Bali – Middle of season 2010, somethings don’t change

I was waiting weeks looking for inspiration to write this article, perhaps hoping for a perfect swell to come making all the reefs on the region break perfect like on the old days, maybe waiting for the season to finally start with stable weather and winds so I wouldn’t need to be repetitive about the rain showers out of place and time and about the bad winds that kept blowing but unfortunately that didn’t happen! We did have perfect days and not just a few, thanks God!! But in the new times every new day is a surprise and now it is more than ever necessary to be all day on the beach in order to get the good time when the stars conspire!

On the beginning of August we had a 8 feet swell that was supposed to be 10 to 12 feet but never arrived with the expected size…anyways the condition was really good and the Outside Corner was breaking perfect….in the water, besides the usual suspects such as Alex, Made Lana, Ketut Pitur, Steve, Jake and some others also was Brad Gerlach that put on a show on his backhand…

By the end of August a swell that didn’t look like having much size provided 2 days of 6 feet plus waves at the Outside Corner simply flawless with a small crowd and a condition so perfect it was absurd!!

In the water Me, Alex and Tipe could not believe our luck to enjoy with only half a dozen other "heads" such perfect conditions!!

Following the swell dropped of and we had a day of medium tide almost all through the day when the Race Tracks broke almost all day perfect again with conditions so perfect it was bullshit with many waves providing 2 to 3 barrels like on the good old days…on this session we had the illustrious presence of my friends Royler Gracie and Bruno Panno who had just arrived in Bali and are enjoying a family vacation counting on all the logistical support of the Bali Surf Connection since their arrival at the airport.

To make a long story short, times have changed but Bali remains simply sensacional!!

Despite the intense crowd, chaotic traffic jams and weather changes more and more noticeable, (it had rained constantly until the middle of the season), somethings about Bali will never change…on sunny days with offshore winds and good swell, Uluwatu lights up and the waves leave everyone with dropped jaws…we had many days like that in August!!

I also heard that G-Land and Desert Point didn’t disappoint in this mid season and delivered sessions of very high quality and the Mentawaii reports bring news and pictures of the best season on the last years!!

The restaurants in Jimbaran and Oberoi, the shops, temples, zoos, forests and local culture still charming to everyone ... and the Balinese people still captivating with its magic and joy, you just have to stop for a while and watch the small things of the everyday life on the island.

The infrastructure on the Uluwatu region is also improving a lot...new hotels and losmens, restaurants, cyber cafes, etc...all the accommodations on the area are full already a long time, the G-Land surfcamps finally begin to fill and the restaurants are always packed...Right on a time of world crisis this is a strong sign that the public still choosing Bali as the best holiday destination of today.

We are at the end of August, the high season is coming to the end and Bali is more crowded than ever...

In September I will have again the gratifying opportunity to go as "surfguide" to the Mentawaii Islands where I will spend a month with friends in this paradisiacal place where perfection and variety of waves and spots with different angles to get wind and swell on a perfect way is absurd...Again I will go look for my dose of endorphins in one of the most perfect spots for surfing in the world!!

I want to leave here registered my thanks to all friends and clients who organized and are organizing their trips with the Bali Surf Connection helping to keep up our mission here in the islands!!

September sessions start soon, ALOHA!!!

Digone