Australia is surfing mad. Bali is Asia’s surfing capital and a relatively short hop from the antipodean continent. So it’s no mystery why Bali is – at least in some spots – crawling with Australians.
Though surfing has been going on in Bali since the 1930s (according to surfingbali.com) it was Aussies who popularized the sport on the island, bringing proper boards and equipment in1967 to take advantage of the amazing waves Bali has to offer.
Bali is dominated by tourists from Australia, which is just two hours away by flight. They have brought with them their love for surfing, which has become a popular local sport.
photo by Ryan McFarland (zieak on Flickr CC)
There is even a 6’5” (1.95m) Australian lifeguard, Kieran Pascoe, who works on Bali’s famous Kuta Beach.
From Australia’s Coffs Coast Advocate:
Day-to-day life for Mr Pascoe involves running a series of bronze medallion courses for current and prospective Kuta lifeguards as well as pool, hotel and water amusement park lifeguards and surfing instructors around Bali and in neighbouring Java.
The latest Aussie-Bali surfing connection is Australian Surfing Life’s Board Bible 2012.
From surfinglife.com.au:
The veteran Board Test photog was sick of doing this the easy way. He wanted a challenge. And so it was written that we would take delivery of 26 of the best surfboards in Australia, chuck ’em in five Rip Curl mega board bags, and take this show on the road to Australia’s favourite surfing home away from home: BALI. Where the surf’s always pretty good, the wetsuits are unnecessary and you can always find a wave to yourself. At least for long enough to give this quiver the most sustained thrashing it’ll ever get…z
