I love Bali

Blowin's picture
Blowin started the topic in Thursday, 19 Mar 2015 at 6:55pm

I love Bali.

You wouldn't think that such a thought could be controversial . But it is.
Many people don't love Bali, in fact they proclaim to hate it. Bemoan what it has become, it's lack of purity, it's lost innocence.

Sure, I can see their point. I can't imagine anywhere on Earth that has been transformed as radically as Bali over the last thirty years. From rice paddies and coconut groves to six story discotheques . It's totally unrecognisable in the most built up areas.

But that's not what this post is about. It's about why I LOVE Bali.

I love Bali because ...

- it's still the home of an intense cluster of world class waves. Roping lefts : Uluwatu, freight train right barrels : Sanur, backlit mega tubes : Padang Padang. Rip able reefs, fun beachies. Short , slabby pits and long mellow points. River mouths and bombies. It's got the lot.

- it's still possible to get uncrowded quality waves in 2015 when it seems as though the entire planet has discovered surfing. I was trading crystal clear , rolling right walls with only two other surfers just this morning.

- it's still freaking beautiful. Watching the mist reveal Mt Agung in that unique Bali morning light from a black sand beach as the sun comes up is still special.

- the food is amazing. Walking around town building up a hunger and knowing that at any given time you are within shouting distance of fresh, exotic and delicious meals with enough variety to make your head spin is priceless.

- the Balinese are legends. Friendly, happy and always keen for a joke. Unfailingly polite and welcoming. Healthy, spiritual and decent.

- the Balinese surfers rip their waves and they still own them. A visiting Brazilian would not think twice to drop in on an Aussie local at Kirra. But you won't see the same in Bali. The Balinese surfers are treated with the respect they deserve. Because as everyone knows, if they are not treated with respect there is consequences.

- the water is so warm it's like swimming in silken angels tears.

- telling people that you are going to Bali will often elicit a response along the lines of ......"why would you go to that traffic ridden, noisy shithole ?" And then as you're kicking back with a Bintang watching the sunset over Uluwatu you can imagine them sitting at lights in their car on their way home from work in Perth. Which , for those that have never been , is a noisy , traffic ridden shithole. And this makes me laugh. Which is something I enjoy doing.

- The fruit is incredible.

- despite the millions of tourists, the fast food franchises and the Aussie over familiarity with the joint it's still exotic. The smell of clove cigarettes, the ogo ogos of Nyepi, the Buddhist offerings , monkeys , food and language are all enticingly foreign.

- there is no overreaching nanny state. You want to ride your motorbike with all four of your children and the missus on the back...whilst texting. Go for it.

- you can live like a king on a regular Aussie income. Maybe not such a great benefit for the Balinese themselves though.

- it's close to Oz. Twenty hour plane ride and a shot at developing deep vein thrombosis.....ummm no thanks. It's actually faster to fly to Bali from Perth than it is to drive to Albany. You can fly from Port Hedland in less than two hours.

- you get an opportunity to regularly witness some of the most foolhardy behaviour imaginable on a daily basis. You ever seen a man being doubled on a motorbike through traffic whilst holding a large pane of glass ? What about seeing someone hold a nail between his bare fingers while his mate tries to grind the tip off it ? It's all there folks.

- you can see people making do with not much and making it work. An exhaust system held on with a T Shirt ? An outboard motor attached to a boat with no anchoring system, just held on with a man's brute force ? Why not ? It might not work forever but it'll usually get em over the line.

- the winds can blow offshore for months at a time and when they blow onshore, well , that just makes it offshore somewhere else. It's an island !

- you haven't seen glassy oceanic conditions till you've seen Indonesian sheet glass. It's like an oil slick. And if you're ever near Benoa Harbour that could well be what it is.

- old people are accorded the respect they deserve.

- it's exciting. It's a melting pot of the world. Wide eyed villages from remote Asia, jaded techno princesses from Russia, sleek surfy chicks from Canada , your next door neighbour from Ipswich....it's a party and everyone is invited.

