Ayok - Local Knowledge

Ayok - Local Knowledge
When surfers first came to Bali, the locals thought they were madmen. Not only did they appear to walk on water, dancing across the faces of waves with mystical grace and supernatural abilities, but they were actually foolhardy enough to venture into the spirit realm of the ocean, where demons lurked beneath the surface to steal them into the blackness. A lot has changed since those early days and Bali is witnessing an insurgence of local shredders. With consistent, world-class waves on their doorstep, Indonesian surfers are rapidly honing their skills, every lineup around the island’s coastline featuring a healthy handful of unknown stand outs. I Gede Arya Eka Wira Dharma – better, and far more conveniently known as Ayok - is Canggu born and bred. He has seen the quiet times, the boom in tourism and the inception and expansion of Bali’s surfing community. 12 years ago, when Ayok first ventured into the breaks around Canggu, Westerners were a rarity. He could still find empty lineups, even on the good days at the popular breaks, and the number of white faces in the water could be counted on one hand. “I started surfing when I was nine years old,” he remembers. “Around that time there was still nothing here. We had to share one board between all of my friends. At that time, not so many grommets surfed. If you surfed, you were seen as lazy.” Reflecting the disreputable surfing community of the 1960s in Australia and the US, surfing was still frowned upon until just a few years ago by Bali locals, especially by the parents of kids bitten by the bug: “When we went surfing, we’d have to hide from our parents. One time, my dad came down to the beach with a bamboo stick and started beating me, screaming, ‘go back home!’ But surfing still made for a memorable childhood – it was good fun.” Bali is known for its perfect shortboarding conditions and a rash of formulaic, cookie-cutter thrusters plague the lineups at all the most popular spots. While locals and visitors to Canggu do still get airborne on their high performance equipment, this little corner of Bali has become a Mecca for logs, fishes and alternative craft. Batu Bolong is a black-sand Waikiki-meets-Windansea kind of deal, single fin longboards the weapon of choice, waves rolling in, rather than wedging up and hollowing out, and the crowds, though challenging at times, invoke the aloha, sharing rides and leaving the adrenalin-fuelled aggro out of the picture. “When I started it was all shortboards,” says Ayok. “I have seen people surfing longboards since I started, but only a few Westerners. About three years ago the locals started. Most of us are fishermen, so we wanted to get longboards so that we could put our lobster nets on the boards, so it started as a practical thing. I started longboarding about a year after that. “When Deus came to Canggu, everything became different. The vibe here is different now – much more chilled. That’s why I changed, because it’s something different and more chilled in the water too. “Longboarding – especially in the traditional style - just looks so much more graceful. The first time I tried longboarding was in Batu Karas [West Java). I borrowed a board from Deni [Blackboys]. That made me fall in love with longboarding. After that, I bought my own longboard. Also, I don’t really like big waves – I’m a super-chilled person, I don’t really like that aggressive style of surfing - so longboarding is perfect for me.” Batu Karas locals, Deni and his plus-nine collaborator Husni Ridhwan proffered an indelible impact on the latest single fin initiate, inspiring a smoother, more balletic approach to Ayok’s style. Bringing these traits back to the beaches of Canggu, he received further inspiration from the influx of foreign traditionalists, including Zye Norris, Matt Cuddihy, Harrison Roach and many more, a sponge to their influential form culminating in an approach that is as impressive as it is seemingly effortless, his sure-footed fluidity, linked turns and unswaying confidence resonating through the lineup. Ayok has remained at his home of Canggu, leading the charge and drawing the attention of camera lenses whenever he paddles out. “He has become a stand-out longboarder,” says Deus Bali director, Dustin Humphrey, who has watched his progression over the past half decade. “He has developed at such a rapid pace, with a beautiful style all of his own that makes him a stand-out amongst the locals and tourists surfing these beaches.” He has embraced the diversification, both in his longboard skills and on more diminutive rides, whether fishes and single fins or, when the tides and swells require thrusters and quads…and he has become adept at it all. “It just depends on the swell,” he says of his choices of board. “When the waves are really small, we come down with our longboards just for some fun. When it’s big, we still head to Echo Beach to get some barrels and more intense waves. We still manage to surf both, but the longboards mostly just for the fun of it.” Though the passion for plus-nine craft often wins out, Ayok is no one-trick pony. The more traditional genre of boards in all its miscellany offers him adaptation to location and conditions, and where a log may be out of its comfort zone, Ayok reaches for his single fins. On the follow beach breaks of Echo Beach and the neighbouring locale, he can be found buried deep, throwing spray, feet planted firmly on a six-footer, a flex fin whipping him out of turns and holding him high and tight under the lip. Despite his parents’ early reservations, surfing has given Ayok a life, not only in the peace and freedom in the water, but also financially. Ayok’s Stay & Surf is now open for business – a six-bedroom home stay where Ayok hosts predominantly surfing travellers from around the world, providing surf lessons and offering a lifelong stack of local knowledge. “My main job is as a surf teacher. I worked for some local surf schools about three years ago and then I decided to build my guest house. It’s open for everyone, but my main focus is to bring people to Canggu to stay and have surf lessons. My family also has a little business at Batu Bolong renting surfboards.” Canggu has developed around him, moving through different chapters, expanding in population and infrastructure, but Ayok has developed with it, taking advantage of the tourism boom and continuing to make a life for himself in this unique place he calls home. “It will get busier, but I hope it is just tourists, not the construction. I don’t want Canggu to become something like Kuta or Seminyak. It would be so disappointing. People come here to chill. They want to enjoy their holiday and they don’t want so many buildings. We are welcome to everyone.” Deus has welcomed Ayok to the fold, his individualism in a sea of conformity bringing him to the attention of Dustin and the team: “When I first saw him, it struck me how he was just doing his own thing, evoking the style seen so often in the longboarding waves of the world – California, Australia, Hawaii – but so rarely in Bali. I wanted to support him in his surfing to help him develop in a way that would otherwise be challenging in this environment.” Brought into the fold, with a brand new Harrison Roach model Thomas surfboard under his feet and an open invite to the Deus 9 Foot and Single, fresh experience opened to the Canggu surfer and his skills progressed exponentially. Now, on the cusp of the sixth annual 9 Foot and Single, Ayok embodies the role he has taken on so often in his working life, as genial and gracious host to an influx of travelling surfers in the breaks he has every right to call his own. Though his history has been sheltered, spanning little more than a scooter ride from his Canggu home, Ayok’s heart and spirit encompass the global surfing community, an ambassador for his home, his passion and the waves that have sculpted his life. For more information on Ayok's Surf & Stay, visiti his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Ayokstayandsurf All Photos: @kelibow

