From the middle of the Indian Ocean

These photos are symbolic of all the efforts that a unique...

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:05:00 +0700

The Electric Lamb in all her glory.

Tent city @ ebay to "live the dream"

Taking a piss right on "the dream"

These photos are symbolic of all the efforts that a unique individual has made over the years to dominate the Mentawai surf industry.

Echo Lima or Electric Lamb as she’s known, sits in a Siberut cesspool of bilge water being pumped out of her innards. Demasted, unloved and slowly succumbing to entropy, this boat is owned by the same mastermind behind www.mentawai.com

The same guy who foresaw the impact that the web would have on surfing and the marketing of a destination. The same guy who bought up leases all throughout the islands at the best surf breaks, but ended up only with lawyers, angry investors and disappointed guests.

He over-reached in his frothing greed to prevent anybody reaching the surfing mecca except by his say-so. His savvy online became his downfall, with blogs and links and history coming full circle to warn potential investors that his “great breaks international” wasn’t so great after all, except as an offshore tax and asset shelter in Hong Kong.

Sure, I’ve had my problems created because of the man. Sure, my friends have gone to jail because of his legal finesse and great oratory. But in the end, when was the last time anybody surfed with the guy? When was the last time I saw his battle scarred hard-top driving around Padang? When was the last time the Electric Lamb went for a joy ride down the coast?

Charter Boat Carnage How often do...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:57:00 +0700

Charter Boat Carnage

How often do surfing charter boats put their anchors down in Mentawai waters? Well, let’s consider the numbers:

- There are around 20 boats on average active everyday during the season April - October (7 months x 30 days x 20 boats = 4200 charter boat days).
- Each charter boat has to anchor at least 2 times a day. One for a surf session and one for anchoring for the night. (4200 charter boat days x twice a day = 8400.
- From our experience (and still being conservative with our numbers) at least half of all charter boats will surf two different waves during a single day, increasing the number of anchoring by once a day. (8400 + (4100/2 = 2050) = 10,450.
- Using this average, we could say with certainty that this yearly number has been propagated since approximately 2004. 10,450 x 8 years = 83,600.

Summary:
Since the Mentawai charter boat industry began, we figure that the charter fleet has dropped their anchors in Mentawai waters over 83,600 times.

EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED.

HELLO, IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?

The dozens of islands named “Mentawai” lie 120 kilometers off...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:08:25 +0700

The dozens of islands named “Mentawai” lie 120 kilometers off the west coast of Sumatra. They act like a catcher’s mitt for any bump of swell that is blown west from South Africa, Madagascar, and the rest of the Indian Ocean. The surf is flat maybe 6 days a year, and the rest of the time – as we like to joke – the waves are “overhead when flat”.

Mentawai doesn’t really need any marketing. It is a brand unto itself. Say “Mentawai” to any surfer worth their salt and images will be conjured of perfect offshore waves lapping white sand coconut palm frond beaches. They are the kind of waves that you used to draw in your social studies book when the teacher started droning on. The kind of beaches that popped into your head when your newly wed said “honeymoon”.

The islands are clustered just below 2 degrees south, and everything about the place is equatorial. The doldrums were given that name because of light and variable winds with occasional rip- roaring squalls. The Mentawai Islands experience the doldrums 24/7.

When winter storms in the southern hemisphere start to boil the ocean surface, surfers flock from all over the globe to experience the unique combination of doldrums conditions and perfect storm swells. Breaking almost exclusively on coral reef, the Mentawai waves are as close to perfection as anywhere in the world. When the swell bends and refracts around the reefs, the islands also cater to every skill level, even during the biggest swells of the year. Some world class waves you might have heard of are Lances Left/Right, Macaronis, Thunders, Rags, Ebay, Rifles, Kandui Left, Hideaways and Telescopes. The waves are split about 50/50 on rights and lefts, and if you pick the right resort, your guide can get you the right waves to challenge your current skills without disabling you permanently. Make sure a Mentawai surf trip is on your bucket list.

After 8 years of faithful service, the tallest accommodation for...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:21:28 +0700

This is what she looked like a week ago.

After 5 days of tearing her down.

The old verandah.

The new verandah.

People asked, "why is she coming down?"

It is time to give the guests new digs.

After 8 years of faithful service, the tallest accommodation for tourists in the Mentawais had to be dismantled. She was a great house, and many people have enduring memories looking out the window to perfect surf. She will be reborn as new accommodation, this time for the owners.

New Mentawai Rules for Charter Boats

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:30:03 +0700

Having a forested look at the trees, it is obvious to just about anybody that the Mentawai Surfing...

Are these refugees fleeing a despotic dictator? No, this is my...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:01:51 +0700

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Are these refugees fleeing a despotic dictator? No, this is my dad and I trying to get back to the mainland on a Mentawai public ferry. We were lucky enough to show up 6 hours early and score our little slice of the back of a cargo truck to call our own. You interested in having a nice holiday to Mentawai with decent transport? You get what you pay for.

