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These days, when
it's not uncommon to 80 or more people
out at the world's most famous surf
spots - and maybe half a dozen boatloads
of surfers at the best known
"secret spots" - it's almost
incomprehensible to imagine perfect
waves with no one out.
That's what we found on our most recent
Quiksilver Silver Edition boat trip, and
I can tell you that after more than 40
years of surfing experiences, it's an
immense pleasure to watch a pristine
lineup grow before your eyes as you
steam towards it.
The Silver Edition crew for this trip to
Sumatran waters stacked up to a couple
of centuries of waterman skills -
myself, Wayne Lynch, Dave Kalama, Titus
Kinimaka and Melvin Pu'u. Dave, the baby
of the crew in his mid-thirties, is
perhaps the most complete waterman alive
today; a guy who never stops looking for
new ways to push his relationship with
the ocean to the limits. Mel Pu'u and
Titus Kinimaka are also consummate
watermen who will ride anything,
anywhere, all day long, then play and
sing all night long. And, of course,
Wayne Lynch is still doing what he's
done so well all his life - riding waves
as far as possible from the madding
crowd, and for his own private pleasure.
Add to this eclectic mix a very funny
Australian cook named Mick and a
surf-stoked captain called John McGroder,
and you had all the elements for a
colourful and enjoyable trip. We didn't
jag a huge swell, but we had a lot of
surf in the 5-6 foot range at pristine
setups too numerous to remember, except
for one we called the "Indo Super
Tubes". The conditions meant that
the team experimented with every kind of
fun, from fishing to keel surfing and
everything in between.
I guess I'm luckier than a lot of
surfers, with so much water time clocked
on the Indies Trader and other surf
exploration vessels. But you never get
jaded about the experience, even when
you don't score the waves you'd hoped
for. It's something about being out on
the ocean with a small group of
like-minded souls that takes you to the
very essence of the surfing experience -
a place it's always a pleasure to
revisit.
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