Rupert Booted From Fijian Lineup
Stuart Nettle July 5, 2010
News this week from Fiji:
Tavarua Resort to lose its exclusive surfing rights. Rupert Murdoch to lose his stake in the Fiji Times.
Open surfing, closed media. Although seemingly disparate, both incidents are very closely related, and the first story, for which surfers worldwide are celebrating, should only be considered in light of the second.
The person who connects the two stories is the energetic, Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who has been Whirling like a South Pacific Dervish under his various guises of Fiji's Minister for Justice, Minister for Tourism and Attorney-General (he's also Minister for Electoral Reform and Minister for Public Enterprises and Anti-Corruption.)
As Attorney-General he passed the Regulation of Surfing Areas decree that "aims to liberalize access to any surfing area in Fiji and thereby enhance Fiji's image as a premier surf travel destination." In theory the act will effectively end the exclusive rights to Cloudbreak and Restaurants that the American owners of Tavarua resort have enjoyed since 1985. No longer will surfers have to fork out premium rates, or be limited by number, to surf those waves - hence the celebration.
Meanwhile, in his role as Minister for Justice, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, issued a decree that states that no Fijian media organisation can have more than ten percent foreign ownership. Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation owns the Fiji Times and they now have three months to either sell or close the paper.
Sayed-Khaiyum is a member of Commodore Frank Bainimarama's government that forced it's way to power in a 2006 coup. With an overtly nationalistic mandate they began to dismantle the existing Fijian constitution, abolishing it entirely in 2009. Last week's moves should be seen as an extension of that push: a reduction of foreign ownership (Murdoch) and an eradication of foreign intervention (Tavarua).
However, both moves may have unforeseen results.
For twenty five years the owners of Tavarua have enjoyed exclusive rights to Cloudbreak and Restaurants. An entitlement only achieved after much legal wrangling and an extended period of violence and animosity. Those who read the surf media in the 1980's may remember the ongoing feuds between people who weren't staying at Tavarua and the men hired to keep them out, and, more disturbingly, between the local people. As usually happens when white colonisers privilege one group of locals and grant them rights it creates jealousy and tension amongst others.
Tavarua was an ugly example of Western influence adversely affecting indigenous society. An example of how not to establish a surf camp, though you won't read anything negative about it in the surf press, especially the dominant US surf press; Tavarua has been the catwalk for the big companies since it first opened.
As for surfers: even up till last year there were reports of Tavarua boatmen using violence and intimidation to prevent non-paying customers from surfing the waves. Yet despite the early violence the situation has reached a delicate balance in recent times with certain concessions granted to non-Tavarua surfers (such as surfing allowed there on Sundays).
The recent surfing decree may see the balance upset yet again, the structure of rights and privileges shaken up once more. The aim to "enhance Fiji's image as a premier surf travel destination" will only be possible if authorities can keep the local violence and disorder in check.
And this is where the second story, the one about Rupert Murdoch, comes into play. The move to restrict foreign ownership of media outlets may have the appearance of humble patriotism yet the real reasons are more sinister.
The Fiji Times is Fiji's oldest running newspaper and a noted bastion of free speech in a country increasingly under the order of censorship and self-serving media. Frank Bainimarama has been tightening controls of the media since the coup and this move is the latest attempt to shut down debate and dissent. The twin results will be a reduction in foreign investment and a further step towards a closed media, the latter establishing dangerous conditions in a country that can no longer be considered democratic and is teetering on a knife's edge. In the past year it has been suspended from the Commonwealth and, more importantly, expelled from the Pacific Island Forum, a group comprising Fiji's closest neighbours and trading partners.
All of which is to say that when the surfing decree does come to pass Cloudbreak will be free to surf, yet those wishing to do so must be willing to risk travelling to a country that is becoming increasingly unstable.
