The Side History of Surfing in Indonesia

Review by : Yuli SE., MM

Surfing is a sport that goes on high waves and can increase your adrenaline. Sport surfing is done by using a board as a tool to maneuver over the waves. The board will move by using the power of the wave currents below it and the direction is driven by a surfer. Although this sport challenges your adrenaline, many of the benefits of this sport are good and nutritious for your health. How surfing starts to be famous in Indonesia. Here is the short explanation for the history of surfing in Indonesia.

How surfing was created at the first time

The first known incident of surfing is connected to the ancient Hawaiian tradition of “he’e nalu”, which means “shear-wave”. For this ancient Hawaiian culture, the sea has an attached persona, which can reflect emotions.

Surfing was not just spending spare time for old leaders. This sport served as an exercise intended to keep the head in top physical condition. Furthermore, surfing served as a conflict resolution system. Rich class members would test their skills in fierce competition, where wealth, pride, and even love were at stake.

All of these traditions change though on arrival the whites (Hawaiian called them ‘haole’). The whole Hawaiian culture was dismantled by the arrival of Captain Cook at the end of Eighteenth Century. The number of foreigners visiting Hawaii was increased after hearing stories about Cook’s adventures. Initially these intruders were explorers and traders looking for profits, but soon missionaries and settlers came, wanting to destroy the Hawaiian culture and take the land.

These people do not bring respect to the ancient traditions of their culture invaded, and soon will almost disappear. The introduction of western religion is stripped of the supernatural elements of surfing. Forced to adapt to new lifestyles, indigenous people lost touch with their ancient ways, and surfing soon went into great decline.

Surfing in 19 century

As the Nineteenth Century approached, surfing was almost an extinct hobby. However, surfing is not down to the count. Unlike traditional sports, surfing is not destroyed. As the Twentieth Century was opened, the stage was set up for a great revival. With the beginning of 1900 came a new interest in surfing. Back was originally in Hawaii by a group of resistance teenagers known as ‘Waikiki Beach Boys’.

Previously, Caucasians had believed that native Hawaiians only had the capacity to surf. This all changed even when the original Hawaiian-Irish Hawaiian named George Freeth moved to California and received an award as California’s first coastguard, and the world’s first promotional surfer promoted a local railway company.

It was not long before surfing in America began to spread along the California coast. A few years later in 1915, international, Duke Kahanamoku (one of the biggest and most important people in the history of surfing) has introduced surfing to Australia, where he will catch up very quickly.

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How Bali becomes the world of surfing

In the late 1960s Australian surfers began to arrive to surf in the Kuta area before discovering world-class waves on the Bukit Peninsula. Surfing in Bali was increasingly popular worldwide with the presence of the film “Morning of the Earth” in 1972, the work of Albert “Alby” Falzon, an Australian people.

The film described surfers living in harmony with the spiritual realm, making their own boards (and homes) as they travel to search for the perfect waves on the northeast coast of Australia, Bali and Hawaii.

If there is a question “why many surfing athletes from Bali are found?”, Because Bali is the first location of this sport in the introduction and consistency of surf training is often held in various beaches, Bali also strengthen this water sports into a kind of need.

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The history of professional surfing competition

Professional surfing competition has been held in three places since the 1930s. While in Bali only held in the 1960s and early 1970s. It also appears after the film ‘Morning of the Earth’ and ‘Tubular Swells’ which presents local surf scene is competing in Uluwatu. Since then Bali began to be in the spotlight.

Although already well known, but Indonesia has not been officially chosen to host an international surfing event. The World Surf League (WSL), formerly known as the Professional Surfing Association, made Indonesia as the official host of the pro surf competition in 1995 held by Quiksilver Pro in Grajagan, Bali. This competition won 11-time WSL world champion Kelly Slater. Since then, the pro surfing qualification has always been titled in Indonesia at Keramas Beach, Gianyar and the rest in Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra.

Indonesian surfing today

Currently, surfing is increasingly widespread in Indonesia, marked by the emergence of surf clubs in various regions. The location was not only explore the beaches of Bali alone. Approximately about hundreds of beaches in Indonesia whose waves have been ridden by surfers. Mentawai, Plengkung, Desert Point is the name of the beach that is currently not only a compulsory destination surfer surfer native Indonesia, but the world surfer because of its fierce waves.

Those are the long story of Surfing history in Indonesia. In conclusion, surfing becomes getting better because Indonesia has the great potential for its wave. It is an archipelago country that makes many good beaches are exist. Remember that good surfing can be created when the waves and location is supported. Hopefully, there will be more Indonesian surfing athlete was born from this country. We have a lot of beaches for them to practice.