Including YOU. I'll see you there. You can't miss me.

I'll be the sun burnt drunk in a head to toe Bintang ensemble with hair braids and a fresh tattoo of a unicorn across my back . Don't be shy. Come and say hello.

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andy-mac Thursday, 30 Mar 2023 at 3:15pm
indo-dreaming wrote:
Island Bay wrote:

Bingin '88. Surfed with the same 4 guys every single session.

Thats cool, I think my first trip there was 98 (started surfing 87) and it looked much much different, but i can still see how it grew from that, you can see it's pretty much the base/foundations of what was to come latter.

It was still really cool even in the late 90s though, free to stay at the front beds under mozzy nets in open air just had to eat and drink there, just a small nit crew and a great place to watch the sunset with a binny.

But it was sadly already crowded most of the time with such a small take off area, although Impossibles was always empty nobody bothered surfing it same with Dreamlands and Balangan

I havent been there for over 20 years id never bother surfing the Bukit again, I dont even go there if in Bali, only reason i will go back sometime is just to take the kids for a look and do the touristy thing, but i know it will be sad to see, its bad enough seeing the photos, must be heartbreaking for guys that went in 70-80s to see what its become.

It's not just Bali or surfing areas though, i remember when i was dating my wife and rode a bike on the outskirts of her city in Java through rice paddies and tiny villages green everywhere and it now just full on crazy city massive malls and houses from slum style to houses as big as hotels.

Of course, if you drive another 15 minutes you can find that green belt again, same with surfing there still plenty of places like Bingin left in Indo, even similar waves that you can surf with four guys still.

Yep it has changed but still pretty epic.
Surfed Ulu's a few times last September/ October, got some great waves with good crew. Bit busy as swell dropped, but a lot of floaters in line-up that really should not have been out.
Sunset beer at Lana's and life was pretty dam good.

I used to do a bit of work around Pangandaran and got to surf Batu Keras quite a bit, hardly anyone out just a few locals (burger of a wave bu fun). I hear Longboarding has taken over the area and is super busy. Beautiful stretch of coast.

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Supafreak Friday, 31 Mar 2023 at 4:49am

I’ve tracked the last two days of virgin flights direct to Bali from Gold Coast and both have gone this route without going via Melbourne. Its got me farked why they canceled my flight 6 months before departure for “ maintenance “ reasons . All the direct Gold Coast flights still say “ subject to government approval “

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udo Wednesday, 5 Apr 2023 at 6:57am
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simba Wednesday, 5 Apr 2023 at 7:10am

Bye Bye Bule
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/australian-woman-deported-from-bali-ov... one here wants her either... dumb entitled moron

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basesix Wednesday, 5 Apr 2023 at 7:18am

just one of the many easily-triggered enlightened who go to bali to do 'my yoga' because they don't have the guts/coin to go to india where they woudn't get away with poncing around like entitled poobahs, patronising the locals

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Supafreak Wednesday, 5 Apr 2023 at 7:23am
udo wrote:

Bye Bye Bule
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/australian-woman-deported-from-bali-ov...

Classic , exactly what needed to happen , these idiots might just pull their head in a bit .

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andy-mac Wednesday, 5 Apr 2023 at 8:54am
simba wrote:

Bye Bye Bule
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/australian-woman-deported-from-bali-ov... one here wants her either... dumb entitled moron

Excellent!!!

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udo Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 6:41am

He's prob been dealt with by now - Brazzo Biffed and next flight out.
Here's Sara ripping

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andy-mac Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 6:46am
burleigh wrote:

https://stabmag.com/elsewhere/bali-surfer-punches-woman-in-head-after-hi...

Wow... Caught on film, assaulting a girl... Fooked up ..
Think he will need to leave Bali soon or can hide well...

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udo Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 6:55am

His I.D is being shared WorldWide ..

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Supafreak Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 7:35am

If he gets out of Bali he’s lucky , that type of behaviour attracts 6 months- 2 years jail time . My good mate Agus has always warned me about getting into a fight with locals or bule’s , authority’s tend to throw the book at this type of behaviour. What a grub and cowardly dog act .

