Mantas
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Posts posted by Mantas
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Mate- I could dribble on about Indo for hours.
Can really relate to the chikens,pigs, kretek ciggies ect. One year I went from Timor to Jakarta overland, bus ferry,bus ferry, bus, ferry, bus, ferry. It took over a month. The pelni boats only came once a week.
I had a much better trip to Roti than your horror story. Took a prahu from Baa aa???. and sailed all the way to Nembrala. An Indo had a line out the back. He asked me to hold it while he went for a piss. Bang, 5 minutes later I hauled in a nice spanish mackeral.
Scored some nice quality but small waves. hooked up with a good crew and proposed to my now wife on the beach.
I know what you mean about not being able to stay away. It had a grip on me for 20 years.
Where would you recommend to go for a
1)Boys trip
2) Family/ surf trip
I've got loads more dribble if your keen?
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Well here it is again. 'Get it on 'remix!
Same dodgey surfing, same dodgey camera, same dodgey cameraman, slightly improved editing and quality.
Oh and the same 80's dodgey music that i like.
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Yer luv to FT. Really looking forward to it and I'm counting on you Hakuba gurus to open up and let me in on the best powder stashes.
All in the name of research of course.
I can't be biased now. -
Indo have you ever surfed Numbrella Roti? When I was there it was only small but looked like it had heeps of potental. Beautiful spot though.I was in Sumbawa when a massive swell hit. there was about 30 guys in the camps but only 3 went out at lakey peak ( i wasn't one of them) i surfed Nungers.
I've never been to the Mentawias, think I missed the boat there. Too crowded now. I had 6 weeks in Nias in 1987. I've never surfed Sumatra mainland.
My first trip was in 1978 ( i was 11 ) my last trip was in 1998.
I'd like to go back with my kids one day. We had some friends that went with there kids to Bali afew years ago. A bomb went off 200m from where there were having dinner. It put the wind up us a bit I must admit. If it was just me or me and wife, no worries, but not the kids.
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Indosnm touched on an important point. Fitness. It can't be underestimated. I'm certainly no big wave hero, but I take my fitness more seriously than some of my surfing mates. This allows me go a bit harder when the swell is on. I don't want to sitting on the beach because I'm not fit enough to paddle out.
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Yes Mate. I've decided to put this Niseko vs Hakuba thing to bed for good.Quote:Originally posted by db le spud:
Are you doing a Niseko-Hakkuba back to back trip?
I'm spending a lot of my own time and money doing this research for you guys so I hope you all appreciate what I'm doing. It's the last thing I want to be doing in Feburary beleive me. -
Indosm- Do you still go to Indo regularly? I haven't been for years. Got sick of the crowds and grew too impatient to put up with all the third world crap that went along with it all.
Where do you go?
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Is it that bad? I'm getting mixed reports on Japanese surfing. One source said it was the most underrated surf destination in the world!Quote:Originally posted by Indosnm:
Mantas, wait till ya lived here then you'll be claiming that the goldy is mecca!
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Mate the gold coast is probably the worst example of surfing you could find. But then again, every man and his dog is out there, you may as well be there too.
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Snosurf. Certainly no hardman. The big lesson I learnt from that ordeal is that no matter who you are or how big your ego is. The ocean doesn't care. I'm sure it's the same in the mountains.
Fear is a good guide in big waves!
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Oh yer.Was that chick in the onsen topless?
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Originally posted by Fattwins;
FT Wouldn't that account for the majority of the skiing, snowboarding population?Quote:For mid level riders most people will feel challenged enough, like you have pointed out.Hakuba- STEEP.
Niseko-FLAT.
I think we get it.
After all this talk it better be bloody steep when i get there!
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I am comming this year. first trip. So can i join the big boys club?
Please please can I ???
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Le-Spud Just imagine for one minute that Niseko might just be steep enough for some people. And they were happy with that.
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Gather round kiddies, uncle Mantas will tell you another story!
Back in 1988 I was surfing G-land on a solid swell. 8 foot and heavy. I took off on a beast and once I got to the bottom I started driving for the pit. It was one of those barrels that didn't quite form right and the lip smacked me hard. I knew something was terribly wrong with my leg but decided to worry about that later. Right now I was more concerned that I was getting held down big time and not sure which way was up.
When I finally broke the surface the next wave of the set smashed me again. I remember thinking "just hold on to your legrope and find your way to the top because the board will eventually pop up first" Then suddenly the legrope went slack! No more board.
I found my way to the top again. It was then I reallised my leg was completely broken !
I can still see my pathetic foot dangling beneath me as I tried to tread water. I was about 400m from the beach and no board !!
I don't know how long I was there like that until a guy came to my aid but it felt like eternity.
If anyone has ever been to G'land they would know about it's remoteness. In 1989 even more so. My mates made me a splint from a couple of pieces of bamboo and then it was a 2 hour boat ride , 10 hour ferry and bus to hospital.
