Riptide Magazine

Experiment Two - Blood Moon Drifting in Indo

Looking Back Ten Years at the Second Riptide Experiment - Featuring Jeff Hubbard, Ryan Hardy, Andre Botha and Mitch Rawlins.

Riptide #104, November 2000.

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Revisiting the Second Riptide Experiment featured in RT #104, November 2000.

Jeff Hubbard
What's the first thing that springs to mind when you think of this trip?
Amazing barrels and good friends.

Where were you in your career when you embarked on the trip?
I'm not really sure, but I guess it was during the No Friends era, when I was just  traveling around shooting video and going on photo trips.

How many times have you been back to Indo since that trip? Could you foresee that you'd still be at the top of the bodyboarding game, so many years on?
I have been back to Indo twice since then. I really didn't know what the future had in store for me. I couldn't have predicted that I'd be so blessed to be still doing what I love.

What were your life goals then and have they changed drastically since?
Well I'm now happily married and am still traveling the world to bodyboard. Now I am doing more competitions and it's more challenging for sure, which keeps me more focused and amped than ever.

Any life changing lessons learnt when you were on the trip?
I think that we are all such good friends and that we have kept the friendships even after all these years. I keep in touch with almost everyone, except Ricky B. and Jethro L. but I'll probably send them some Facebook love now that I think about it.

How did you perceive your riding style back then, were you satisfied? How has it progressed since?
I thought I was a pretty exciting rider to watch for that time, but I feel like I've improved a lot since then.

Who's surfing blew you away on that trip?
I think ryan was the guy who i really was inspired by on that trip as he just took off so damn deep  when we were surfing those waves and that showed great commitment and i still think about it to this day and always try to push my self deeper in the line up.

As good as they were, the long freight-training barrels you scored, would you have preferred getting short, heavy waves with ramps?
No, those waves were perfection, that you can't get anywhere else in the world.

Were there any waves you caught that you can remember like it was yesterday?
Yes, there was one barrel that I still remember. I was in the barrel for 30 seconds or something stilly. I just sat in there and was in awe.

Ryan Hardy
What's the first thing that springs to mind when you think of this trip?
Incredible Super Suck and barrels as fast you can go!

Where were you in your career when you embarked on the trip?
Super focussed and obsessed with bodyboarding; doing everything I could possible to be the best bodyboarder I could be.  My ability at the time, past results and performances on vids/mags and freesurfing around the world had landed me a spot on this prestigious trip - my first experiment.

How many times have you been back to Indo since that trip?
I'd have to delve deep to know the exact number, but I've, on average, been there once a year since then and that was in 2000, so I guess I've been there roundabout 11 times.

Could you foresee that you'd still be at the top of the bodyboarding game, so many years on?
At that time I definitely couldn't foresee it. I think around that time I wrote a career goal sheet. That was after I won the Riptide Peer Poll for the first time 'cause was havin a wigout, as I couldn't believe I'd won it! I needed to ground myself and I wrote out a plan with hopes to be 'at the top of my game' for 10 years. That expired last year, so I've upheld my aspirations I guess and I'm just rolling along with that now and enjoying myself.

What were your life goals then and have they changed drastically since?
My goals were completely bodyboard related then and very specific; from each comp to each photo trip to each Hawaiian season.  I still feel that youthful and determined drive, but I don't think about it or plan it so much. That drive is a part of me and something that comes naturally when the moment presents itself.  I'm much more family orientated now, in making sure that I'm there for my wife, my son and for my family as a whole in ensuring our health and happiness.

Any life changing lessons learnt when you were on the trip?
Nothing on a personal level. I think just surfing Supersuck and being amazed that there is a makeable square barrel out there, that requires you to go as fast as you possibly can to sometimes make it. I just remembered something. I remember we stopped in at Nusa Dua on the way home and surfed Shipwrecks and I learnt how tides can effect places so crazily! One minute it was consistent 3-4ft and the tide was dropping, but it was kind of crowded, so I sat out the back and waited and waited. As I was watching the crowd disappearing, thinking "Yes, I'll get a set to myself," another half hour passed with absolutely no waves. And so, like everyone else, I had to paddle up the dry reef to go in. I'd never seen a break go completely flat when the tide went low before, so that was a life lesson on how the tide affects Indonesian waves!

How did you perceive your riding style back then, were you satisfied? How has it progressed since?
I was feeling good about everything at that time, that year - my style, my moves, my boards. I don't think I've progressed any further since that year in my riding ability and the moves I can do.  I think the most progressive thing is that I'm comfortable with my own riding style and I'm not drawing influence from other riders to alter my style. Only observing to see where the highest level of riding is at and drawing on that to push my own levels of performance.

Who's surfing blew you away on that trip?
Everyones did at different points. Andre was surfing with a stylish recklessness that was unique. For example, he'd take off on a long 6ft wave at Scar Reef and launch a sick, big ARS off the first section and get pummeled on the inside section, while the wave barreled another 200m and he took 20mins to get back out.

Hubb was throwing himself into some big textbook airs and holding good lines through the long Indo pits and walls, so it was good to see his versatility out of Hawaii.

Mitch was starting to learn to draw good lines on waves and combined with the speed he can get, he was showing huge potential. I think Mitch's riding progressed shitloads since this trip, especially in Indo-type waves and he would thrive on these conditions now.

