Four long-time South Bay surfers go on a final surf trip to Indonesia. Or maybe not the final trip
by Tom Horton
Greg Armer, Raydy Landis, Michael Lee and I took a trip last summer to Asu Island on what we imagined would be our last surf adventure together. We range in age from 65 to 72.
Asu Island is just west of Nias Island in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The tropical paradise is protected by a reeling left-hander.
Getting there was, itself, a challenge. It required a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Singapore, then Singapore to Medan, then Medan to Nias. And then a three hour drive across Nias, and ending with a 40 minute boat ride to the Asu Surf Camp. In all, the travel time was an exhausting 40 hours.
When we arrived, 12- to 16-foot left-handers were peeling across a sharp, coral reef.
We would have preferred the trip had begun with a swell that was building, so we could acclimate, rather than a swell that was peaking. But at our age, we take what we can get.
Surfing three times a day helped us get comfortable. After a few days, the waves showed some mercy by dropping to just overhead.
Between sessions, we recovered with massages, and yoga. And food and drink.
I had a scare when my leash wrapped around a coral reef head in the impact zone. I escaped, but without my 7-foot board, leaving me to finish the trip on my backup, 6-foot board and getting pitched a lot.
The younger Asu surfers were respectful of their elders, and even expressed admiration.
They said we offered assurance that they still had many good surfing sessions ahead.
One day a charter boat anchored offshore, and to our delight, four familiar South Bay surfers paddled in: Los Angeles County Lifeguard Tom Seth, former South African pro Warren Kushner, Warren’s son Kai and Kai’s friend Cole Saffel.
Both teens grew up competing in the South Bay Boardriders Club Subaru Pacific South Bay Surf Contest Series.
Seth broke his board, after having buckled another, brand new board on the previous day at a different location. Fortunately, he brought three boards with him.
The end of the trip led to a conversation about whether we would return to Indonesia. There was some deep reflection, ending with a lot of maybes.
But upon returning home and seeing the photos, plans began to be made quickly, while there is still time.
Tom Horton is a Hermosa Beach resident, and president of the South Bay Boardriders Club.ER