Comments
Tavarua onwers must be upset but are still in a good place. It still is a nice little resort in front of one of the worlds best wave. There guests can get there before anyone else and leave the water later then anyone else, be there first when the surf hits or cleans up and the onwers could adapt and cater (food and drinks) to other surfers in the area.
It is going to be just like so many other surf resorts around the world.
Hope they adjust. Trying to resist a govement like Fiji's at this time could have worst endings then loosing the exclusive rights to the wave.
What we have to find out is if they (Tavarua) are going to localize the break.
In that way Tavarua would loose it's charm completely. To stay and surf the private wave by forcing others to leave should be way worst then sharing it with strangers in paradaise.
It's hard to see good things coming from a military dictatorship but in this case the twin benefits of Rupert getting kicked out and Cloudbreak opening up are enough to suspend moral judgement for now. Now, how much were those airfares to Fiji?
Yew.
I would be very suprised to see this actually be approved as open slather in The Mamanuccas. The tribes that receive the biggest kickbacks from the exclusivity arrangement are some of the strongest power brokers in the country. Whether you agree with exclusivity of surf breaks or not you have to feel for the next 2 years of sold out pre paid surfers that have booked Tav / Namoutu betting on surfing it with only 20 of their closest mates as opposed to every blow in 'tired' of Bali.
Problem with this is that The Mamanuccas are not even close to offering the range of waves that places like The Mentawais can offer. There are probably around 6 reliable breaks in the whole chain - all of them keyhole take off deals which limits the number of waves per user even further. Interested to see how this plays out.
Freeride: did you read the whole article there?
Nah, I don't feel particularly bad for these guys and gals who've booked two years in advance. There are still many place in the world that you can get epic uncrowded waves... Maybe it's just a case of thinking a bit out of the Bali-Tav-Hawaii etc box.
Cloudbreak is far from a "keyhole take-off" deal. It's an open ocean reef break with a few sections. It'll handle 30 people easily and will regulate itself over 6ft.
I'd be happy for a lightly regulated surfing deal there IE people staying outside Tav can surf Cloudbreak between 9 and 12 am or something like that.
Not advocating a free-for-all but the prospect of hit and run missions to Cloudbreak when swells march up the Tasman sea has me salivating.
Do you think all breaks should be regulated freeride?
If not, then why only Tav?
Not sure whether it will pass or not, but if it does the best thing won't be open access to Cloudbreak and a Rupert Free Fiji, the best thing will be that surfers will no longer have to fill in the pages of legal rubbish that is presently required to surf C/break. Have any of you done it? Was over there last year and i reckon its easier to apply for residency than score a C/Break barrel. Then a girl in our group cut herself and we ALL had to go in, as the guide couldn't leave us there on our own. Ridiculous american litigious crap.
The expulsion of Fiji from the Pacific Islands Forum isn't as clear cut as mentioned. The PIF is seen by most Islanders as now being a vehicle for Australian influence and the expelling of Fiji in many ways is part of that. Fiji's Melanesian counterparts have been far more open to dialogue with Fiji, something that is probably far more productive to resolving its problems.
The big question is if/how this will support local Fijians or will it just turn Fiji into another playground for rich westerns with disposable incomes that can chase swells around the Pacific. It all comes down to who has the economic agency...
"The big question is if/how this will support local Fijians or will it just turn Fiji into another playground for rich westerns with disposable incomes that can chase swells around the Pacific".
Jeez, isn't that the very foundation of their tourist economy??
Opening up the areas at least offers a chance of spreading that economic benefit more widely.
Oldo, not in favour of regulation at all. But in the case of Tav/Cloudbreak I'm being realistic: IE if the choice is between a shut-out ala the status quo of the last 20 years or a lightly regulated environment then I choose the latter.
But it's not up to me.
Opening up cloudbreak can only be a good thing for fiji and boost numbers to this quiet little backwater.
