Surftime Magazine

Uluwatu proved once again why it stands as one of the world’s most iconic surf arenas, as the 6th Annual Single Fin Classic turned the cliffs into a festival of surf, music, and community. Over the weekend, fans, surfers, and locals came together to celebrate the timeless spirit of surfing, with flawless waves and an electric atmosphere from start to finish. The energy kicked off with Friday’s opening ceremony before rolling straight into two days of non-stop action. From sunrise to sunset, the reef came alive with clean, powerful sets that tested both style and grit. Spectators lined the cliffs, cheering every drop, carve, and wipeout, while Single Fin’s decks became a hub of music, laughter, and stories shared between heats. The stoke carried through each moment, blending competition with the unmistakable laid-back vibe of Uluwatu. The highlight of the weekend, as always, was the surfing itself. The Masters division saw Joe De Santis claim the win with smooth, powerful lines,...

A familiar figure on any beach at any time is photographer Antonio Vargas. He remains a tireless chronicler of surfing in Bali and quite often finds himself turning his lens to the surfing of the younger generation. Hardly a local contest can pass without “Tono” on the beach, pacing back and forth with his tripod and camera, looking for the best angles as heat after heat unfolds. One day Canggu, the next Halfway and then the next Uluwatu. Active and always positive. And yet his motivation is so simple. Certainly not monetary, Tono shoots for the love of it. The love of surfing, of our island and of its surfers, both young and old. As this portfolio will attest, we are lucky to have him.

Only once in all that time he had again a glimpse of the earnestness in the anger of the sea. There are many shades in the danger of adventures and gales, and only now and then that there appears on the face of facts a sinister violence of intention. -From Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad- Photography by Pete Frieden

Cory Lopez, now 48 years old, has certainly earned his place in the pantheon of surfing greats. In bald statistics, even his long passage in the the venerable Encyclopedia of Surfing recognizes this. Calling him a “Nervy goofyfoot pro from Indian Rocks, Florida…world-ranked #3 in 2001…A visceral show-stealer, with diamond-hard balls…began surfing as a preschooler… made a reputation as the world’s best young high-performance free surfer, quick and flexible, with gyroscopic balance that guided him through the most ambitious tailslide and aerial maneuvers ever seen…During an early round heat at the 1999 Gotcha Tahiti Pro, the handsome dark-haired Lopez rode deep inside the tube on a pair of big, thick, deadly lefts at Teahupoo, getting annihilated both times but setting a world tour standard for reckless cool…he returned to Teahupo’o in 2001 to win the event…in 2003 he won the US Open of Surfing… Lopez was featured in more than 30 top ranked surf video’s and was one of the first to sur...

It’s been two years now since Harry Mann left his home in Torquay, Australia to join the Indonesian Marketing team for Rip Curl in Bali. Surftime recently got a read on where Harry’s head is at when it comes to settling into our very unique surfing community. The following are some of his thoughts and reflections in what became a surprisingly personal conversation. - I am from Torquay, Victoria, Australia and the surfing culture there turned me into a very competitive surfer. Before coming to Bali I held six Victorian state titles, I had spent three years on the QS and I had won the Rip Curl Bells Beach trials. But I felt that that the trials win was a real closure on my competitive career and I was ready to create a new life experience. I guess the universe was listening because the opportunity to come to Bali and work for Rip Curl came out of nowhere and I jumped at it. -Sure, I had come to Bali a number of times before as Australians do, and you get an idea of the surf scene a...

Photography by WHSUP!! Bobby’s G-Land camp set the stage for a very unique happening recently. Chelsea Hedges, a top coach with Surfing Australia, led a team of rising amateur female surfers to our premiere wave in order to help hone their skills. It’s all part of Surfing Australia’s serious and enviable national coaching program to develop young hopeful surfers as they move into a professional career. And if not that, then at least to help them reach their full potential in surfing. Surftime met with Chelsea about this extraordinary opportunity and here is what she had to say: Chelsea Hedges : This was one of Surfing Australia’s latest strike missions for coaching. The concept is to identify waves that are either world tour locations or locations that are similar to CT contest locations. This is so we can take our athletes there for exposure and experience in those types of wave profiles. Like if it’s not a world tour location like cloudbreak, we try to go to a place like G-Land ...

As discussed with Matt Biolos By Matt George In this conversation, maestro shaper Matt Biolos opens up about his singular relationship with team member and young Mentawai Phenom Dylan Wilcoxen. And why he feels that surfers like Dylan provide essential meaning to our sport. Matt Biolos : I first saw Dylan surf in the Mentawai in the Fall of 2020. He was probably eleven years old. And what immediately struck me was, regardless of his provenance, you know, that he grew up at the Kandui Resort in front of flawless waves, was that Dylan seemed to be touched by that rare, innate, raw natural talent that is hard to find in any sport. That un-planned, un-coached, natural ability, free from thought or pre-meditation. Which I don’t see often in my world today, not with all the parents involved and the intense coaching and training that is going on. But I have seen Dylan’s kind of talent before. Like I once saw it in Chris Ward and Curren and guys like Bruce Irons and Dane Reynolds. I me...