Australian surfer at Cape Bakaro

Two weeks ago I received an email from Matt Fox, the project manager of CII for West Papua province of Indonesia. He said that he would come to Manokwari and interested in surfing. One week later he arrived in Manokwari. On the first day, I brought him to a lift-net bagan in the middle of the sea where we saw fishermen catch fish and enjoyed some grilled fish there. Then I arranged his morning surf at Cape Bakaro. Matt is an Australian. He was the only tourist at the beach that morning. Accompanied by a local surf guide, Matt rode the morning swells of the cape.

There are a lot of Australian surfers at Kuta beach of Bali island but very few of them go to Manokwari of West Papua to surf at this cape. I hope that more surfers will come to this city to enjoy surfing. Cape Bakaro is also called Pintu Angin (meaning the Gate of the Winds). If you are interested in surfing, snorkeling or hiking in Manokwari, please contact us at abasiklubsurfing@gmail.com

Surfing is Art

For most of the beach goers in the world, wave surfing is sport. But for Phil Goodrich, it is a great source of art inspiration. Phil and his friends from SurfExplore team visited Manokwari in late February to early March 2013. They spent most of their time exploring the north coast of the bird's head region of Western New Guinea in search of barrel waves. The successfully found several spots where no surfers had even been before. Some local youth from Abasi beach who accompanied their trip were glad to surf with them. It was a rare opportunity to learn new techniques from experienced surfers from the SurfExplore team.
Phil Goodrich is a prolific artist. His paintings are mostly about seascape, surfers, barrel waves and anything or anyone that is related to beach life.

A Painting of Wave by Phil Goodrich as gift to Salo Rumadas in Manokwari city of West Papua province 

Phil often shows children, villagers and beach girls in his paintings that he see during his surfing exploration in Indonesia and other parts of the world. Anybody who is interested in buying his artworks can find him in Facebook or his official website: http://www.philgoodrich.com. Before leaving Manokwari for Mentawai, Phil made an artwork of a barrel wave for Salo Rumadas, a personnel of Abasi Klub Surfing. For Phil created the painting using oil on canvas, an unusual media for him. Most of his artworks are oil on wood. Members of Abasi Surfing hope that they can meet him again one day.

Surfing before Sunset

Surfers who ride the barrel waves of Cape Bakaro during sunset hours will have to smartly adjust their take off position while facing the sunlight. For photographers, taking pictures of their friends riding surfboards at sea can be fun because of the contrast colors which they will get. But for the surfers, it is a daring moment. So, Cape Bakaro is not for beginners. The recommended site for them is the nearby Abasi beach. The person on the following photograph is Hayato Maki, who visited Manokwari early this month. He is an experienced surfer who came from Japan. I took this picture of him using a compact point and shoot camera, Nikon Coolpix P500 that was powered with telephoto lens. Today, Nikon has released a better and more powerful photographic device for budget travelers, i.e. the Nikon COOLPIX P520. The 18 megapixel digital camera is powered with 42x optical zoom (lens focal length is equivalent to 24 - 1,000 mm lens in 35 mm format). Taking pictures of surfers who ride barrel waves at sea can easily be done in sports mode.

There are always waves at Abasi beach and Cape Bakaro all year round. These sites are relatively unknown to most of the surfers around the world. Some native Papuan youth who live in Abasi beach are willing to share their beach with any guests from any corners of the globe. Contact Salo Rumadas, the sponsor of Abasi Klub Surfing by email: abasiklubsurfing@gmail.com if you plan to visit Manokwari city.

Surfing Vacation in Cape Bakaro

For some adventurous surfers, Cape Bakaro is the name of a place in West Papua which they really need to see. Located just 20 minutes by motorized vehicles from the downtown, Cape Bakaro is a must see place for experienced surfers. The waves here are always big all year round. The contour of sea bed and the flow of water that goes in and out of Dorey bay always deliver big swells to the cape.

Some surfers from SurfExplore team spent two weeks riding the waves of Manokwari coastal area between February and March 2013. When they arrived at the cape, they said that it is only for intermediate to advanced surfers. For beginning surf learners, the nearby Abasi beach or other coastal areas in the north and south of Manokwari city are highly recommended.
The best time to enjoy surfing is in the mornings when there is only light or no wind. Barrel waves that are formed by the swells will lift the surfers taking off with their surfboards. The internet connection is available in the area enabling surf enthusiasts to check swell forecast for the next morning.
Accommodation
There are hotels in Manokwari that tourists can choose for staying. Surfers can also stay at the villagers' houses in Abasi beach.
Abasi Klub Surfing
Abasi Klub Surfing is a small club that is now trying to promote surfing as a healthy sport in Manokwari. Members of the club will be happy to help you while traveling in Manokwari. Before you come, please contact abasiklubsurfing@gmail.com.

Surfing in West Papua

by Charles Roring
Last week a group of international surfers from 4 countries went surfing at Pinto Angin in Cape Bakaro of Manokwari city. This is one of the best surfing sites in Manokwari for experienced surfers. These surfers were from SurfExplore team. They have been exploring sites in West Papua that are suitable for surfing. They consider Cape Bakaro - just 30 minutes from the downtown as a recommended place for world class surfers.
Manokwari is relatively an unknown destination for surfers. The presence of SurfExplore team will boost its position as an alternative site for adventure travelers beside the long established surf sites in Kuta Bali and Mentawai, in Western Coast of Sumatra island. The following photograph shows Hayato Maki, a Japanese surfer, who has got lots of global experience, riding the big waves of Pinto Angin in Cape Bakaro.

Hayato Maki was surfing at at Pinto Angin of Manokwari city

The nearby Abasi beach is considered as a site with waves moving to the left. Coral reef just behind the waves of Abasi beach is still in pristine condition. Surfers and other beach goers can go snorkeling by outrigger canoes that are paddled by local Papuan boys. Various species of fish such as the butterfly fish and surgeon fish live in the waters of Abasi beach.
There are a lot of surf spots in Manokwari that you can explore with members of the club. Please, contact us by e-mail to abasiklubsurfing@gmail.com if you plan to go surfing in Manokwari of West Papua

Surfing at Cape Bakaro of Manokwari

The Cape Bakaro in Manokwari city of West Papua is a recommended destination for surfers. The waves there are high all year round. Last week a team of international surfers went surfing in the afternoon. They were accompanied by members of abasiklubsurfing.blogspot.com. It was around 5 p.m. when Hayato, Beto and Phil were riding the waves.
One of our club members, Olof, also went into the sea but he had to return to the beach again after his rope was broken.
Cape Bakaro is also called Pintu Angin (or Wind Gate) by the nearby villagers. It has been considered as the best spot in Manokwari only for experienced surfers due to its wave heights. Surfers need to bring their own boards when traveling to Manokwari.
Manokwari regency has got a long coast line its north and south east coasts facing the Pacific Ocean. Wavesurfers who plan to visit Manokwari for surfing can contact Salo Rumadas (email: abasiklubsurfing@gmail.com). She can provide further information about surfing and other activities that visitors can enjoy while traveling in Manokwari.