Desert Point Rumoured For Development
It was only a matter of time before they noticed.
Even though surfers have been making the trek to one of the greatest barrels on earth for decades, Desert Point, that tiny bend on Lombok's north-west coast, is now rumoured to be under the threat of development.
“The other day a man from a development company showed up,” says Budi Man, the unofficial surfing mayor of Desert Point who runs a simple surfers cafe, “and this guy says they are gonna offer us 15 million rupiah each (AUD $1,450) before moving in with tractors to clear us surfers off the point!"
"This is our life and has been for generations. We are over 2,000 local people that depend on the international surf community…we must stop this”.
It is rumoured that the move was partly inspired by the World Surf League's interest in establishing Grajagan as one of its official contest sites. After all, a group of developers are finishing up an enormous Moto GP Track smack dab in the centre of Kuta Lombok - Lombok's other surfing area. The new Moto GP facility and surrounding infrastructure and accommodation is meant to establish Lombok as a world-class destination for motor sports much like Abu Dhabi. Desert Point could serve as a feather in the island's sports destination cap as it is said the developers want to partly convert Desert Point into a “World-class surfing competition venue”.
Complicating things is the fact that just like Grajagan, Desert Point is on National Park land and despite the locals having been there for generations the legalities of land ownership is foggy. Further rumours abound concerning plans for a large eco resort on Desert Point and a mariner development at nearby Bangko Bangko.
There's been no word yet on any plans to make the wave accessible to the droves of international surfers who worship the place. If access became exclusive, then that would mean the modest boat operations from Bali and the few tiny prahu fishing boats that serve the spot would explode in popularity - if in fact it was allowed.
With all the facts difficult to come by, understanding what effect the development would have on the environment, the local culture, and the surfing experience is anybody’s guess.
“This has brought such sadness to such a great surfing place,” says Usman Trioko, local surfing pro and stylish tube-rider who grew up in the spinning barrels of Desert Point, “but we are strong and we will try and make sure we protect our beautiful wave. It is like a family member to us”.
To that end, Budi Man and Usman Trioko have begun a grass roots fundraising effort for what may become a contentious legal battle. This could become yet another David and Goliath environmental donnybrook and it is Budi and Usman’s hope that all who have ever ridden the wave will support their campaign and give generously.
“After all these years of perfect waves it is only fair to ask for help from our visitors,” says Budi, “I mean, where are we gonna go? This is our home. Forever."
"Right now we need surfers who love this wave and know how to advocate and create fundraising and who want helps us. Our own resources are too small”.
Obviously, if this rumored development moves forward, it’s going to be a long game.
If interested in helping out, you can contact Budi Man at [email protected]
Stand by for more updates.
// MATT GEORGE
Comments
I travelled there in 1989, it was a bit of a trek getting there from Kuta in those days. Stayed the first night on the beach (behind the cliff/hill) sleeping in our board bags to escape the mosquitoes, The next day walked around the point at low tide with our boards on our heads carrying our food and meagre belongings. Lived there for a while with an old guy (who had a tiny grass hut, no English) and who clearly had malaria. We gave him our malaria medication and lived off tins bully beef, bananas and peanuts for a week. It blew our minds!!!... it's a little sad to hear this news but not unexpected.
The worst thing about the news is that it's being driven by the WSL.
Same as they did in Krui, same as they did in Simeulue, same as they're doing in Grajagan (putting the road in), same as they want to do in Morotai, and who knows where else.
"Representatives of the World Surfing League or WSL surveyed the Desert Point in Sekotong District, West Lombok Regency, NTB, to become the location for world surfing events. Dock. West Lombok Regency Tourism Office."
"A number of conditions submitted by the World Surfing League for Desert Point to host the world surfing qualifying round are adequate infrastructure and accommodation facilities. "The PR is access to the location and the availability of internet services," said Iham."
https://travel.tempo.co/read/1554114/wisata-selancar-di-desert-point-ban...
Stu > "as they're doing in Grajagan (putting the road in)" _ I didnt know about that - do have any more details?
