Community

Lembongan Surf Team Championships 2010

• http://www.isctour.com/images/Dynamic_Pages/thumbs/100800044.jpg
  

• http://www.isctour.com/images/Dynamic_Pages/thumbs/100800045.jpg
  

• http://www.isctour.com/images/Dynamic_Pages/thumbs/100800046.jpg
  

• http://www.isctour.com/images/Dynamic_Pages/thumbs/100800047.jpg
  

• http://www.isctour.com/images/Dynamic_Pages/thumbs/100800048.jpg
  

Judging from the weekend’s activities it looks like 2010 has been another great success for the Lembongan Surf Team Championship, with record support from the local community and corporate sponsors, the number of competitors topped out at 62.

It all got under way on Saturday morning, the boys decked out the Judging boat with banners and a cranking sound system, after that it was full steam to Shipwrecks for the first of the Grommet heats, the little guys delivered solid surfing on a rapidly building swell, so much so that the call was made to shift down the reef to Lacerations where the rest of the days heats were battled out in fun 2-3 foot right-handers.

It’s amazing how well you sleep after 6 hours in the sun aboard a boat, so we we’re all ready to rock for the finals on Sunday morning. Again we steamed to Shipwrecks, the sound system turned to number 11, cheeky grommets on the microphone and a good swell already showing its face.  For the first time, this years championship included a “Masters” division, it was great to see the 1st generation surfers around the contest site and even better to see them still surfing so well, in a hard fought final we saw a rampaging Werdi take the title over Kudul, island favorite Planet took out 3rd, squeezing out our 4th master Widi.

Grommet time was always going to be interesting with the ever increasing waves, but in true Lembongan style our little heroes fearlessly attacked the line up, coming out on top with style beyond his years was our latest superstar Komo, young Pelit ran in 2nd     holding out Lembongan’s answer to Mick Lowe and new cult hero Donat, a pumped Satria came in 4th.

For the last few years the standard of the Open division final has been pretty much up there with anything you will see in Indonesia, and 2010 was no exception. With the shock eliminations of Agus Frimanto and Agus Purnawan two positions in the final were up for crabs, as the waves got bigger and the tide lower this is how it panned out.
Walu and Balon found them selves up against the Pro Junior champ Putra Hermawan and the incredibly focused Oakley team rider Robot.  While making a solid account of himself this final would be a learning experience for Walu, his future is bright, Balon however brought his “A” game, going top speed (do these island boys know any other way?), boosting and landing the biggest air of the final, his result of 3rd may have been better had it not been for his ugly motor bike injury on Friday night, hati hati Balon.

Turning the tables on the ever calculating Hermawan, Robot watched patiently as Putra skipped out to a two wave lead, when the Robot machine did kick into top gear, it was on. Wave for wave the  two surfers threw themselves under the lip setting up scorching top turns before free-falling through to the inside bowel, each wave punctuated with 360 and rail grab airs over near dry reef, and after 25 minutes of breathtaking surfing it was the year of the machine. Surfing the heat of his life in front of his team manager Gino, Oakley’s Robot Best had his first Lembongan Championship, yeeeoww,  dreams do come true brother…GO the BOT.

Exciting times and exciting changes are coming for the Lembongan Surf Team, the entire committee will be now made up by local surfers, an independent group of surfers taking on allot of reasonability and work must be applauded. On a personal note we would like to thank all the ex-pats and tourists that have devoted their time and support over the last 8 or so years, it has been great fun and emotionally rewarding helping these kids chase their dreams and I think it is safe enough to say we have left the team in great shape. Good luck LST and thank you.