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Sabtu pagi, 17 Juni 2023, menjadi hari yang ditunggu-tunggu oleh 250 peserta reli sepeda motor dan 80 kontestan flat track race di Bali. Itu merupakan acara Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure keempat yang diselenggarakan oleh komunitas pecinta motor trail vintage yang lebih dari sekadar menggemari motor dual purpose era 80-90-an. Dikenal sebagai Trail Asik Adventurer, AKA… Tasik Adventure yang telah menunggu setahun untuk merencanakan dan mengerjakan nya demi tidak mengecewakan siapapun yang ikut berpartisipasi.

Coba kamu bayangkan , ada dua sisi koin berbeda pada event kali ini. Yang pertama adalah Reli. Mereka memberi nama Challenge "Tantangan", menjadikan setiap peserta sebagai "Penantang" Challenger. Jadi, di tempat parkir Sangeh Monkey Forest, sambil menikmati keteduhan pohon jati raksasa yang awet muda, 250 Penantang parkir untuk menerima kode QR untuk etape pertama rute reli. Seluruh perjalanan adalah 3 etape dengan 3 titik pemberhentian. 4 jika Anda menghitung tujuan.

Ada beberapa motor keren di sana, Honda XR, Yamaha DT, Suzuki TS, Suzuki DR, dan beberapa custom modern, motocross dan scrambler. Sekitar sepuluh atau lebih, mereka berbaris di titik start dan memulai rally dari sana. Misi setiap orang adalah menyelesaikan setiap tahap dan berhenti di 3 titik pemberhentian untuk mendapatkan kode QR untuk bagian berikutnya. Keindahan Bali selalu menjadi pendamping, saat kami terbang di sepanjang kombinasi jalan aspal, jalan pedesaan, dan jalan tanah di daerah Tabanan. Kami perlahan-lahan terbang tinggi dan semakin tinggi ke perbukitan dan pemandangan sawah dan hutan akhirnya habis, sebenarnya lebih seperti perlahan menjadi satu ketika kami sampai di tujuan. Bali Outbound Farmstay (BOF) yang juga menjadi tempat berkemah semalam. Jika Anda mengumpulkan semua kode QR Anda, Anda mendapat medali Rally sebagai bentuk penghargaan.