To accommodate the webcast equipment, the WSL pledged to upgrade the road from Pancur into G'Land. That was over two years ago, and I have to assume it's happened as the comp is scheduled for a couple of months away.
The days of running webcasts out of a viewing platform, as the ASP did at Cloudbreak for many years, are over. It's more like two or three (or more) satellite trucks, full of equipment far too costly to bring in by boat.
Don't have to be a clairvoyant to realise that easier access plus the worldwide spotlight will change the nature of G'Land. I mean, it's 'national park', but not as we know it.
The Woz are enabling development creep right across Indonesia.
"The Woz are enabling development creep right across Indonesia." - so sad that the premium surfers organisation is a destroyer of surfing's beautiful enviornment(s)?
Wic wak why?
Tim Winton made an amazing "wake up" speech to close the Perth Writers Festival last night - see ABC coverage - basically the arts industry needs to STOP taking money from Chevron and Woodside - fossil fuel destroyers - his basic argument is that the global banking industry has turned its back on coal & gas projects, for financial and ethical reasons and now the arts industry has to have the courage to do the same.
So the WSL needs to be pushed by our professional surfers (their members) "be the change THEY and WE want to see" not their piss-ant "protect the ocean" ads shoved down the ether to me when a contest on.
Road into Gland been done since 2019
Thats what i thought, reality is it would be the camps that would be pushing for a decent road in makes the logistics of bringing in food & fuel so much easier and cheaper (plus getting guest and staff in and out quicker to civilisation if needed)
Similar deal with Krui & Simeulue, i doubt those small comps did much to bring in crowds to those areas they were small comps with low viewers online, the areas had already well blown up by that stage as both heavily marketed as new uncrowded frontiers, and again it has a lot to do with logistics, easy to run a camp in both places because of air or road access in and road access to 99% of waves, easy to get food & fuel and main electricity, which has resulted in large numbers of camps being built and all pushing their places on social media etc fuelling things further.
This is the opposite in Mentawai's, Telos, Banyaks where logistics or running a camp or resort are a big challenge everything needs to be brought in by boat, food, fuel, guest and no mains electricity the places are truely isolated, it makes things challenging and expensive to run and unlike Krui & Simuleue you need to take guest to waves you can't just say here's a motorbike go surfing, you need to basically baby sit and entertain guest.
I think people misunderstand a lot of development in areas of Indonesia, yeah okay there is a surf tourism aspect fuelling some areas, but all these other areas without waves are still growing and changing at a crazy pace too, just big population growth and lots of big roads going into coastal areas where you wouldn't expect there to be much demand and groynes going in along Java and Sumatra coast.
Morotai is also being pushed by Indo government as a tourism destination the whole ten new Bali thing, that's where WSL interest in there would come from, i expect way to inconsistent though for comps.
Really, some spots should be off limits for WSL.... Enough good waves in known well developed spots to run tour. Geez leave some places alone. But guess that is progress. Sad especially if local population don't prosper from any of the development.
Unfortunately as we all know money talks in these parts of the world that i don't think environmental concerns will be considered even if the WSL is behind it.
Was lucky enough to surf it on a few trips in the late 90's and in the early 00's without anyone out! Couldn't believe it. Such a great spot which looks to join the long line of iconic spots ruined by mans need for cash and exploitation. Well done humans
My first experience at deserts was been being told to hurry and get in the water as the boat was making another pass before throwing an anchor out. Started swimming with the housing and quickly realised I was been sucked out into lombok straight. Few locals in boats went past and ignored my waving and kept on sailing, luckily a dinghy from another fast boat saw me and grabbed me. Spent the rest of the day shooting from the roof of the boat with the long lens.
Is WSL in fact a real estate company? I cannot see surf comps making some big money, could be that WSL is a 'stakeholder friendly' face for behind the scenes real estate ambitions.
have you guys ever stayed at any of the desert point ocean front accomodation? it would be the equivalent of sleeping on the floor of a public restroom that hasn't been cleaned for over a year
you say that like its a bad thing...
Rats took over it
Ive said for a long time that surfers need to get together and throw in money to fund preservation of areas of land that waves break in front off in Indonesia to create true reserves.
