TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Banyuwangi competition one of World Surf League’s best: Official
Change Size
P
lengkung Beach, known to surfers worldwide as G-Land, in Banyuwangi, East Java, hosted an event on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, the most prestigious surfing league in the world, from May 28 to Saturday.
As the event drew to a close, WSL officials praised the event in Banyuwangi as one of the best on the WSL international tour.
WSL Asia-Pacific general manager Andrew Stark said the event in Banyuwangi was one of the best so far.
"I hope to come back here next year," Andrew said during the ceremony, which was also attended by Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan and Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani.
"We are very happy in Banyuwangi. This is one of the best WSL events so far. We received a very lively welcome here. Thank you Banyuwangi, thank you Indonesia for the support," he added.
The 2022 WSL Championship Tour is being held at select beaches from January to August 2022, with stopovers in Hawaii, Australia, mainland United States, Banyuwangi, Brazil, South Africa, Portugal and Tahiti.
The WSL Championship Tour event in Banyuwangi was officiated by Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali on May 27.
Aside from the WSL committee, G-Land also left a distinct impression on international surfers. Located in a forest area in Alas Purwo National Park, G-Land is known for its waves, which are some of the best in the world.
“Amazing surfing. It's a fun place,” said Brazilian surfer Fillpe Toledo, who is currently ranked number one in the world.
French surfer Johanne Defay, the winner of the women's WSL Championship Tour Quiksilver Pro G-Land and the third-ranked athlete on the WSL Championship Tour, said G-Land had one the best waves she had ever surfed.
"The waves at G-Land are really amazing. Every surfer is really waiting for the good waves at G-Land," Defay said, adding that she hoped to come back and face the challenge again.
"I don't know when I can come back to G-Land and feel the sensation of the waves like this again. The people here and everything here is very comfortable and makes everyone happy, of course."
Other surfers noted that surfing at G-Land was an interesting experience. G-Land is located in the Alas Purwo National Park area, which is known worldwide as a paradise for surfers.
The area has been designated as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO-UN and a national geopark and is now being submitted as part of the UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG) network alongside Ijen Crater and Pulau Merah Beach.
Almost all the professional surfers who took part in the Championship Tour at G-Land were satisfied with the event and the quality of the waves. This was acknowledged by Tipi Jabrik, the Secretary General of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Wave Surfing Association (PB PSOI).
"They hope to compete here again next year. Hopefully G-Land can be scheduled to be a venue on the Championship Tour next year," he said.
Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani said she was happy with the success of the WSL event at G-Land and said she hoped it would bring Banyuwangi to the attention of tourists worldwide.
"Hopefully, this can have a positive impact on the development of sports tourism in Banyuwangi, as well as leverage the local economy, as we also involved MSMEs," she said.
