Bali: Asia’s surfing capital

Bali is arguably Asia’s surfing capital. Where else can compare? Australia has got some top surfing spots, but it’s not really in Asia. Besides, why would so many Aussies come to Bali if they had the best breaks at home? And while Sri Lanka the Philippines as well as other locations in Indonesia have some great waves, most would agree that Bali is king.

Bali being Asia’s surfing capital is no small task in this era of global surf. Surfing is a growth sport. What began as a traditional Polynesian pastime – there are records of surfing in Tahiti, Tonga and Hawaii from over 200 years ago and it may have been practiced in Samoa 1,000 years earlier – is now a worldwide phenomenon.

Check out some of these early images of Hawaiian surfers.

The Samoan originators are still ripping it up. But nowadays folks surf in the less than warm and sunny climes of Ireland and Wales, on the beaches of Russia’s cold northeastern Kamchatka peninsula and even on Canada’s Great Lakes. Needless to say, it’s no longer the provision of Hawaiians, blonde California dudes and Aussies. Surfing is huge in Brazil, Florida, Portugal, Costa Rica, South Africa and of course Indonesia – home to Asia’s surfing capital.

From the Philippine Star:

Very important to note in this regard is that there are over 10 million active surfers in 56 countries in 6 continents in the world today. About 3.5 million of these are professionals who are cash-rich and time-poor and, because of the cold waters in their own, perforce have to travel to other countries to surf in warmer waters. This is one of the reasons many of them go to Bali in Indonesia, now considered the surfing capital of Asia. A large number go to Bali to learn how to surf. The miracle of surfing tourism is, as a matter of fact, best demonstrated by this small island’s contributing a third of the total tourism earnings of Indonesia.

Warm sun, great prices and incredible waves. ‘Nuff said?

Asia's surfing capital

Bali is Asia’s surfing capital, pic: Michael Dawes (Flickr CC)

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