THE HARRISON ROACH CHRONICLES: INDONESIA, PART 6.
~ BACK SO SOON ~
We hit a little speed bump at the Temple of Enthusiasm after finishing the first Harrison Roach Concept Surfboard. On the east coast of Bali there was nowhere decent to ride it. I was in need of waves, but judging by the surf forecast, Bali wasn’t going to have any. Thomas had shaped twenty-five boards, drank 250 bottles of Bintang and was packed to head home for a loving hug from his wife. I decided to give our buddy Husni a call and see how it was back in Java. After being told Husni’s local had been offshore every day, my decision was made. The next morning I began the long mission back to the town known best for its sandy point breaks and shady take-offs.
I paddled out at sunrise on my first morning and surfed all alone, for hours. After spending the time with Thomas in the shaping bay, I had an understanding of how the board was supposed to work. It was just a matter of seeing if it actually did. I was able to put all of the theories we’d talked about to test in epic little peelers. Riding it in such an awesome environment so soon after its creation was astounding… It held on the nose through critical sections, ran smooth through turns and carried a curious momentum that could only be compared to that of an Australian old-mal. So far as I was concerned, we’d succeeded in making a world-class longboard. And holding it under my arm after the first surf, I knew I was in for a great week.
- Harrison Roach
