In for a penny, In for a pound

Aug 14, 2012

More than a couple of blow in’s have past through our doors of late. The dry season brings swell and the swell brings em. Most are very memorable, though, as it the case with most things in life, some a little more than others. Just so you know we’re definitely not delving into the quagmire of ‘likes and dislikes’. No sir-ee Bob, just that some of them have that funny commodity, we like to call it, harmony. A couple of harmonizes that we’ve waxed lyrically about previously are our Noosa brothers Thomas “Doc” Bexon and Jake “Swatch” Bowery. You’ve heard the tale about when they came to Bali for the Deus 9′ & Single Log Fest. We read you the news about the 9 foot double ender with the ripe colour tint they designed for our local break, the ‘Tugu’ and we’ve rallied on in the past celebrating their trips that usually culminate on the somewhat holy trio of their skills of walking on water, their humility and their unparalleled beer drinking capabilities. Partners in crime. The bearded bloke from the bush before life uprooted itself and moved to the Sunshine Coast, he was about ten at the time. Fate sealed the deal with the sea and they have been friends ever since. Then there’s the demure English lad who learnt to shape and glass boards down the side of his parents place in North Devon. Waiting for Sundays to do long boards while his parents were out. His hand crafted lean too shed no being long enough to accommodate the oversized blanks without the door left open and the ensuing smell not at all to his parents liking. Then we had an epiphany. Which means much the same as our proverbial penny dropped. Perhaps it’d been a bit too ‘shepherd’, and nigh about the ‘sheep’. The men, now thoroughly discussed, especially when you combine it with the preamble above, left an opening to talk about what it was they had done. Their legacy if you like. We damn well think it is. You see these are not one trick ponies we’re talking about. Their repertoire is wide and varied and getting wider by the day. This last visit they definitely had a foot firmly planted in their past repertoire while the other was tapping about in the land of possibilities. A prodigious work flow produced in those short few short weeks a total of 18 works of art. Think inlayed fabrics, pigment tints all in handmade perfection. There was the boy’s staples of tried and true. Two lil ‘Le Nard’s', their Mini-Simmons inspired pocket rocket. Twin keels glassed on smack bang in front of a big ol’ lopped off square tail. An ‘Espresso’, A viscous little board, fast, snappy and very responsive, their invitation for you to get your shortboard on. A couple of ‘Mini Bonzers’ that got a whole lot of Cambell Bros inspiration flowing through them. These 2 +1 widow maker set ups delivering buckets of drive garnished with oodles of hold. Then there’s a whole lotta ‘Hullabaloo’. Sleek, slippery lil devils that someone, more poetic than us, coined the term for’Glide-tastic’. The head master from the ’feel’ school of surfing. A world of glide across an ocean of speed. Last but not least we come to a little think tank piece, so new it still remains nameless. For now we refer to it as the ‘Mini Log’. A moment, a chance conversation between the guys and Spencer from Deus LA. In which he featured lamenting that none of the current models addressed the Californian coast penchant for something a little smaller. An everyday board that could be ridden from small to well big. Point Break. Questions of tails and concaves. Rides and rocker. Winds and lines. What started on beer napkins, moved through to foam in a matter of days. Answers needed for everything even a question of colour. A parochial desire for solid pigments, less flamboyant, to the point of subtle drove the lads to refine and define giving us our first glance of something truly wonderful. But enough of this drivel. Take a gander below and don’t drool on your keyboard. The best thing about all of these boards is that they are for sale right now. If your in the market, get on ya bike, and head to your nearest Deus store. Boards you’ll find in Deus Bali Hullabaloo 7’9/ mustard yellow color, Box Fin Hullabaloo 7’9/ Mustard yellow & Batik fabric, Box Fin Hullabaloo 7’2/ Light Blue, Box Fin Hullabaloo 7’2/ tugu color, Box Fin Le nard 5’2/ Fabric deck, Glassed on Keels Le nard 5’10/ Solid deck, Glassed on Keels Old Faithful – Log 9’8/ dark green, Box Fin Boards they made for Deus US Mini log 8’7/ Dark brown, Box Fin Mini log 8’9/ Dark blue, Box Fin Mini log 8’11/ Light blue, Box Fin Espresso 5’8/ Mustard Yellow, FCS system plug 5 fins. Mini Bonzer 5’10/ Red Batik Fabric. Center Box + side glass on fins. Mini bonzer 5’8/ Mustard yellow batik fabric. Center Box + side glass on fins.

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Setiap tahun, teman-teman kita Tasix Adventure—penyelenggara petualangan ban berlumpur dan adrenalin berbahan bakar terbaik di Bali—mengadakan acara akhir pekan berkemah yang sangat dinanti-nantikan. Mereka menamakannya “ The Wild,” dan jujur saja, tidak ada kata yang lebih pas dari itu.

Ini bukan sekadar acara; ini adalah petualangan wajib bagi siapa saja yang mencintai tanah, tantangan, dan persahabatan yang hanya bisa terjalin saat tertawa melihat teman lain terjatuh.

