Jabrik, who was recently crowned surf champion in Thailand and earlier won the Japan CHP international challenge, is currently sponsored by Quiksilver, Coca-Cola, Power Balance and Raw Store to improve the profile of surfing here.

He is also assisting in the development of regeneration programs for young surfers and working on beach cleanups with Coca-Cola.

As the chief executive officer of the Indonesian Surfing Championships (ISC), Jabrik is also busy preparing for the 8th ISC Tour that will hold surfing competitions across the country during 2011.

“One of our young surfers from the regeneration program, Putra Hermawan, just won the international Quiksilver contest at Keramas Beach in Gianyar, so you can see this program to introduce the next generation to surfing is working. Through the program we try and help young people see they can make a good career out of surfing,” says Jabrik.

He points to surfing careers in other countries, such as the US, Australia, South Africa and Europe, where surfing has grown into a much valued sport that has made companies such as Quiksilver, Ripcurl and Billabong household names.

Indonesia, however, is only now beginning to see surfing from an entrepreneurial viewpoint, despite having some of the finest waves in the world, and being a Mecca for surfers from around the globe
since the release in the early 1970s of surfing cult film Morning of the Earth.

“We are well behind other countries in recognizing surfing as an industry. This is because we had quite a late start in developing a surfing culture, which only began in the 1970s. The industry here only really began to grow in the 1990s so we have been left behind.”

He points also to this year’s ISC national competition tour across Bali, Roti Island, Nias, West Java, Lombok, Sumbawa and Sumatra as important events to highlight Indonesia’s wave quality and development of the nation’s surf culture and brand.

“Surfers can earn a good salary from the industry, but the problem is a lot of the surfers don’t have the complete package.”

“We hold these competitions because we have such a huge potential in waves and surfers, but no career paths for this. So there is a gap between the [international] industry and surfers, because the industry does not really know what is going on at ground level, and we want to change that.”

He adds that to take Indonesian surfing to the next level also demands surfers understand that it is not just skill on a wave that the surf industry is looking for, but “the complete package”.

“Surfers can earn a good salary from the industry, but the problem is a lot of the surfers don’t have the complete package. They surf well, but they can’t speak in public so they can’t represent their sponsors.

“They need to travel the world and gain experience and confidence and we are investing in that a lot now by sending young surfers to international events.

“They need English, public speaking skills and the ability to deal with people such as sponsors and the media; in that way they can become a valuable investment for sponsors and create their surfing careers.”

Jabrik was one of the lucky ones, developing these skills sets as a youngster.

He was born into a family that traveled extensively from his home just 100 meters from the surf of Double Six beach when the area was the playground of Mick Jagger and David Bowie. “As a two-year-old kid that didn’t mean very much,” he laughs.

“My dad took me to the beach every afternoon. He is from Central Java and my mom is a hippie from Austria who drove across Europe into Afghanistan and then to Indonesia. By the time I was eight years old I had surfed Lombok.

“We had a VW Combi and traveled the islands a lot,” says Jabrik, who is convinced Indonesia has the best waves in the world.

“Most of the islands have reefs surrounding them so the waves hug the islands. My favorite waves in the world are in Indonesia, like Leake Point in Sumbawa; Roti Island, Mentawai, Nias and Java. I would say Uluwatu is my favorite wave in the world.”

Indonesia’s geography, which has it resting against the swell of the Indian Ocean, promises consistent surf throughout the year.

“In Indonesia you just jump in the water and surf. We have the climate and good wave quality. Indonesia lies on the Indian Ocean that has the most consistent swell, because it is so large; all the southern side of Indonesia meets the Indian Ocean, from Aceh to Timor, and with the crescent shape of Indonesia, that creates perfect waves,” says Jabrik.

As well as wanting to see surfing develop further in Indonesia, Jabrik, along with other surfers, is keen to protect the coastal environment.

He works with Coca-Cola on beach cleaning in several southern beaches.

“The biggest problem when we began the beach cleaning program a couple of years ago was that collecting the trash by hand took forever and it just kept coming. So we invested in a tractor for rubbish collection.

There has been a great improvement in the state of the beaches, like Kuta, that has around a 1,000 people a day visiting… These beaches are clean now.”

It is not only the obvious issues such as rubbish on the beaches and the rivers that concerns Jabrik, but also development close to beaches. “I think all beach developments should be at least 100 meters from the sands. There needs to be public access guaranteed as no one should be able to own the beaches and put up walls — these are public areas.

“And we need to think about sewerage and other infrastructure to protect beaches from development… Beach protection needs to come from the grassroots.”

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