Krui Left July 2017

Sixteen years ago the only on-line video of surfing the Krui area was a poor quality blurry clip of an average 1mtr day at Krui Left being surfed by an unknown beginner. Definately not the required imagery to support the mythological search of the modern bronzed and exoticised warrior surfer. And so this stretch of the Sumatran Coastline remained an off the beaten track location.

Fast forward to 2015 and images of the most perfect waves on the most perfect days flooded the Social Media space. The idealalized and unattainable vision of Krui as the latest surf Wonderland established itself within the surf community. The Nirvanification of the Krui area was underway.

Hearing these first whispers the big guns moved into the area and in 2017 the first WSL Krui Pro streamed it's mass marketing message. Ujung Bocur was labelled a World Class wave and Krui the next surf Wonderland.

Jl Pantai Wisata, Tanjung Setia 2013

Jl Pantai Wisata, Tanjung Setia 2022

Down the rabbit hole

Following the media's marketing breadcrumbs a new generation of surfers arrived on the shores of Pesisir Barat. Eager to complete their rights of passage and surf uncrowded waves in an unexplored tropical paradise.

Waking up in Wonderland

Sitting on the roadside between Krui and Tanjung Setia, observing dozens of surfers heading north and south is a sobering experience.

The sky is blue, the wind is offshore, the Indian Ocean swell is crashing onto the beach ... why then so many grim faces.

We have probably all been there on that road, teeth gritted our dream of uncrowded endless World Class waves shattered. Unable to reconcile the stark reality dark clouds gather around our heads even as the sun benevolently rains down on us.

Opening our eyes

The Golden Years of surf exploration are over.

The surf tourism and surf hardware industry is now a well greased 28 billion dollar plus money making machine that supports 23 million surfers. In the face of such statistics it's no wonder we find ourselves unable to reconcile the "go search" slogan of the last century with the reality we now experience.

One thing is for sure. We are not going to find endless uncrowded waves at the latest public secret spot being shared by 1 million surfers on Social Media and advertised on over 150,000 webpages.

It's time we questioned the packaged simulation of surf exploration we are being sold. Breakdown the myth of a Surf Nirvana existing just around the next distant headland.

There is an adventure out there. All we need to do is put down the surf industries looking glass and open our eyes.