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Island Bay Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 7:37am

What an arsehole. And his mate too.

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basesix Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 7:41am

sad, pathetic little boy.
how utterly upsetting and disappointing for sara

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Craig Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 7:42am

Absolute grub! That's farked.

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andy-mac Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 7:53am

How it should be handled...
Ol Brazo mate in world of hurt now I reckon...

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Craig Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 7:57am

Haha, nailed it!

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soggydog Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 10:18am

Both of the guys have been identified on Instagram. T shirt guy is doing some haste backpedaling.

RSR nails surfing every time. Gold

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icandig Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 5:51pm
udo wrote:

JP Azevedo
https://www.agazeta.com.br/mais-esportes/surfista-capixaba-vive-a-busca-...

Translated by Google.

Collector of titles on the surf circuits of Espírito Santo, João Paulo Azevedo, known as JP, lives a dream life on the island of Bali, Indonesia. In a region with beautiful beaches and waves that attract the attention of surfers from all over the world, the capixaba, professional free surfer, lives in search of the perfect waves.

Before arriving in the Asian country, where he has been since 2019, JP won titles in the beginner, child, junior and professional categories in Espírito Santo competitions. After this series of titles, an invitation came from a video production company to make a surfing documentary in Indonesia, Tahiti and Nazaré, one of the most popular regions for surfers in Portugal.

Despite the expectation for filming, producers and guests had to postpone the project due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But it was enough time for JP to become enchanted by the Bali region, and decided not to return to Espírito Santo. “When he got to Covid, the film crew canceled work and returned to Brazil. Only me and the executive director Rodrigo Moreira were left”, says JP.

Adapted to the new world, capixaba found a new style in surfing. “Nowadays I participate in special events and became a professional free surfer, so I work with videos and photos in the marketing area here in the region”.

However, the competitive side also cries out for the challenge. Therefore, the current focus of capixaba is facing the big wave season, which starts in April in the region of Padang Padang. “I want to have a better performance each season and catch the best and most perfect tubular waves”, says JP Azevedo.

JP Azevedo is known for iconic maneuvers in the Indonesian sea
JP Azevedo is known for iconic maneuvers in the Indonesian sea. (Byron Mcloughlin/Handout)

Family
In a country with a culture completely different from Brazil, JP explains that the biggest obstacle is not food and customs, but nostalgia. “My biggest challenge is being away from family and friends. What motivates me to be here are the tubular and practically perfect waves here in the region”.

There, the capixaba met Bethan Rose, from Wales, got married and had a son. Little Knox de Azevedo, 9 months old, still doesn't know his father's land, but should come to Brazil soon. “I have plans to visit ES and take my son to meet grandma Sandra, I intend to go there at Christmas.

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udo Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 5:51pm

^^^ The above may be wrong Fella ?...Same name ..

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andy-mac Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 5:59pm
udo wrote:

^^^ The above may be wrong Fella ?...Same name ..

Bloke has pretty distinct tattoo on his chest....
Hope he had been reported to polisi, is arrested, does some time then deported ..

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tubeshooter Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 6:17pm

According to this Brazzo site the polisi are looking for them. And apparently Slater has weighed in on it somewhere. They're getting shamed worldwide.

"Two surfers identified as Brazilian are involved in a depressing episode during a surf session in Bali, Indonesia.

They were filmed attacking a woman during a surf session. In the incident, which was all captured on video, the surfer, identified as Sarah Taylor, was tailed by a man, who then pushed him out of the wave.

When Sarah goes back outside, the two argue. Then another surfer, a friend of the rabeador, approaches and punches Sarah in the back of the head.

The situation escalated further on the beach, with the two surfers, identified as Brazilians, confronting Sarah and the cameraman. According to the Australian website Stab , the attacker is called JP Azevedo and has been living in Bali for a few months.

Sarah shared the video of the assault (see below) and the images are now making their way around the world, causing outrage. Even Kelly Slater spoke out against the case, really bizarre.

