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 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.

World Class Surfers in Manokwari

by Charles Roring

As the sun approached the west, some surfers swam to the sea. Today the weather was a little bit better than the previous days. There were not many people at the beach because it was Wednesday - the usual working day for dwellers of Manokwari city. I saw 4 people floating with their boards in the middle of big swells. It was the most dangerous place in Manokwari where wave height could reach six meters or even more. But for those world class wave surfers that was the best place to "ride" their boards. 

One of them was Hayato Maki. He made swift top turn several times avoiding the breaking swell. Some women screamed when they saw the surfers were swallowed by the waves. Seconds later, they emerged again still challenging the next swells. 

It was a great show. Members of Abasi Klub Surfing have been accompanying these surfers for days trying to put Manokwari into the map of international surfers as a must see destination. Papuan children who were watching them say that they learn a lot of new techniques from these professional surfers. We really hope that more visitors will come to Manokwari after the trip of these surfers. If you are interested in traveling to Manokwari to enjoy wave surfing, please, contact Salo by email to abasiklubsurfing@gmail.com.