From an individual perspective nobody wants to see these places ruined, and from the already established business, surf camps/resorts perspective in these areas the last thing they want is another business on a wave.
Its a little different in this case but in places like Mentawais camps/resorts, should be working together and take a small fee from guest to pool in to fund preserving these areas.
I guess the problem is you need a body that can be trusted in taking the money and buying and then preserving.
Cryptocurrency could easily solve the trust issue Indo, the funds can be stored on a blockchain and programmed by a smart contract where the release of funds is triggered by a majority vote. A 'trustless' ledger of sorts
Surfing & cryptocurrency - now we're talking.
If we can work NFTs into the equation then the early adopters can surf to the mooooon!
It would help i guess.
I guess they are "empowering solutions to be part of the proactive change".
Interesting Stunet, yeh agree, the pattern you point out getting a smell to it. The tour becoming a faux softening up 'development' agency for whales. Loads of implications there.. Now i dont care for comp surfing even more.
Imagine some of the pro surfers who have been paid millions, have multi million $ real-estate portfolios, possibly take a leaf from the Ziffs book and act like philanthropists giving back to a sport and a country that has given them so much by investing to preserve these areas. The legacy would easily outlast the plastic trophy's in their pool rooms.
Russian money most welcome in Indo for any developments
What sad news to hear. I remember my first trip to deserts in 98 or 99 but back in Kuta bali, we found this indo guy with a gath helmet yelling from his motorbike "boat trip, scar reef, desert point, supersuck!"
i stopped him and asked what he would charge three of us bodyboarder/surfers as a group deal.
he said $200 US, we gave him a deposit of like 200 000 rupiah..then got paranoid it was all a scam and went to my mate who ran Dreamweaver, his name was Darren Thompson.
He told us the boat was legit but was a phinisi with outriggers not a catamaran or aussie designed boat
which were better for sailing around indo.
We were stoked on the price most lombok sumbawa boat trips were charging $800 + a week and we got it for $200.
We later found out it was because they booked in a group of 8 Japanese surfers and there girlfriends who paid $1000 each.
As we arrived in nusa lombongan the surf was flat even though there was a massive SW swell but the tide was low. When the tide came in so did the surf, lacerations was a solid 5-6 foot.
then the next day near lombok in the straight our 2 200hp engines failed and the crew had to get to work on them with gudangs in their mouths which i thought was funny.
Anyway we got to lombok and saw the swell was firing at the other outside deadly reef and moved towards desert point which looked small as what i thought was people paddling for 2foot waves was actually people paddling against the rip.
I started filming and within a few minutes of filming a solid 8-10 foot set rolls in and on the camera barrelled at a makeable speed for 63 seconds, no shit.(that video went around when i got back to sydney)
It was still glassy with no trades yet but we paddled out and scored6-8 foot deserts with out much hassling from the crew on land. my first wave i only took it because i was sucked so deep in the rip i thought id have to be rescued but ended up getting a solid 8-10 second barrel.
on my way back out i saw a land dweller feral guy from San Diego get barrelled the entire length of the reef and make it out.
The japanaese on board started complaining the surf was too big so we went to Gili Air where it was 2-4foot.
We then moved onto scar reef the next day where in the north end of lombok the boat was rocking wildly and my mate wakes me up freaking out saying the boats going to snap in half lol...scar reef was only 4 foot but Later on Darren Thompson showed me footage of the day after we left deserts he scored deserts at its perfect size solid 5-6foot with offshore trades..
The only other thing of note on that trip is surfing yoyos with reef sharks going into a feeding frenzy in front of us but we guessed they were pretty harmless.the paddle to the boat 400 metres away was a bit nerve racking though.
Classic story Groundswell. I went to Deserts once in 94. Don't think I can bear to ever go back. It's sad what's going on over there, but not unexpected unfortunately.
Was still pretty much empty when I surfed it in 2000
1st day was head high and like 5 or 6 guys out, dropping to none in late arvo.
