Changes to a surf paradise

S.J. Cahn

The surfing lure of far-off and foreign locales such as Bali and

other parts of Indonesia is simple: beautiful, curling waves.

And last weekend’s bombing, now being tied to the terrorist Al

Qaeda group, is not going to change that, at least.

“Surfing represents freedom, and that’s why people are attracted

to it,” said Bill Sharp, longtime Newport Beach local and a promoter

and organizer for surfing events. “No one is going to give up that

freedom because of the fear that something’s going to happen.”

Sharp, who knew Steve Webster, the longtime Newport surfer who was

killed in the bombing at Kuta Beach that claimed another nearly 200

lives, noted that surfers typically travel through much more

dangerous areas, including Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.

Still, what might at least change how surfers think about their

travel plans is that Saturday’s attack for the first time targeted a

surfing locale, said Sam George, editor of Surfer Magazine.

“Surfers traditionally pay no heed to political conflict,” he

said, pointing out that the height of surf travel to La Libertad in

El Salvador was during that country’s civil war.

Sharp also stressed that the picture of Bali played out in the

media since the attacks has been imprecise and too general.

It is like lumping all of California together, he said. Bali’s

bigger than the picture being painted, more diverse.

And at the center for surfers and other beachgoers is Kuta Beach,

where the attack took place.

“Surf tourism created Kuta,” George said of the compact town of

bars and dance clubs.

The way to think of Bali, Sharp added, is as a Hawaii for

Australians. It’s close to them. It’s relatively cheap. It’s easy.

And while it’s a haunt for young adults, in the vein of Cabo San

Lucas at the tip of Baja California, it also suits older surfers.

“There’s a lot of really good surf breaks, and it’s easy,” Sharp

said.

Plus, Bali long has been considered an island of peace in a

dangerous zone where U.S. State Department “no travel” warnings are

frequent. It also is a launching point to other spots with legendary

surf, including Grajagan, also known as G-Land, in Java.

“Bali was established as ‘surfing paradise,’” George said.

While the lure of that paradise is not going away, and despite the

defiance of many surfers who say they will continue to travel, the

long-term effects of the attacks on the surf industry, which is based

largely in Newport-Mesa, are unclear, he added.

The surf media, which helps define the sport, is dependent on

exotic locations to sell the surfing lifestyle in photo shoots and on

magazine covers.

It’s a lifestyle that is suddenly no longer immune to the world

around it.