s Ropik, “and stoked that we got ready for them ahead of time, but in the water…the froth can get a little hairy”. No reports of any incidents yet, but by the looks of it, a critical mass is looming. Still, the precarious cliffside Uluwatu surf colony has been dealing with seasonal invasions since Gerry Lopez’s 70s prime, so I didn’t witness too much worry about it. From Uluwatu to Padang Padang to Bingin to Dreamland to Balangan to Jimbaran it’s time to harvest wallets again, and the threshing has begun.
And speaking of wallets, it was startling to see how many women were scootering around solo with their mid-lengths. Helmetless, bra-less, wind and flowers in their hair. This new species has popped up like the illegal mushrooms everyone is looking for. I asked a Ukrainian mate of mine where they all came from and he answered in one word. Russia. And that was bit sobering. But then again, that is part of the magic here. The escapism, the tolerance and the focus on the pursuit of surfing and its pleasures.
And a real thermometer on what’s going on can be found at the White Monkey Surf shop. With its Covid ravaged facade and its foxy help and a full bar in the backyard, it’s the go-to hub for the hardcore surf element. Brand new were flying out of there like it was a community pancake breakfast…
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