Sisi lain dari koin yang disebutkan sebelumnya, atau event kedua, adalah balap jalur datar (flat track). Atau dalam hal ini jalur dengan landasan yang tidak rata karena tempat mereka membangun jalur itu berada di atas tempat yang dulunya terdapat dua sawah terasering. Jadi titik start finish lebih tinggi dari jalur lurus pertama dengan penurunan pada tikungan pertama dan sedikit menanjak pada tikungan kedua. Saat kami masuk ke BOF, kami sudah bisa mendengar suara motor flat track dan sorakan penonton yang berkumpul. Kami parkir dan membuat jalur jalur seperti lebah.

Keseruan seutuhnya pada acara, disaat tingkat kesulitan tambahan dimasukkan ke dalam jadwal sore hari menarik perhatian yang sangat luar biasa. Mereka berhasil menarik sekitar delapan puluh peserta, terbagi dalam 4 kelas: Kelas Mesin Horizontal, Kelas FFA 4T Max 250cc, Kelas FFA 2T Max 250cc Flat Track, dan Kelas FFA Big Bore.

Antusiasme untuk balapan flat track sangat terasa. Kegembiraan tumbuh saat kami melewati babak penyisihan dan membangun sesuatu yang luar biasa untuk final setiap kelas. Tidak ada kata menahan, mereka hadir untuk memenangkannya. Pembalap dari setiap komunitas bersaing sengit di setiap kelas. Nama-nama seperti Maulana Sandi, Dewa Dimas, Harris Manasi Ride, Nova Rider Sing Mebekel, Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel, Bontok Giga MX, dan lain-lain tak main-main, sebagian besar dari memamerkan skill mereka tanpa mengesampingkan sportifitas dan keselamatan.

Trek dengan permukaan tanah liat merah keras yang kering memberikan tantangan. Di awal, para pembalap disuguhkan dengan bagian menurun pada tikungan pertama, setelah itu mereka memeras gas di bagian trek lurus sebelum berputar ke kiri lagi tapi kali ini menjadi bagian menanjak pada tikungan kedua. Itu memaksa mereka untuk menggabungkan keterampilan balap trek datar mereka dengan banyak teknik motocross. Pada akhirnya, semua pembalap bersenang-senang dengan debu tanah liat merah yang menutupi segalanya dan semua orang.

Saat matahari terbenam ke arah cakrawala, saudara dan sahabat motoran kami meraih pecahan cahaya terakhir untuk mendirikan tenda mereka dan dalam persiapan untuk berkemah malam. Matahari menghilang di balik Gunung Batukaru memberi semua orang pemandangan yang menakjubkan, tetapi segera menyelimuti kami dengan udara yang jauh lebih sejuk dari dataran tinggi di Baturiti Tabanan ini.

Percakapan tentang rute reli dan balapan flat track mengalir dari pintu tenda semua orang yang berkemah, yang lain membaringkan tubuh mereka yang lelah untuk mengantisipasi perjalanan keesokan harinya, perjalanan yang relatif santai ke Pantai Pasut.

Dengan begitu, acara Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure 2023 pun berakhir. Sampai bertemu lagi tahun depan, salam untuk semua penantang, pengalaman yang luar biasa.

Berikut daftar pemenang Kelas Flat Track:

Flat Rack Horizontal Engine Class Winners:
1. Chiko GTT Bali
2. Panduk Pisaga Delodan
3. Andika Monkey Brothers

Flat Rack FFA 4T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Nova Rider Sing Mebekel
2. Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel
3. Bontok Giga MX

Flat Rack FFA 2T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Sandi Maulana
2. Dewa Dita
3. Eponk Road Country

Flat Rack FFA Big Bore Class Winners:
1. Dewa Dimas
2. Haris Manasi Ride
3. Sandi Maulana

Saturday morning, June 17, 2023, was a highly anticipated day for 250 motorcycle rally participants and 80 flat track race contestants in Bali. It was the Fourth Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure event organized by a community of vintage trail motorcycle enthusiasts who love more than fanging about on their dual-purpose motorcycles from the 80s and 90s. Known as the Trail Asik Adventure Community, AKA… Tasik Adventure people had waited a year for the follow up and none were disappointed.

