THRIVE TO SURVIVE: OUR CURRENT CONTEST STATE OF THE UNION By Tim Hain, Asian Surf Cooperative (ASC)

As we end the year 2024 and look back at the number of events around the archipelago, from tiny local boardriders comps at far-flung breaks on remote islands to international WSL events at world renown destinations such as Krui and Nias, to niche events like Earth Island Surf Fest, Twinny Finny and Twinkle Toes in Bali, it’s amazing what has been accomplished during the last 12 months in Indonesia.

Back in December of 2019 when we were blissfully unaware of the world wide pandemic catastrophe that was about to befall us; we were full of optimism that 2020 was going to be the best year yet for Indonesia’s surfing scene, as we looked at an exciting schedule of events headlined by the World Championship Tour coming back to G-Land after a two decade absence.

Hopes were soon dashed unfortunately as the world shut down, which began a very dark time for us in the surfing contest world, not knowing when or if ever we’d be able to work and travel again. The surfing light however refused to be extinguished, and instead there sparked an idea that soon evolved into the Liga Surfing Indonesia. Bolstered by Tipi Jabrik’s Grom Patrol junior series, the LSI was created to provide a sustainable pathway for the development and progression of Indonesian surfing, from tiny groms to opens to masters, where the boardrider’s management and members learned how to find sponsors, organize and run their own events, with guidance from the ASC.



And now every year they come together in the Liga Surfing Indonesia Grand Final to compete and celebrate their accomplishments, showing their progression and gaining experience. Those that attended the recent LSI Gran Final at Uluwatu witnessed the competitive pride as well as the camaraderie between clubs like Halfway Kuta, Legian, Bingin, West Sumbawa and Uluwatu, many of whose more senior members came up competing in the ISC open and junior events.

And let’s not forget how the inclusion of surfing in the Olympics, which finally opened the way for the essential governmental support needed for a National Surfing Team, something that many thought would never happen. Having Indonesia’s own Rio Waida earn his way into an Olympic appearance, not to mention being a flag bearer in the opening ceremony in Tokyo, was an unimaginable dream come true for the ASC and other surfing industry members that had been toiling for years to bring surfing to the attention of the central government as a legitimate sport.

And let’s take a quick glimpse back in time, when the ASC was the ISC (Indonesian Surfing Championships) and surfing competitions were plentiful. Rip Curl, Quiksilver, Billabong, Rusty, Oakley, Reef, and Volcom all funded virtually all the junior and open contests in Bali and other areas of Indonesia for several heady years. But then came the near collapse of the surf industry, which saw the golden goose laying far fewer and much smaller eggs, and their resulting struggle to sponsor contests, which then led to a significantly reduced number of events in Bali and around Indonesia.



Fortunately, the ISC/ASC’s work with local governments to use surfing competitions as a sports tourism activity provided a way forward, as they started funding major international competitions such as the Krui Pro, Nias Pro, G-Land Pro, and the Manokwari Pro, which kept the contest momentum going on to what we are experiencing today.

So after such an amazing 2024, what is coming in 2025? In the pipeline are more WSL Qualifying Series events in Indonesia, with proposals in to the various governmental departments, an expanded Grom Patrol series with more Asian region locations participating, and the Liga Surfing Indonesia adding more boardriders clubs and searching for an amazing Grand Final location. We’re also working closely with the PSOI (Indonesia’s governing body for surfing) to assist them in increasing surfing event activity in their 18 regions. We’ll see the return of the many yearly specialty events in Bali, and as usual the ASC will be roaming around Asia providing technical teams for contests and doing educational programs in other Asian countries in support of their surfing development efforts.



So as we celebrate our 20th year, we are exceeding thankful to all the support and trust that we’ve been given over the years, with a special thanks to the OG crew of Steve Palmer, Paul Anderson, Jeff Anderson, and Kane Faint, whose time and valuable resources early on allowed the ISC to form and then grow and evolve into what the ASC is today. Thanks to all of you, the Asian Surf Cooperative remains resolute in our mission. To create a thriving surf culture in Indonesia and ensure its survival for generations to come.