Activated Balinese authorities are looking for the duo. Follow our next updates with more information about the case."
https://hardcore.com.br/dois-surfistas-brasileiros-envolvidos-em-agressa...

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crg Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 7:41pm

That’s about as bad as it gets…those two are seriously fucked…I’m trying to imagine what is the best case scenario for them…ie who finds them first.
It’s not going to be pretty.

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burleigh Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 8:03pm

One of the two guys released this statement on his instagram.

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andy-mac Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 8:30pm
crg wrote:

That’s about as bad as it gets…those two are seriously fucked…I’m trying to imagine what is the best case scenario for them…ie who finds them first.
It’s not going to be pretty.

Yep, reckon they should get themselves to polisi and hand themselves in asap ... Probably best case scenario...
They fucked up but hope situation doesn't get worse ..

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icandig Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 8:47pm
udo wrote:

^^^ The above may be wrong Fella ?...Same name ..

Looks similar to me. There's a video on the link you posted - head shot around 14 seconds in.

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udo Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 8:54pm

Yeah saw that ...i was looking for the Big Chest and Neck Tatts [old ink].

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burleigh Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 9:03pm

His sponsor has dropped him

Let’s hope it’s jail time next

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tubeshooter Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 9:24pm

Haha. Looks like he just ended his career as a professional free surfer in Bali and any chance of being an Instagram influencer.

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udo Thursday, 6 Apr 2023 at 10:06pm

Johnny Boy Gnomes calling him out on Stab insta...
erm...Jodie Cooper Johnny..!

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burleigh Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 7:10am

Seems it’s not the first time that guy has bashed a girl

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Supafreak Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 7:29am

I’m sure more than 1 woman will be grateful that this pig is finally being exposed.

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Craig Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 7:47am

Fuck me, that's super heavy, karma is coming around fast.

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seaslug Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 7:51am

..... motorbike accident, found in rice paddy with plastic bag over head, hands tied behind back, police report no suspicious circumstances

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andy-mac Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 8:01am

Fark.... Scum bag ....
Heavy ..

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icandig Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 8:44am

Apart from the incident (he's a scumbag, no doubt) - does anyone else marvel at the power of social media and the way this thing has taken off? You've got very well known surfers weighing in (I've seen Kelly and Mick, Surfers of Bali etc...). He needs to be arrested and have his day in court, but he's already doing penance. Just about every surfer on the planet with an account would know this guys face (and tatt). He can't paddle out anywhere. Who needs a judge and jury? He's done.

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udo Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 8:55am

What happens to ones Real Estate holdings if Deported
https://hichee.com/listings/6174485 - Forfeited ?

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icandig Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 9:30am

Not a good time to be a dickhead in Bali. Assault happened in Bali. Dealt with in Bali. Deported after a short stint. Real estate forfeited. My prediction is that he'll be made an example of.

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burleigh Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 11:12am

Sounds like this guy is in a lot of trouble. Which is what he deserves.
The original reel has had over 1M views in 24 hours, plus plenty of other high profile accounts have posted it. Lots of eyes on Bali. They will make an example of him.
Interesting article on Stab (behind paywall) about him also.

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burleigh Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 12:03pm
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icandig Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 12:09pm

Interesting. Not sure he will be believed. Sucker punch in the back of the head is pretty damning.

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udo Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 12:17pm

F.O.
Is the Translation 100% accurate ?

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burleigh Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 12:19pm

I don’t believe it for a second. Take a look at his ex girlfriends face.

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tubeshooter Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 2:27pm

Jeez he's a bigger prick than I imagined.
And I don't buy his bullshit either. There probably is more to the story but his victim blaming spin on it is a bit hard to take. At least his mate had a bit more class in his apology statement.

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udo Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 3:39pm

Appleshift 4 says he has lots more Footage and this Karnt is Farkn lying
And is now on the Run ! - canggu_bali insta

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DAW Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 3:57pm

What a low life pathetic coward,though behavior like this seems to becoming standard from his type.

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Sheepdog Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 5:07pm

Violence in the line up deserves it's own thread

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andy-mac Friday, 7 Apr 2023 at 8:55pm

https