2 July 2011, Kuta-Bali: Australian 4-time World Champion Surfing Legend Mark Richards joined fellow previous surfing world champions Martin Potter and Cheyne Horan as well as Pipeline Master Jake Paterson in a press conference at the Harris Hotel on world famous Kuta Beach on Friday afternoon July 1st to support the inaugural Big Bali Eco Weekend environmental event that will take place on Kuta Beach this weekend on July 2-3rd.
“I haven’t been to Bali since 1980,” said Richards during the press conference, “and to say it has changed a lot is a huge understatement. I hardly recognized the place, with the heavy traffic, big buildings and cars and motorbikes everywhere. But was hasn’t changed are the waves, which is what made Bali the tourist destination that it is today. I have such great memories of Bali and I hope that we can start to change things by making the public, politicians and business aware of their responsibility to the environment with this event. As surfers we all love this place and don’t want it destroyed, but rather returned to a more natural state so we and future generations can continue to enjoy it.”
Potter and Horan echoed Richard’s sentiments, expressing their support for the effort to bring Bali back to a more natural and clean condition, with Horan giving Steve Palmer kudo’s saying “Every since I can remember, Steve has always been at the forefront of the environmental efforts here in Bali to clean things up, trying to get the government on board. Today we had the Governor of Bali and also the Minister of the Environment in the same room and listening to us, a first and very significant step in the right direction. Congratulations to Steve and the rest of the team and thanks for the invitation to come here and be a part of this event.”
The press conference was officially opened by Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia President Director Peter Kelly, with additional speeches by Quiksilver Indonesia CEO Paul Hutson, Martin Potter, Jake Paterson, Bruce Waterfield, and last year’s King of the Grom winner Andre Julian.
Earlier in the day, also at the Harris Hotel, the Bali Clean and Green Muliti-Stakeholder Networking for Solutions Forum was held and was officially opened by Indonesia’s Minister of the Environment Prof. DR. Ir. Gusti Muh. Hatta and the Governor of Bali I Made Mangku Pastika. It is the first in a series of events whose purpose is to bring all the stakeholders together to create practical solutions to the current environmental challenges Bali faces, starting with waste management.
The Big Bali Eco Weekend is a combined effort by Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia and Quiksilver Indonesia to heighten awareness of the environmental issues facing Bali and to generate support for their efforts to clean up the beaches, preserve the turtle population, clean up the water supply and educate the local population on how to properly dispose of their trash.
Although there will be serious environmental awareness messages communicated during the event, a lot of fun activities will accompany two day event as well starting with the Quiksilver King of the Groms surfing competition at 7 am on Saturday morning. A Lifeguard race, movies on the sand, Bali’s biggest sea turtle release, beach clean ups, the Legends vs. Locals Surf Challenge (featuring from Indonesia Dede Suryana, Tipi Jabrik, Andre Julian and Ketut Menda) and then finishing up with an awards presentation and rocking out on Sunday evening on the sands of Kuta Beach with live bands Bondan Prakoso and Fade 2 Black.
There will be lots of opportunities over the two days to meet surfing’s biggest legends, have a chat, learn what you can do to help get Bali clean and healthy, and get tips on how to improve your surfing along with lots of fun entertainment.
Heaps of instant prizes will be given out on both days highlighted by a MR Retro Twin Fin Surf Pack and a Jake Paterson Surf Pack
See the complete schedule at www.coca-colaamatil.co.id
MattiO says
Can’t remember Cheyne Horan winning a worl title Slim ?? I could be wrong !!