Indonesian hospitals are pretty basic to say the least. My leg was set with no anesthetic or pain killers! My mate (who sacrificed 2 days of waves to help me . Now that's a mate ) had to go down the road to buy the plaster.
When we were about to leave the hospital I asked the doctor for some crutches. He replied with a laugh " You hop like Kangaroo ". And I did!
When I got back to Australia. I found that my leg was brocken in 4 places. I had 6 plates inserted (with anesthetic this time ) and was out of action for 6 months.
The next year I went straight back to G'land, and scored some nice waves. I now have a healthy respect for that place or any place for that matter.
People used to ask me if I hit the reef or board. No. It was just the raw power of the wave smacking me fast and hard.
I never underestimate the power of the ocean.
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Is he looking to adopt another kid? Seriously spud get your arse down there!Quote:My dad is buying a small place in fiji, right near a good reef, he goes there constantly. I could ditch it all and join him.
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Well here it is.
Some dodgey surfing taken with a dodgey camera and some dodgey editing and quality too.
A bag of lollies for anyone who can guess where.
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Sure
Me and flipper.
Work/surf truck
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I think I'll leave this thread alone. Doesn't sound like much fun
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Now you got me really interested, Tetropods, right I'm going to google it now.
Been surfing 35 years spud. Only been taking photos for the last 6 months!
I'm learning how to youtube. So when i get that mastered I'll post a vid !
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What the hell is that ??Quote:What are ya talking about? We have tetrapods!
Sorry spud, Don't know a guy called Lewis. -
Spud- I wasn't having a shot at you. I agree with most of what you said. Surfing as an "industry" sucks and what you said about if it all blew up tomorrow , surfing will continue on is very true.
Yer surfing with flipper was pretty special. To them we must be the clumsiest, most unorthodox thing in the ocean yet they must think " Hey let's go and hang with this thing for a bit "
Another experience i had was in southern Chile. I was surfing a point break that broke for the best part of a kilometer 4-5 foot. I was all alone. Every now and then a giant seal would cruise underneath me and check me out, man was that freaky, these things are 3 meters long! Then it would circle me with it's head sticking out, always looking at me.
Anyone ever had that happen?
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Indosnm- You would be no stranger to raw power waves if you grew up down there. i've only ever surfed Cactus but my eldest brother has spent loads of time down there. He chose S.A. over the south pacific this year for his annual surf jaunt.
Le Spud- Seems like the biggest problem you have with surfing is the surfers themselves. Can't really say it bothers me too much. Probably because I resigned myself to the fact long ago that top quality waves with no crowds are as rare as rocking horse shit. I'd rather surf a 6/10 surf uncrowded than a 10/10 surf with every surfer on it.
Surfing has certainly drifted well away from it's soul surfing roots of the 70's and 80's that I grew up in, thats for sure. Can't see it changing for the better in the future either.
I guess I'm lucky to live in a sparesly populated part of the world. Even in my little part of the world the surf gets crowded at times. But with little cunning and good fortune the 'epic' still happens occassionaly.
"What's the use of getting older if you don't get cunning with it" my brother often says.
I didn't really want this thread to be a surfing vs snowboarding debate, it's kind of like argueing which sex position is best.
One thing not really toched on yet is the interaction with nature in the ocean. I remember surfing at Narloo WA one day and seeing whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, rays and colourful reef fish all in a 2 hour surf.
A few weeks ago I was surfing my local. It was a solid swell and I was the only one out. Some dolphins were having a play further out. A big set came and a few dolphins started riding it. I took off and sure enough they appeared. Not out on the shoulder as I've seen them do before, but right under my board! they cruised 2 feet under me the whole way. Amazing. You don't get that in the mountains.
What's the deal with the Japenese coast? Sounds pretty grim. How is it that they are so switched-on with some things ie. recycling and vehicle emissions but so not switched-on with there beach evioronment?
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Don't I know it Spud. You couldn't pay me eough to live in Sydney or any city for that matter.
I agree with you on that one. i've been surfing since the age of 5 and I still live the surf life, my house is 96m to the beach. The beach scene is no novelty for us.Quote:- I would choose "empty line up at one of the worlds best breaks". But that is an isolated question. More generally, I'd take mountain life over beach life if forced to choose.we love the mountains and snow. i read with great envy what you hardcore guys do in those mountains, i've only done a fraction of that stuff. Most of my younger carefree days were spent chasing waves not snow. No regrets though, you can only do so much in one life.
Something about cruising along a wall of pristine clear water at high speed, almost naked, that tops it for me. No boots, bindings,helmet, goggles backpack ect.
Still. If that's the toughest choice in life i have to make then I'm not doing to bad.
Surfers
in General off-topic discussions
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Jesus! I just realised that Mantas is using the same avatar that Siren used to use. I just worked out why I've been getting a flashback of nausea each time I scan my eyes down a thread this morning. Mantas - nothing wrong with the avatar, just reminds me of a guy that used to use it. You wouldn't have liked him very much (he makes me look like you).