May 2012 Journal (Latest news from Sanur)

We will missed our windsurfer friends so much. We got friends from around the world, from Japan, German, Netherland, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, even East European including Rusia, which we met in last two summer time. They all come to Bali for windsurfing holiday. We had some windsurfing session together at Ocean Cowboys Windsurf Center.


Here some pictures from 'Ocean Cowboys' at this moment. Zinc-Alu wall all around the windsurf center. No more place for us to hang out here. Ocean Cowboys has to move and we have to move as well, and we don't know where we have to move. I don't know if we could meet our friends again this summer or if our friends could find us. We all from local community now already spreading around. 

Bikes parking front of Ocean Cowboys

Boy, Pedro's brother

The front Zinc-Alu wall

The front view, again

Secret door

Ourself already move to Ripcurl School of Surf at the Hotel Sanur Beach. They have enough space, they just do not have professional taste of how to arrange storage for the windsurf equipment, not at all. The only good thing they have is only the shower and the grass field for rigging the sail, which is actually part of the hotel. The rest is only a mesh. I really like to give them some advice like we did to Pedro, our friend the owner of Ocean Cowboys. He is not a really professional windsurfer, his place far smaller than Ripcurl and limited, but Pedro is such an open minded person, he is always ready to listen to more knowledge people. We could changed his place become a nice compact place to store more equipment for more windsurfer.
I am skeptical if Ripcurl School of Surf owned and managed by New Zealander would ready to listen from us specially me, an Indonesian woman. In my opinion they are not kind of person will do so. 


The reason we have to stick around South of Sanur area, because Mertasari beach is the best windsurf spot in Sanur. Serangan East beach would be nice too, but the land belong to Tommy Soeharto's company and no body could touch it. What a shame, unfortunately, Ripcurl School of Surf is the one and only club at the South Sanur at this moment. A mixed club, windsurf, kitesurf, SUP, diving, Catamaran sailing, etc. all kind of watersport.

Kite surfer at Mertasari beach

The beach at the back ground is Serangan East Beach

I think I have to tell the story when I move to Ripcurl, because it's really funny story.
I am really surprise when the manager of Ripcurl Sanur named Luca, complaining when I register that we will store 2 boards, and 3 rigs for me and my husband (3 sails, 3 booms and 3 masts, small size, medium and big one, the medium one I share with my husband). I said, 'c'mon these are our minimum set up like when we are travelling'. So, at this moment I just put one board and two rigs. And the other guy name John explain me, 'please put the rig which you always use down here and the rest which you not use up there in the roof. I was chocked, I only could said to my self, 'if I am not use it I am not bringing it to the club, I will put it in the house somewhere in the garage'. Meine God, please forgive them, they just don't know about windsurfing.


Note : I am still dreaming to move to Sumba Island one day.

Sanur Bali Windsurfing (again)

I found many information in the internet forum asking for windsurfing in Bali and people are telling others that there are some good wind in Bali but no windsurf facilities. Also, it is not one time tourist pass in front of our friend's, Pedro, windsurf station comment : "Oo, I never know that there is windsurfing in Sanur".

This is not true that there's no windsurf in Bali. Windsurf in Bali start already since long time since the era of Robby Naish in the 70's. Many local windsurfer admiring and fans of Robby Naish, at least they know when we are talking about him. And there's Indonesian windsurfer, Oka Sulaksana, he is now almost 40 years old, he was very strong in South East Asian and Asian competition when he was young. But that's it, and the developing of this sport in this country is very slow, this is correct. Yes, as a windsurfer and as an Indonesian I am not happy with this.

But it was long time ago when not much facilities to windsurf in Bali. These last two years around 2009 until this time 2011, there's some changes, little bit development in windsurf community in Bali. With dedication to the sport we (me and my husband, thanks to him) run a windsurf shop in Sanur area called 'Jump and Jibe', where you can find complete equipment and accessories and repair parts. Pedro a guy from Flores, the other island in Indonesia, he was several years living in Japan, with his friends he start running a windsurf station at Mertasari beach called 'Ocean Cowboys', live up the beach with better and more modern equipment compare to several old crapy windsurf station in Sanur area.

I agree when people say windsurfing in Indonesia not developing very well compare to the potensi of the country. Our problem is there's no support from Indonesian goverment to developing it. We found many Mistral One Design used in several rental place, coming from Porlasi, Indonesian Sailing Association, those stuff are used for the KONI (sport organization) before. It is true that boards for slalom, freeride, or wave sailing are really really hard to find. Okey a wave sailing board not really need in Bali, because the wind and good wave never come together. But slalom and freeride boards with medium to bigger size sails is needed. Our experience in importing stuff for our shop is we are robbed and pressed by the goverment system, I think the situation is worse than during the Dutch colonial goverment. The import rules, the trading rules, the shop registration, the taxes, all are crazy. It is an antagony, and contra productive to the tourisme campaign made by the goverment and the Board of Tourisme.

Anyway, the aim of what I write now is to tell the world that Sanur - Bali can be one of your windsurf destination. And with all the troubles we have in developing windsurf in Indonesia you still can windsurf in Sanur Bali with good equipment and reasonable price. And when you need information about when and where to windsurf in Bali just call us in +62 812 814 959 34 or check our web site: www.jumpandjibe.com or email us at : info@jumpandjibe.com or jumpandjibe@gmail.com or check our Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/JUMP-AND-JIBE-Windsurf-Center-Shop. We can arrange your windsurf tour or to help you make deal with Pedro's windsurf station: www.baliwindsurfing.com or to get contact direct to him. His place also a place for tourist information.