2nd day was mackin like 8 foot solid and only 2 takers and then empty
Incredible wave and place
Never seen any other wave as perfect
WSL = Wrecking Surf Locations
sailed there on the ann judith ii in 1999 I think it was, incredible spot, shared with some Brazzo's that looked like they'd been living in the jungle for months. Plenty of waves to go around though when the tide fills in and it starts really firing, don't expect that'll change much.
Alas all I have is but memories and a sequence upon thy wall.
not sure what is worse...
the WSL invasion or the russian invasion
yes Im still talking about indo, ...for both...
It's super fickle. My brother was there in the ninties when someone had their arm cut off by the locals. sounds sketchy.......on all fronts.
Spot on LD, when it comes to consistency it's at the other end of the spectrum to G-land. waiting period could be a while. Can't see the WSL wanting it, but they do have a habit of making crappy decisions on occasion. Stayed there for a bit in the mid 90's, no one around, did the old walk around with all your gear, water, and food, like some others had to do. Fun wave when it awakens,
yeah even when there is swell it only really works when the tide fills in, not a great competition spot
Great to have the memories sananova. That's all we have in the end.
The wsl do some things so well, but then go and do shit like this that just seem so far away from what core surfers want.
Never been there and it looks nasty for an aging b grade natural footer like myself.
Hope it is resolved well but Indonesia is hardly known for its open and honest business transactions which involve any significant sums.
Ranked 102 (equal with Albania) on Transparency International’s Corruption Index.
Just out of interest , what is the wave in the background?
“ Just out of interest , what is the wave in the background?”
Fuck! Good question! I’ve never noticed it… surfable?
that wave isnt surfed often but looks good in photos...the reef is deadly and often outruns you
thanks groundy, it certainly does look good in photos
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Fuck surf- focused developers and all that they stand for. At its best its not even a very good Contest wave,some might say. " Rider One: 5deep&long tube rides....Rider Two: 5deep&long tube rides' ...how do you judge that?? If the Indo government said "We are building the worlds biggest Tide -Powered HydroElectric facility on this land &it will power the whole of Indonesia with Zero emissions,".......well....we would just have to live with that. Where am I going with this? Fuck, I dunno. Just sayin...
Surprised that it's taken that long - a lot of 40+ surfers are into property development and think beach clubs and clifftop bars are the epitome of surfer chic cool. They've become the primary authors of the future in several places across the archipelago, and it's embarrassing and sad how many other surfers idolize them as "lifestylists". There's very few fancy Bukit places that aren't driven by the same kind of capitalist surf bro that would be driving this development. As usual, it will be the poorest locals that benefit the least through all of this.
yuk - ugly wankers
I surfed there in the 90's and early 2000's... i was actually there when old mate had his arm butchered via machete.. our boat was repeatedly approached by pirates - and we (the 3 girls) had to stay below deck as if they spotted females on the boat they would have boarded for sure - sketchy as.... Speaking of sketchy, I jumped in the water as the boat was anchored and had a full shampoo and wash and then swam to a neighbouring boat for shits and giggles... Turned out it was the McNamara brothers - or maybe just one? with some Japanese sponnos - and they bragged about their fillet steak and gourmet beer stash - and their sake - plus other relaxation combustibles - of which I was a willing participant, as it was my 24th birthday after all!
I also camped in the village right at the break - in the food storage "room" that Ibu cleared for me - a half sized pantry that meant I was lucky to be only 5'8 and could just fit.. sleeping on my board bag and being fed the best homecooked meals by the most divine old toothless 4 foot nothing Ibu - such a blessing... it was truly a memory for a lifetime.
The monkeys would chuck rocks or anything from the clifftop down at me when I went wandering around the reef when i wasn't surfing... not much of a fan of indo monkeys...
i remember i had to get out of my transport car to stand on the back bumper along with a couple of highly entertained local villagers as we put extra down pressure on the bald tyres to get enough grip to get up and over the hill on the goat track that was the entrance to the village... pure fun and adventure.
If this development goes through it will break my hardened heart. This place is arid and remote. This place is like stepping back in time and that's the whole appeal - besides the home to the most amazing wave on the planet.
I sincerely hope this development doesn't get off the ground. For so many reasons. Haven't we exploited the world's surfing destinations enough?