Just so you can get it straight in your head, there’s two very different sides to this coin. The first one was the Rally. They hung it under the banner of “Challenge”, making each partaker a “Challenger”. So, in the carpark of Sangeh Monkey Forest, which enjoys the shade of giant ageless teak trees, 250 Challengers parked up to receive the QR code for the first leg of the rally route. The entire ride was 3 stages with 3 stop points. 4 if you count the destination.

There were some amazing bikes there, Honda XR’s, Yamaha DT’s, Suzuki TS’s, Suzuki DR’s, and some custom modern motocross and scrambler bikes. In lots of ten or so, they lined up at the starting point then let them out for the event. Everyone’s mission was to complete each stage and stop at the 3 stop points to get the QR code for the next bit. Bali’s beauty was the constant companion, as we flew along a combination of asphalt roads, rural roads and dirt tracks in the Tabanan area. We slowly winded up high and higher into the hills and the views of rice fields and forests finally ran out, actually, it was more like blurred into one when we reached our destination. Bali Outbound Farmstay (BOF), which was also to be the overnight camping spot. If you collected all your QR codes you got a Rally medal as a form of appreciation.

The other side of the aforementioned coin, or second event, was the flat track. Or in this case staggered track because where they had built the track it was over a spot that had once held two rice terraces. So the Start finish straight sat higher than the return straight with a drop on the first turn and an uphill bit on the second. As we were pulling into BOF we could already hear the flat track bikes and the assembled crowd cheering. We parked up and made a bee line track side.

What an absolute corker of an event, the added degree of difficulty jammed into the afternoons schedule made for the most marvelous distraction. They’d managed to attract around eighty participants, split over 4 classes: Horizontal Engine Class, FFA 4T Max 250cc Class, Flat Track FFA 2T Max 250cc Class, and FFA Big Bore Class.

The enthusiasm for the flat track races was palpable. The excitement growing as we whittled down through the heats and building to something of a crescendo for the finals of each class. There was no holding back, they were in it to win it. Racers from each community fiercely competed in each class. Names like Maulana Sandi, Dewa Dimas, Harris Manasi Ride, Nova Rider Sing Mebekel, Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel, Bontok Giga MX, and others were letting nothing slip, flaunting their skills without compromising sportsmanship and safety. Mostly.

The track, with its dry hard red clay surface, presented challenges. Off the start, the racers were presented with a downhill section on the first turn, they hit the gas on the bottom straight before spinning left again but this time into an uphill section on the second turn. It forced them to combine their flat track racing skills with a slew of motocross techniques. In the end, all the racers had fun with the red clay dust lay across everything and everyone.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, our compadres and accomplices grabbed the last shards of light to set up their tents in readiness for a night of camping. The sun disappeared behind Mount Batukaru affording everyone a magnificent view, but immediately enveloping us in the much cooler air of these high grounds here in Baturiti Tabanan.

Conversations about the rally route and the flat track race flowed out of the tent flaps of all those who camped others bedded their weary bodies down in anticipation for the next day's ride, a comparatively leisurely meander down to Pasut Beach.

With that, the Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure 2023 event came to an end. Until we meet again next year, greetings to all challengers, what an amazing time.

Here is the list of the days winners:

Flat Rack Horizontal Engine Class Winners:
1. Chiko GTT Bali
2. Panduk Pisaga Delodan
3. Andika Monkey Brothers

Flat Rack FFA 4T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Nova Rider Sing Mebekel
2. Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel
3. Bontok Giga MX

Flat Rack FFA 2T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Sandi Maulana
2. Dewa Dita
3. Eponk Road Country

Flat Rack FFA Big Bore Class Winners:
1. Dewa Dimas
2. Haris Manasi Ride
3. Sandi Maulana