“It’s Like When I Was A Kid!” – Rizal Tandjung On A Covid-Affected Bali

We’ve mentioned this a bit—probably more than a bit, really—but it’s truly amazing that once-clusterfuck surf zones have been all but empty for the past four months. 

Fiji, Indo, and beyond have been closed to international tourists in their peak surf season, and despite its far-reaching effects, covid has done little to mitigate the amount of swell brewing in the Southern Ocean. 

Simultaneously benefitting and suffering from these circumstances are the local surf communities, who are finally able to surf in peace, but whose livelihoods are largely affected by the lack of tourist dollars.

Still, the consolation of empty lineups should not be discounted. We doubt the folks above are thinking about lost income when trading idyllic Indonesian funnels with just a few friends. As the ageless Rizal Tanjung says, “It’s like when I was a kid.”

Featuring in this Scotty Hammonds x Red Bull piece are Rizal and Varun Tanjung, Bronson Meydi, Lee Wilson, Tai Buddha, and a gaggle of other tube-drunk locals.