No way!! One of the times I went there in the mid 90s that story of the machete attack was floating around...gave us the creeps - as we were sleeping in the old fishing hut around the headland.
As we drove out there one of the local kids jumped on the sidestep and hassled us to pay him to go get food and water for us. I paid him - and he rode off at dusk with the money. Was gone for hours. I thought....well, scammed there! Much to my shame he collapsed off his push bike late that night, he'd returned with a few bottles of water and some bananas....but he'd been riding for hours. Felt so bad for him. Scored it close to empty - one of those crazy days where you sit not eh beach and its like literally 1 foot....this crusty old timer said..."Give it an hour..."
Like freaking clock work - tide shifted and it was 5-6 and smoking its brains out. Unforgettable.
Sadly - next time I went back I had that memory in mind...only to stumble back on why own - and find the take off zone packed so tight you knocked into guys boards as you spun for a wave. I got a few and just couldn't handle the aggression and crap vibe so paddled in.
Humans hey!!
I'm surprised the whole of Lombok hasn't gone like this - although Grupuk with its hillside Russian villas is an early frontrunner
Got fond memories of my first trip there in 90. Hung out with Keith from Gracetown and slept in the seaweed huts and traded fish for venison with an old man and his son. Etched in my brain is the memory of Walking over the last hill just before the point came into view and passed a dude walking out whose back was doing a fair impression of an encounter with a cheese grater. Fucking scared the living fuck out of my 20yr old arse and killed my confidence for a bit before I came good. Sure they’ll build it but the next big tsunami or pole shift will take care of it……………….
I've been to Lombok several times & surfed Banko Banko way back in the early 80's. personally I prefer G-land on my backhand as it is a more forgiving wave backside. Seen the development happening in Kuta (Lombok) the last time I was there (2016) & being a muslim holiday there were heaps of Javenese tourists about. Loved Lombok in the early days but now the influx of Euro surfers & development for the majority Muslim population of Indo. is sadly ruining what used to feel like Bali in the early days i.e. minimal crowds in the line ups & chilled locals who were friendly but not in your face like around the tourist traps in Bali! As far as the WSL goes it's a corporation that is only interested in positive dividens for its shareholders, not the surfers it employs & entertains via webcasts to make money by advertisements etc by selling its product ( the pro surfing circus)! They call it progress, they paved paradise & put in a parking lot!
if it does proceed would a good outcome be they run the contest, get no waves, they run the contest again and again get no waves and just abandoned the idea altogether. This way it may put a few punters off travelling to DP due to the fickleness of the wave? never been there but would have thought it cant be one of those contesta they can move around due to the remoteness and being Indo.
having the comp at g-land is bad enough but perfect for it. g-land rarely gets below 2foot and the trades are more common in dry season than lombok or sumbawa in my experience.
Development there is pretty much inevitable with the scale of the investment in Kuta Lombok right? Can't have DP just sitting there in all its glory. I reckon Lombok is pretty much screwed except as a playground for wealthy resort dwellers. Sure the waves will continue to roll in but no more isolated low development idyll. Heaps of tourists and wealthy Indonesians will be looking at this as great news, I feel most sorry for the people who have been living a simple life there for years. Lots of Lombok was about as close to subsistence living as anywhere I'd been when I went there 20 years ago but already then barely any of the prime land was owned by the locals.
Well said Yendor. Not much we can do about it aye. I'm just glad I got to experience the place before it got developed.
I can still relive those deep barrels if I close my eyes.... till Im senile.
If I was a local living in Lombok; 3rd world style in a thatch hut; below an active volcano; surviving earthquakes ( last one was in 2018) & Covid tourist ghost towns; I would want my family to get a job working for rich westerners, rather than fishing, tobacco farming or making rugs for $3 a day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasak_people#/media/File:Sasak1.jpg
The resort owner & WSL would have to somehow stop the malaria mosquitos from ruining the sunset memories for the unprepared. "Would you like a puff of DEET with your margarita dear...?"
Maybe the WSL could ask Bill Gates to help ....
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/our-work/programs/global-health/malaria