BaliFreakFest

Ah, the FreakFest - legendary. We couldn't fit all the details of the madness in the last issue, so here it is as a little bonus for you. Written by Stuart Griffiths.

There are many ways of preparing for an overseas surf trip, but landing yourself in hospital a week before you fly is not one I would recommend. Five months in the planning for Eddie Solomon’s 662Mob BaliFreakFest trip, and with two weeks to go I get drunk, fall on my elbow and end up in hospital on an IV drip for five days. I was discharged with a still sore elbow and cleared to fly with a few days to spare. Bali is the 'land of the lefts', so I told myself that as it was my right elbow that was suffering, I would be fine.

The pad in Bali was Hotel Barong, which has a 24-hour bar, restaurant, pool and room service (which became a lifesaver after some heavy nights out with the OC crew). The first people I met were Danny Black (the trip's photog) and Andre Botha, both lounging round the pool. Eddie Solomon and other people turned up and it was off to TJ's, the best Mexican restaurant in Kuta, for a pre-FreakFest meal. That first cold Bintang tasted so good!

Joining us for the madness were Eddie Solomon and his girlfriend Tamara, Rusty Freison, Zack Baz, Chad, Eric (the Mountain Man); Hawaiians Danny and Colin Black, Warren G, Dominic Matthews and his girlfriend Michelle; South Africans Andre Botha, Craig Maree, another Andre and Aussies Tom, Gavin (Squidy) Height, Paul and Nadine.

We scored transport to the beach the first morning with Dre and Zack, who had both had less than two hours sleep. Zack had got himself a BB gun and it was hillbilly time. He cracked the window open and took pot-shots at tourists, dogs, anything that moved. We found if you shoot the locals on their scooters some will smile at you and some will chase you for miles!

At Padang we hit Nyumen's hut for fried noodles (the best in Bali) while Zack went out to try his luck at low tide. It was all good until he bounced off the reef, cut up his arm and took a chunk out of his ass. He made it back to us and we had time to video his injuries before he passed out. Some Aussie groms walked past and were heard saying, “Did you see him? I don’t know about this!” Meanwhile, Dre fell asleep on the beach looking like a bum.

Our days involved getting lifts out to Padang and Dreamlands (some days we would go both) and surfing and just hanging. We'd head out at about 11pm to get 'buzz-on' as the OC lot put it.
After three days, I still hadn't been out, but a small day at Dreamlands finally tempted me to risk my elbow. Our taxi had no shocks and the journey left us with no kidneys from all the jarring, we got stopped by the police, our driver was fined for allowing too many boards in the mini-van and we were ripped off at the security toll gate. Dreamlands was supposed to be developed as a huge upmarket holiday resort, but the former President's son is currently in prison for spending all the money on jiggy–jig and gambling (allegedly) and it's been left with just the road layout built. In the last year they have started work again; holiday homes are being built and the golf course is laid out. The local 'security' told us that once the resort is open, the beach is going to be closed to the public.

I paddled out and got a few fun waves. I was loving it before I landed on my elbow on my board. Within minutes it looked red and swollen again. Pissed off, I went to Legian Clinic and paid £80 for some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. They suggested I should not surf. I calmed down eventually, and as I could still sink the Bintangs it wasn't too bad. I didn’t stop surfing either.
Some days we would get up in the early hours and hire a little boat to take us out to Airports or Kuta Reef. There is something adventurous about getting the boat out, cruising towards the crashing waves and then dashing through a gap in the swell before anchoring at a safe distance, jumping off the boat into deep water and paddling to the break. If you go in the afternoon make sure you keep an eye on the boats - we heard of two surfers who got left behind and had a mile-long paddle in the dark. One morning we were there before 7am and by 8am there were 50 people in the water with us, all jockeying for waves.

Sunday night saw the No Friends Road to Ruin film premier go off at the Apache Bar. Eddie had locals putting up posters everywhere, so when we turned up the place was already full. I met up with Manny Vargas and his wife, who compared rings with my fiancé. Mez (NMD) chatted to me for ages about Mitch Rawlins and the new boards, Danny Black was cruising with his camera in one hand and frozen margaritas in the other hand. All the guys tried it on with the only English girl there, but no-one succeeded.

We drank the Apache Bar out of beer and moved on to the galleon-shaped Bounty bar for drunken dancing, spading of anything in a skirt (which is Bali carries quite a few risks and unwanted surprises) and cage dancing. After both Gavin and I fell off the stage, it was time for me to go back to the hotel and order room service. Bali is the only place I know of where the hotels give you a 30% discount if you order after midnight. I ordered two burgers and my girlfriend kept waking me up to make sure I finished both of them, as punishment for being so drunk…

The trip peaked with the NF party. The last couple of days everyone surfed as much as they could, pushing for those last photos for their sponsors. Leaving was hard, but we'd had two weeks in the sun and it was time to go. I hate leaving but the saving grace was my last image of Bali - Airports reef firing as we flew over it.

Andre Botha

When Danny Black emailed me to say Andre Botha was going to be on the trip with us I was amped and nervous at the same time. He's always been top of the list of people I wanted to watch surf and I got to meet him for the first time on this trip and he is this cool, intense but mellow guy.

He wears drainpipe jeans, cuts his own hair and surfs better than anyone I’ve ever seen. When he is 'buzz-on' he can be crazy and doesn’t quit. One night he came home and did some of his famous art all over the wall of his hotel room. He is a funny guy, but you can also have a serious chat with him. He can act like a rock star in and out of the water but does it without being offensive. I watched him lie on his back on his board and paddle backwards into waves I had to work at. There was one day where he decided to just have fun and was dropping in on everyone, grinning because he knew he owned it out there. And there were other days when he showed why he was World Champion at 17. He is a natural waterman.