These days to you feel that Indonesia is becoming overrun by the Australian "yobbo" surfers?
Ha! I think it's always been like that, it depends where you put yourself. If you wanna stay at the Bounty with the party animals, have a morning surf at 3ft Uluwatu and an arvo surf in the crowded Legian beachies, then go shop for Bintang singlets and skull jam jars by karaoke at Paddy's then you'll probably end up hanging yourself with your Bounty headband, from the mast of the Bounty ship itself!...Unless that's what you're into.
I think it's a matter of knowing where to go and when, to surround yourself with people that you can enjoy the beautiful Indo surroundings in.

As good as they were, the long freight-training barrels you scored, would you have preferred getting short, heavy waves with ramps?
Hell no! Maybe if the waves were unmakeable or crowded, but on those days the sets were there for the taking and these were as perfect a 3-4ft pit you could ever dream of!

Were there any waves you caught that you can remember like it was yesterday?
I had one barrel which is on the video where I raise my arm at the end. That was my best wave I had there and I've never had a barrel like that since. I took off knowing I was deep and I had to put my head down, gun it and put everything into going as fast as I could. Then after a while of doing that through a looong section, although the wave kept the same speed, my mind slowed down and I thought, "I just have to sit here," I'm going so fast and it's so perfect, hollow and smooth and that's when I put my arm up. I would LOVE to ride that wave again!

Andre Botha

What's the first thing that springs to mind when you think of this trip?
It was a high profile trip. Hubb, Rawlins, Hardy and myself surfing with Tim Jones shooting photos, Banno (Rick Bannister) and Jethro (Lyons) covering the words, and Glen Policare filming. The pressure was on as we had a whole mag to fill.  It all came together very well, blesssed with non-stop swell we scored Supersuck and Scar Reef pretty much as good as its gets.

Where were you in your career when you embarked on the trip?
If I can recall correctly, I'd won my second World Title earlier that year.

How many times have you been back to Indo since that trip?
Three times, but I've been on that particular boat for two of those times.

Could you foresee that you'd still be at the top of the bodyboarding game, so many years on?
It's hard to say. I probably wasn't thinking that far ahead. I think that at that point, I just assumed that I would be. If anything I thought that I'd be better off financially than what I am now.

What were your life goals then and have they changed drastically since?
Oh man, I have no idea and even now I'm still not sure. Thats probably why I'm such a bum. This is a very confusing life.

Any life changing lessons learnt when you were on the trip?
After being out at sea for a couple of days, when one gets back onto land, it feels very strange, as if still swaying side-to-side.

How did you perceive your riding style back then, were you satisfied? How has it progressed since?
I guess I was happy with it. I can't say that I'm ever truly satisfied (with it). As far as progression goes, my body was more boyish and smaller back then and as time passed I grew larger and more manly. But at the core of it, I think my style has stayed pretty much the same.

Who's surfing blew you away on that trip?
Hardy was getting the best ones when Supersuck was pumping and the invert he did (at the bottom of the page and in the clip) was mind blowing for Supersuck.

As good as they were, the long freight-training barrels you scored, would you have preferred getting short, heavy waves with ramps?
Those long barrels are what Indo is all about. We got really lucky and scored flawless Supersuck. We very easily could have got skunked as that wave doesn’t break very often, so at the time, we were all stoked. I don’t think anyone should go to Indo with the mindset of getting short, heavy waves over long, barrelling waves.

Were there any waves you caught that you can remember like it was yesterday?
Yes, I got a funky one at Scar Reef and did a spin into the barrel, disappeared for a while and came out on top of the foam ball, to my great surprise.

Mitch Rawlins

What's the first thing that springs to mind when you think of this trip?
It was my first trip to Indo, my first boat trip, I broke my arm, it was the first time I got drunk and then told a 40-year-old I loved her while I was drunk for the first time.

Where were you in your career when you embarked on the trip?
I was trying really hard to be a more rounded rider.

How many times have you been back to Indo since that trip? Could you foresee that you'd still be at the top of the bodyboarding game, so many years on?
I would've been back to Indo at least ten times since then. As for still being at the top of the bodyboarding game, I never even thought about it, I just wanted to improve everyday, and that hasn't changed the slightest since.

What were your life goals then and have they changed drastically since?
No, they haven,t changed at all. I've always been driven at whatever I do, that was the same back then and it's still the same now.

Any life changing lessons learnt when you were on the trip?
Yeah, when you're drunk you don't think clearly.

How did you perceive your riding style back then, were you satisfied? How has it progressed since?
I thought I was kind of slow. It was a period where I wanted to improve all my surfing and to do that you have to slow your surfing down, then once you've got the technique your require down pat you can go on to work on your speed and power.

Who's surfing blew you away on that trip?
Hardy was the best. Hubb flew higher than everyone. Andre charged and his barrel riding was epic.

As good as they were, the long freight-training barrels you scored, would you have preferred getting short, heavy waves with ramps?
No, long waves all the way! The longer the waves are the better.

Were there any waves you caught that you can remember like it was yesterday?
One I got at Scar Reef, it's still up there with one of the best barrels that I've ever had.

The, now famous, centre spread of the issue with Hardy's huge invert and return to the barrel.

A very massive thank you to Glenn Policare for hunting down the original footage from the trip - absolute legend. And if you're looking for an incredible holiday, with amazing diving, visit the man at Saipan.

Congrats to the rest of the Riptide #104 team for such a sterling issue of the magazine: Rick Bannister (Editor), Jethro Lyons (Assit Ed), Tim Jones (Photog), Rod Owens (Video) and Shane Cresser.

If you're interested in getting yourself a copy of this epic issue, or any other previous Riptide releases, then head to our past issues page or our online store.