THE HARRISON ROACH CHRONICLES: INDONESIA, PART 5.

~ THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE ~

I’m not used to long days spent in the shaping bay. I’ll admit during the time I hung out with Thomas Bexon I didn’t work very hard. But, as I’ve previously said, just standing around watching tires me out. Once we’d shaped my board and the glassing process had begun, I decided it was time to wash off the dust and catch a few waves. Without thinking much I grabbed my motorcycle and a board that was sitting around to head out on a surf mission. I’d never been to Bali in the wet season and it came as a surprise when I showed up to all of my favourite spots and found them ugly and onshore. A local informed me that if I wanted to surf I had to head over Nusa Dua way… I got a few directions from him and rode off, straight into the heart of a storm that the rainy season gets its name from. The directions were lost in translation, and only a few moments had passed before I was soaking wet and lost. It took two hours before the storm had exhausted itself and I stumbled upon a wave that I knew nothing about.

My wet bike ride was forgotten as soon as I saw the first set reel along the reef. Isn’t it funny how some of our best sessions are the ones least expected? I hadn’t looked at a surf report, I hadn’t looked at the tides and I definitely hadn’t planned on ending up near Nusa Dua. I didn’t know what to expect when I left the Temple that morning and it turned out to be the best day of barrels I’d had in six months.

- Harrison Roach