The Call Of The Waves

Fondly known as the Bukit, the limestone peninsula on the southernmost point of Bali is known as a laidback surfing destination. Will the recent five-star developments change its weather-beaten and sea salted face? Eve Tedja investigates.

- Eve Tedja

If there was a turning point when Bali became a surfing destination, it was probably when the cult classic documentary Morning of the Earth was released in 1971. As breathtaking scenes of two surfers nimbly riding 10 ft barrelling waves of Uluwatu unfurled on screen, mesmerised surfers from around the world dropped their board wax and immediately booked their flights to Bali. The island’s fate as a world class surfing destination was sealed.

Its powerful waves and year-long warm waters have challenged and seduced surfers who often come with just their boards, stay for an indefinite time, and spend most days running after the waves Parched, rocky, and dry – the Bukit area is not exactly popular among the Balinese. There’s no possibility of rice farming and water is famously known to be scarce. Perhaps, for that very reason, it has remained untouched for many years. Difficult access is another reason why plenty of the beaches remain pristine and once deemed suitable for the more au naturel inclined. The general consensus is that only surfers make the trek to the Bukit. As Jake Mackenzie, a Bali long-time resident and avid surfer testifies: “There was nothing here when I first arrived on 1973. I found Bali alluring and was deeply enchanted by Uluwatu, which was and still is a surfing mecca.” He ended up raising his family on the island and co-founded Drifter with his partner Tim Russo offers curated and limited designs of apparel, jewellery and even surfboards.