Agus Frimanto taking a Shipwreck wave to task (L). First ISC win by a Lembongan surfer was Putra Frimanto in West Timor. Pic: Tim HainTracks’ Aaron Pirini speaks to Aussie expat and ISC judge Billy Hanigan about the Indo professional surf scene and its slow journey from bumbling adolescent into a more assured player in its own right.
Indonesian pro surfing has a healthy domestic circuit and a talent pool to rival most western ‘QS aspirants. Even so, a maiden CT star is yet to materialise. Why? Is it only a matter of time? You’d think so watching the local talent on display each day.
As a mentor to many of the Indo up-and-comers, Billy Hanigan explains there are a few variables in play here – the bright lights of the CT can be a tricky one, plus issues including visas, homesickness and the trade of perfect Indo waves for less than ideal QS comp stuff are but a couple of issues.
Billy knows as well as anyone that the “Indo World Champ Someday” ethos lives in the minds of many of the young superstars within Bali but the reality still remains elusive.
The competition scene, Billy explains, “is really healthy, refreshingly supported by the surfing industry and a network of long-time visitors and expats chipping in and lending a hand.
“It’s a terrific time to be a young surfer in Indo really; if groms are willing to give things a shake, it’s something that can have real benefits in the long term, if they work hard and take advantage of the opportunities they can really set themselves up. It’s not uncommon for an up-and-comer to get picked up by a big brand where they’re generously paying for education, employment opportunities and of course support into the contest scene.”
In that regard, Billy says, all the major labels and their reps look to be on the same page. The ISC judge and mentor goes on to explain, “the Lembongan Surf Team (LST) is performing really well; around the year 2000 long time visitors and locals got together out of pure fun to run the now annual surf contest, over the next 12 or so years the team and contest has yielded big results.”
After giving rise to original surfing stars like Dingo and Agus Permawan (Agus is now a mentor for the kids on tour) all the major labels now have a surfer from Lembongan on their books. A big contributing factor to this success was the change from “pure fun” to an agenda raising funds to send sponsorless groms Indonesia-wide for contest and industry exposure. In 2010 it all came together when an 18-year-old Petra Hermawan scooped both the ISC Pro Jnr and Open titles in the same year.
After that achievement interest on the island peaked and saw the annual contest handed back to the local lads and it has taken on the fun factor again. But the wheels set in motion by locals like Pak Ware and expats like Troy Sinclaire and West Australian “Finny” are in full motion.
It seems from Billy’s enthusiasm that each kid on tour is a ball of energy and the crew in charge headed by ISC boss Tipi Jubrik create and enable that deeper cultural awareness of what an organisation like the ISC can achieve.
As well as dealing with the expectation, disappointment and accomplishment that accompanies competition, Billy feels eager and keen to continue working with the kids on Nusa Lembongan yet, the question remains, will there be an Indo World Champ one day?
“Who knows,” Billy says, “Right now our lads get to be part of the Indo scene and associate with the stand up people involved with it, it’s great and I’m glad to play a small hand in it.”
As we speak Billy Hanigan is building a small team to have a crack at the 2013 Indo Junior series.
– Aaron Pirini