The wave itself is top 5 global and it and restraunts are the only waves in fiji worth going there for.all the other waves are just crap even when they are perfect 6 ft. I have stayed on nearby plantation island a few times where the local boat guy charges everyone $40 aud to take you out to c grade waves 10 mins away and thats if he bothers to turn up at all, if they did not get on the kava the night b4 with the surfers takings. The best day of waves he turned up 1 hr late and ran out of fuel 1.5 k's from the break and told the 10 guys on board to just paddle for it with 5 kts of current against us, the village idiot in contol of 10 surfers lives and with $400 aud in his pocket. The guys that run cloudbreak are total pro's and deserve that status, as far as exclusive rights i dont agree as so many days the lineups are empty and everyone else has to surf rubbish around it. If fuji does not open up the waves i would never go back or reconmend any one to go, but even so the guys at tavarua would be the only ones currently to go with, the rest are complete morons and the resorts nearby have to put up with unhappy guests as a result of this and can not run thier own boats professionally so its not just about opening cloudbreak
Ive been 2fiji a number of times & know to expect the unexpected when it comes to locals reliance.Its part of the culture. Dont be a spoilt brat & deal with it. They are good natured people on the whole & love my kids/family.Most earn ##all money & still stay happy within.I have done the whole waiver thing to surf c/break & would sign my left nut to do it again.While the other breaks are not all time I've always had fun & enjoyed the whole experience.The laid back nature is how it should be.In the water there i have found most people to have a similar view {except mabye some seppos who pay the big bucks over at noumoteau & think they can take over anywhere].Which brings up the point of free surfing.Isnt that what we call it.U pay to get there sure, but i think the ocean is for everyone & if we all share a wave with someone random then i think we all might start to get the attitude right. They might even have a hot sister or friends 2!.Could anyone tell me when this edict is to take place? or is it just pie in the sky for now.Cheers ...
I was in Fiji a few months ago, and I think Frank is headed in the right direction for his people - just not the sheeplike commonwealth way.
If someone travels thousands of miles, learns to live in Fiji time, and paddles out at Cloudbreak - who am I or anyone else to stop them?
Fiji has just expelled Australia's high commissioner.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/fiji-expels-australian-hig...
I have also just recently returned from fiji and filled out the paperwork. really it only took 2 minutes if you don't bother to read it all. Its also totally worth it for the waves I got (6f+ and offshore).
Harvsurf - I stayed on Plantation and was quite happy with the organisation of the boats. They pretty well knew the day before what the tides and winds would be doing and got us there at the best times.
I would say that the 1st day at Wilkes was almost as good(but not quite)as Cloudbreak when I surfed it. The $40 was Fijian not AUS and its the only way to get there, so you just have to deal with it.
Maybe you just got there at the wrong time.
I just returned from Fiji and surfed cloudbreak two days after the decree came through. The crowd in the water was still relaxed with about 15 to 20 people catching waves. Very enjoyable day being able to check all the breaks in the area out and catching a few waves at each break.( no one was surfing anywhere else but cloundbreak) I can't beleave anyone went to Fiji to surf before this was possible. (who wants to surf the same wave everyday). This is now a legit surfing destination.
I recently went to Fiji and stayed at one of the resorts at Plantation Island then a week at Tavarua.
Personally I think it's somewhat of a shame that the exclusivity of Tavarua has been lost. Surfing waves like that without the aggression and hassling of a large crowd was truly a special experience. I don't necessarily advocate that certain waves should for a small minority only rather that everybody has the right to go to these places just that it'd be preferable if everyone didn't go all at once. Surfing places like Ulu's, G-Land or certain places in the Mentawaiis can see you in the water with way more people than makes for an enjoyable surf and with time CB will go the same way. Anyone can go to Tavarua, the cost no more expensive than Mentawaii trips. Sure it can be hard to get in but I'd rather go there a few times in my surfing life and surf with a small crowd than be able to surf it whenever I want with Bali style mega crowds
Tavarua has a few vacancys this year.....im not surprised 4k for a week + airfares..holy shit.