Ten out of ten Oct. '11

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:42:18 +0700

Ten out of ten Oct. '11

WavePark Blog 003

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:30:00 +0700

Words: Jamie Joseph 11 October 2011 Eight is Sticky Usually it takes 2 to 3 days for a new group of...

WPM Blog 002

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:51:00 +0700

10 October 2011 Words: Jamie Joseph Noosa People in WavePark One of the things I love about staying...

WPM Blog 001

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:48:00 +0700

Words: Jamie Joseph 19 September 2011 Crossing the channel Padang to MentawaiWe just left Padang....

Mentawai Surfing Welcomes Guest Blogger.

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:26:45 +0700

We’re handing the reins over to our new friend and guest blogger GirlJamie. Jamie aims to...

All it takes is one good barrel to pay for the ticket...

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 09:28:39 +0700

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

All it takes is one good barrel to pay for the ticket over…

Don’t look! If you’re squeamish. This is an actual...

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:50:49 +0700

Don’t look!

If you’re squeamish.

This is an actual photo of Keala Kennelly, a professional surfer. She came close to losing her eye the other day in Tahiti, towing into big waves last week and hitting the reef after a bad wipeout. So much for her modeling career poor dear.

I’ve been thinking for a while about the Mentawais, and this photo gave me further pause. As the Mentawai Islands get more and more crowded, the surfers that enjoy waves to themselves are venturing farther afield. We surf waves that we’ve never surfed before because they were too fast or shallow. We surf our regular waves on lower tides than we used to surf before. We surf when we’re tired or failing light, just because everybody else has left the lineup. There are much more people to avoid as you’re racing down the line. There are surfers in the lineup at big hollow waves that perhaps shouldn’t be there, but are because everywhere else is “too crowded”. It is all adding together to be a much more dangerous past-time than it used to be.

In a normal season, on average I would stitch up 6 guests by the end of the season. This year we’ve done over 14. 6 in just the first 2 trips! Is it a coincidence? Is it just a roll of the dice? No. The reason more people are getting injured is because there are more boards and reefs to bump into, and we’re taking more risks just to get waves to ourselves.

There’s no point to this rant, and Keala’s photo has nothing to do with this post.

Maybe just showing you what big waves and reef can do to people’s faces. Maybe just using my crystal ball to predict that surfing will become increasingly dangerous for the people who visit or live in this small island chain in the middle of nowhere, and that injuries such as Keala’s are more common. For that matter surfing will get more dangerous everywhere you go. Peace and hati-hati.

I just spent 10 minutes writing a very witting rant about this...

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:52:24 +0700

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

I just spent 10 minutes writing a very witting rant about this kind of bullshit. Then my connection dropped out. Damnit.

To: the boozed fueled idiots off a particular Australian owned charter boat that towed on top of paddle surfers at 4ft. Rifles on the afternoon of 14 August, 2011— get a ski to your head!

The coconut telegraph is buzzing...

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:01:43 +0700

Overheard, reposted, regurgitated, passed on, let go and FYI.”I am not sure you have heard...

I’m going to come right out and say it. It disgusts me...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:22:05 +0700

I’m going to come right out and say it. It disgusts me that after almost 2 decades of operating commercially in these islands, the dozens of local and foreign flag charter boats have failed to band together and sorted out some kind of mooring system. On average, each charter boat anchors 3 times a day. Every time they put down their anchor, they are smashing up live reef (see photo attached).

Its not like our reef has enough to deal with. What with potassium cyanide being used by local fisherman with compressors. Or the occasional dynamite fisherman that are ignored by the (suspiciously complicit) Mentawai authorities. Global warming, coral bleaching? What about oily bilge water, plastic rubbish, surfers walking all over the reef? Hell, might as well throw your anchors down cause there’s not much left anyway!

The only thing the charter boats ever managed to come together on was banding together in an “us vs. them” associations in one of the biggest portrayals of human greed that I’ve ever been privy to. Battling each other legally for control of the waters, whilst they go out and drop anchors on more reefs.

If you’re as disgusted as I am, please choose your favorite charter boat and either write them a letter directly, or contact their agent and ask why aren’t the charter boats able to sink down moorings instead of anchors everyday?

Makes me embarrased to be a human being.

Just another slotted punter in the Mentawai islands.

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:36:35 +0700

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Just another slotted punter in the Mentawai islands.

Jess Ponting with his version of Nirvana’s Smells Like...

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:44:33 +0700

Jess Ponting with his version of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. Recorded in our island studio, in the middle of nowhere.

Nice barrel in the middle of nowhere.

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 09:13:45 +0700

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Nice barrel in the middle of nowhere.

Photos from early July.

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:00:09 +0700

Perfect weather.

Sick barrel, unreal colors.

Vultures on the shoulder.

You're up next.

There are still empty waves to be found.

Cue the choppers and The Doors sounds.

Classic conditions.

Breaking glass.

Unabashed self-promo.

Photos from early July.