A surfer’s paradise: Living the dream on Bali

What is it about surfers from the Commonwealth countries and Bali? Well, it’s pretty obvious when it comes to Australia: a big surfing country that is pretty close to a small, relatively inexpensive tropical island paradise known for having some of the best waves in the world.

But where did a Canadian surfing enthusiast (from Calgary – a landlocked city some 1,000km from the cold coastal waters of Canada’s West Coast) go to build a dream villa with his wife? Bali, if you couldn’t guess.

From the Jakarta Globe:

They soon acquired a piece of land just a couple of steps away from Canggu Beach, a popular surfing spot. According to Mike, who himself likes to surf, they found a spot that was the best of all worlds.

OK, I cheated. They are Canadian, but live in Hong Kong, where the Commonwealth lives on it seems.

But check out this blurb about an Australian surf family, whose members have been inspired by Bali, especially the waves of Uluwatu.

From The Australian:

photo by rapidacid (Flickr CC)

It was the start of a new era, and not just for the Wright boys. In the 1990s, the kids of the first Australian generation of lifelong surfers were old enough to surf decent waves themselves. At breaks from Margaret River to Victoria, the Gold Coast and Indonesia, it became more common to see two generations of the same family paddling out together. In the case of the Wrights, the familial passion blossomed into something much bigger. Thirteen years on from his first trip to Bali, Owen, 22, is about to embark on his third year on the World Tour. In 2010, his first year, he finished Rookie of the Year. Last year, he finished third overall and made the final of three contests (all of them against eventual world champion Kelly Slater), losing two and winning one, the Quiksilver Pro in New York, the richest pro event in history.

Not bad, huh?

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