Gird Your Loins: The World’s Most Fabled Tube Contest Is Now On ‘High Alert’
Everything you need to know about the 2025 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang.
Editor’s Note: The Padang Cup waiting period spans the whole month from August 4th to September 4th, and, as ever, the contest only runs if a worthy swell shows up. While we’re not in the business of crystal ball gazing, there’s a swell that looks promising for this Wednesday, August 6th. Rip Curl have flipped the switch to ‘High Alert.’
There’s an Indonesian adage: ada gula, ada semut.
Where there is sugar there are ants.
It rings true everywhere and especially here in Bali. Look out from Padang Padang bridge if you need an example.
Just a little way up the beach is all that remains of the livelihoods that three generations of Balinese families built on government owned beachside, cliff-backed land. In that same rubble, the debris of foreigners who flocked here for a little piece of the pie. All of it, back in the hands of the regional government who’ve reclaimed it now it’s prime real-estate.
Ada gula, ada semut.
You see it down on the beach too. All those caramel-skinned guys and gals sunbaking in that good life and all those pleasures of the flesh.
And, of course, the fabled wave.
That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it? Even the crew down there who don’t surf have come on the back of all those waves that Alby Falzon made.
And for those who do, Padang Padang is a world-class honeypot, usually with thousands of ants crawling all over it.
This month, that honeypot will be returned to its nest as eight of Indonesia’s finest surfers compete against a handful of the world’s sharpest international tube savants – but only if Huey brings us his good fortune, says Rip Curl’s Padang Padang Cup organiser, Harry Mann.
“It has to be pumping. The first two years I was here, it was weird calling it off. It’s like, ‘oh, it’s only four-to-five feet and barrelling. Any other event in the world, you’re like, ‘oh my God, it’s pumping’, but if it’s not six-foot plus with perfect conditions it just doesn’t run,” he says.
This event, however, is not like any other. It’s an invite-only verified tube orgy on the best day of the year at one of the world’s most perfect waves. The contest also utilises a unique leaderboard format that means surfers are really only surfing against themselves, and they need nines and tens to win, says Harry.
“Cos it’s a leaderboard, no one is sitting on each other or hassling or tryna get a 3.2 at the end of the heat. You’re just tryna get fucken’ barrelled with your mates,” he says.
“It’s a pretty sick, core format. And you need nines and tens, and to get extremely barrelled to make the final.”
The event’s run over two days in years past, but this year there will be only one, says Harry. There’ll be two rounds for both men and women, and the four highest-scored surfers will progress to the final shootout.
While the event is now international, it’s always been an Indonesian competition for Indonesian surfers. Kinda like a local boardriders club, but if your boardriders club died and went to heaven, or Jannah or Svana. Whatever kinda divine afterlife you prescribe to.
“It’s a regionally run comp, and an Indonesian surf event that is predominantly for local surfers and the local community. We just can’t believe that the most wave-rich and arguable the best surfing destination in the world doesn’t have a CT event,” he says.
“It’s a global event now and we’ve had guys like John John, Jamie O’Brien, Mason Ho, some of the biggest names in surfing. But we’ve also got the local beach boy from Halfway Kuta, and he’s making the finals and actually beating ‘em. You look at the trophy, and there’s been more Indonesian winners than internationals, and it’s so sick that the local boys hold it down.”
Like Indonesian surfing, the Padang Cup has come a long way. In its first year in 2004, Made Adi Putra took home 10 million rupiah, or a thousand bucks Aussie, when he won against an all Indo field. This year there’s 75 mill on offer – almost two years of average Indonesian salary – and the chance to win pride among your people and build a legitimate international surfing career, says Harry.
“The Cup has given guys like Lee Wilson a platform to have a surfing career. Obviously, they’ve done amazing things outside of this, but this gives them a stepping stone into global recognition.”
Indonesian surfing has entered a new era, and this year’s cup signifies its dawn. t was something 37-year-old two-time winner Mega Semadhi recognised when he surrendered his spot to one of the groms on the way – Bronson Meydi, Westen Hirst, Dylan Wilcoxen, Ketut Agus.
“There’s a changing of the guard, and I really think one of those kids could win the event which would be pretty incredible for sure,” says Harry.
“There’s so much talent now that the world doesn’t know about, and all these young Indonesian kids coming up are going to have a chance to show just how good they are.”
Rizal Tanjung, one of the godfathers of Indonesian professional surfing, has competed in the Cup so many times he’s lost count. Right now he’s in California with Bronson, grovelling in one-foot slop for the Huntington Beach US Open. Perhaps the cruelest irony of Indonesian professional surfing.
He knows the wave as well as anyone, and says it’s a fickle beast that demands critical wave selection, and local knowledge and experience are as vital as pure tube-riding talent.
“The more you surf there the more you know which one is best. It’s hard to judge sometimes. I guess it depends on the tide and the swell direction. Sometimes the wide ones, they’re a lot thicker, more gnarlier. But for the contest, the medium ones are usually the ones where you get tubed from the take-off to the end.
“It’s also about what the judges see. On the bigger ones, sometimes because the barrels are so wide and the wave bowls so much, from the front angle it doesn’t even look like you’re in there, even though you’re fully standing tall. On the smaller ones, it looks like you’re really deep the whole way.
Rizal won’t surf this year, owing to an average July that didn’t see the swell meet the required six-foot threshold to run the trials. Instead, all Indonesian contestants will be selected based on criteria, says Harry.
“There are four guys that go straight into the event every year. There are the top two from last year’s event, a Padang board-riders wildcard, and a Rip Curl wildcard. And we’re gunna pick a few others this year: who was leading on the QS, leading on the pro junior, third from last year’s event, and Bronson cos he won the wold junior. So it’s pretty fair.”
While the waiting period runs for one month, it looks like we’ll get the green-light straight off the bat with the biggest swell of the season so far forecast for August 6. So far, says Harry, it seems to be ticking all the boxes.
“This swell is interesting. This year we’ve seen heaps of swells that get downgraded, but this one’s kinda holding. Actually, the last update looks a little bigger than we first thought. Super long period, one of the biggest of the year. The only worry is that it’s a little bit south. As long as it’s not under 205 degrees. Right now it’s 208, which is fine,” he says.
“Still, it’s never perfect. You never get a 220 degree swell at four metres with perfect tides. There’s always a worry, but for now most of the boxes are ticked.”
This year we’ll also have Vaughno and Smivvy from Ain’t that Swell bringing us pure surf filth from the booth – that is, if Vaughno can find his phone and get his arse over here.
2025 Padang Cup Invitees
WOMEN
- Jasmine Studer
- Ziggy Mackenzie
- Kya Heuer
- Lilliana Brewery
MEN
- Made Adi Putra
- Tommy Sobri
- Western Hirst
- Alik Rudiarta
- Bronson Meydi
- Ketut Agus
- Dylan Wilcoxan
- Garut Widiarta
WOMEN (International)
- Laura Enever
- Milla Coco Brown
- Moana Jones Wong
- Willow Hardy
MEN (International)
- Noa Deane
- Mason Ho
- Balaram Stack
- Harry Bryant
- Ivan Florence
- Landon Mcnamara
- Jackson Dorian
- Tosh Tudor
