As a travelling surfer I always wonder whether locals at each different destination will accept my presence in their lineups. I usually receive an indifferent tolerance and wonder if ‘back in the old days’ I would have been chased out of the water, or worse. It is very rare to find locals who go out of their way to be friendly. However this is exactly what happened on my last adventure with Thomas Bexon.
Knowing Husni Rihwand may have had a lot to do with the remarkable acceptance of the wider surf-community at his hometown. One of our more interesting encounters came when a friendly Javanese advised us of a quiet reef down the way and said he’d even supply us with transportation. Husni began to laugh at the offer and it wasn’t until three old men with their Becaks arrived that we realised we were the subject of a joke that we alone had no idea about. Thomas and I even began to question whether the reef really existed. I voiced my concern to Husni and was promptly told not to worry and to tie my longboard on to the roof. Riding in one was like taking a step back in time. It was like a reverse tuk-tuk without the motor… significant because these dudes peddling us around were still earning their living from doing so. I'm not sure they were used to the heavy boards on the roof or the jibes friends on the street directed at them but they rode along with their dignity in tact and we made our destination. Both Thomas and I were amazed at the quality of waves that lay waiting for us. We spent the whole afternoon surfing and Husni still laughed as the sun went down.
