More than 20 years ago, SURFER
photographer Jason Childs relocated from his native Australia to Bali.
“I fell in love on my very first trip and found a way to make this my
home,” he says of the island. Since then, Childs has been one of the
preeminent surf photographers in the region, capturing its diverse waves
and, in many cases, undiscovered spots. With surfers from all over the
world making their annual pilgrimages right now, we asked Childs to
search through two decades of images and pick out five Bali photos that
stand out the most.
“This is an aerial view of the once pristine Bukit Peninsula. As you
can tell from the multiple lines rolling in along the reef, it’s firing
in all its glory. Today, some of Bali’s most spectacular beaches have
been bulldozed by developers. I actually took this in the late afternoon
after spending most the day shooting Ross Clarke Jones towing into some
of the biggest waves I’ve ever seen in Bali.”
“Rizal Tanjung’s special relationship with Padang Padang dates back to early in his life when Indo surf pioneers Gerry Lopez and Peter McCabe
would visit. When Rizal isn’t surfing, he divides his time between
running multiple surf shops, being the president of Hurley Indonesia,
and taking care of his family. His son, Varun, is one of Indonesia’s
best up-and-coming surfers. Whenever Padang Padang is firing, he’s out
and always finding the best set waves.”
“Andy Irons loved coming to Bali. Idolized by all the Balinese
surfers, he was always welcomed and a brotherhood really existed between
him and all the Bali boys. Every time I shot with Andy, it seemed like
the magic of the surf and his style would unite to create incredible
images.”
“For Dede Suryana, surfing has been a passport to the world. At a
very young age, he moved here from Java with the help of a Bali expat
that made a promise to his parents to take care of him. Now a surfing
ambassador to the world, Dede’s parents and all of Indonesia can be
proud.”
“This is Nusa Dua firing for a lucky few. Many of the most important
Hindu temples are perched on the cliff tops or beaches at Bali’s best
surf spots. This not only allows them to pray at the most beautiful
locations, but also creates a spiritual experience when surfing during a
ceremony.”
One More For Good Measure
“Narrowing it down to five photos was difficult, so I’ve added one extra one. This is Mega Semadhi praying in the tube at Padang Padang. Mega reckons he’ll be a priest by the time he’s 50, but in the mean time he’s happy being a professional surfer.”
The famed Bukit Peninsula, from above. Photo: Childs
One of Jason Childs favorite subjects to shoot, Rizal Tanjung. Photo: Childs
Bali regular Andy Irons at solid Keramas. Photo: Childs
A proud Bali surf ambassador to the world, Dede Suryana. Photo: Childs
Nusa Dua, one of Bali’s big-wave breaks. Photo: Childs
Mega Semadhi praying at Padang Padang. Photo: Childs
“Narrowing it down to five photos was difficult, so I’ve added one extra one. This is Mega Semadhi praying in the tube at Padang Padang. Mega reckons he’ll be a priest by the time he’s 50, but in the mean time he’s happy being a professional surfer.”