Hal tentang The Wild adalah misterinya. Kamu tidak tahu ke mana akan pergi, bagaimana sampai di sana, atau apa yang akan kamu temui—seperti hidup, tapi dengan lebih banyak asap knalpot.

Tahun ini, The Wild yang berlangsung pada 7 Desember 2024, mengumpulkan 135 pecinta motor enduro, trail, dan cross di Desa Kopi, Tabanan. Tepat pukul 9 pagi, kami berangkat menuju Desa Gesing, Singaraja. Rute tetap dirahasiakan hingga hari acara, meningkatkan sensasi penasaran dan antusiasme. Dengan dibagi menjadi beberapa kelompok kecil, kami melengkapi diri dengan perlengkapan motocross lengkap untuk menghadapi tantangan musim hujan.

Perjalanan? Murni magis. Jalur berkelok melalui permata tersembunyi Bali, di mana setiap tikungan menawarkan pemandangan yang memukau atau hampir membuat jantung berhenti. Rute tahun ini menghadirkan medan tanah liat merah—dijuluki tanah "keramik" karena teksturnya yang licin dan keras saat basah. Untuk melintasinya, diperlukan teknik khusus yang disebut “paddling the throttle,” sebuah manuver yang mendebarkan dengan motor yang sering bergoyang liar. Dari kejauhan, mungkin terlihat lucu, tetapi saat di atas motor? Ceritanya berbeda.

Setelah menempuh 68 kilometer petualangan liar, kami tiba di perkemahan di puncak bukit yang sudah dipenuhi tenda-tenda peserta lain dan deru knalpot. Destinasi selalu mencuri perhatian, dan yang satu ini tidak terkecuali—tempat tinggi dengan pemandangan 360 derajat yang menakjubkan dari laut, gunung, hingga kota.

Saat hujan turun, tenda-tenda didirikan, dan malam itu diisi dengan berbagi cerita tentang penyelamatan heroik dan kecelakaan yang menggelikan. Dan tentu saja, ada balapan. Bayangkan sekelompok pengendara penuh semangat meluncur di perbukitan dalam kekacauan yang terkontrol. Balapan tahun ini termasuk duel 1 lawan 1 yang seru di sekitar puncak bukit, dengan peserta menyelesaikan dua putaran penuh adrenalin.

Bukan soal menang; ini tentang hadir, tertawa, dan menikmati momen. Para pemenang dan peserta tercepat yang mencapai puncak bukit dirayakan dengan hadiah, tetapi senyuman, persahabatan, dan kebersamaan membuat semua orang merasa seperti juara.

The Wild tahun ini benar-benar sesuai namanya, bahkan lebih. Petualangan, tawa, dan cukup banyak tanah di gigi untuk menyebutnya otentik—kami tidak akan menginginkannya dengan cara lain. Terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada semua peserta yang menjadikannya pengalaman tak terlupakan. Sampai jumpa di petualangan berikutnya!

Every year, our mates over at Tasix Adventure—Bali’s finest purveyors of muddy tyres and fuel-driven adrenaline—host their much-anticipated camp-out weekend. They’ve named it “Wild,” and honestly, there’s no better word for it.

It’s not just an event; it’s a pilgrimage for anyone who loves dirt, daring, and the kind of camaraderie you can only forge while laughing at someone else’s wipeout.

The thing about Wild is that it’s shrouded in mystery. You don’t know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, or what you’ll find—kind of like life, but with more exhaust fumes.

This year’s Wild, held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, brought together 135 enthusiasts of enduro, trail, and cross motorcycles at Desa Kopi, Tabanan. The route was kept a secret until the event day, heightening the thrill of the unknown. At exactly 9 am, they shared the destination, Desa Gesing, Singaraja, Divided into small groups, we geared up with full motocross kits to tackle the rainy season’s challenges.

The ride? Pure magic. Twisting trails through Bali’s hidden gems, where every turn promised either breathtaking views or breathtaking near-misses. This year’s route featured red clay terrain—nicknamed "ceramic" soil for its slick, hard texture when wet. Navigating it required a special technique called “paddling the throttle,” a nerve-wracking maneuver that had bikes swaying wildly. From a distance, it might have looked hilarious, but on the bike? It was a whole other story.

After 68 kilometres of this wild adventure, we arrived at the hilltop campsite already alive with the buzz of activity and the roar of exhausts. The destination always steals the spotlight, and this one was no exception—a high-altitude perch offering stunning 360-degree views of the sea, mountains, and city.

As the rain came down, tents went up, and the evening was all about swapping stories of heroic saves and laughable crashes. And then there were the races. Picture a pack of overexcited riders tearing up the hillside in what can only be described as controlled chaos. This year’s races included thrilling 1-on-1 duels around the hilltop, with participants pushing through two laps of sheer adrenaline.

It wasn’t just about winning; it was about showing up, laughing, and embracing the moment. The race winners and the fastest hilltop arrivals were celebrated with prizes, but the smiles, the camaraderie, and the shared triumphs made everyone feel like champions.

This year’s Wild lived up to its name and then some. Adventure, laughter, and just enough dirt in your teeth to call it authentic—we wouldn’t have it any other way. A massive thank you to all the participants who made it unforgettable. See you on the next adventure!