23 June 2011, Katiet – Sipora Island, Mentawai: In an unexpected matchup at the 30 minute final of the inaugural Mentawai Surf Competition in the world class wave known as Lances Right, Agus Frimanto and Putra Hermawan battled it out with Frimanto coming out on top to take his first ever Coca-Cola ISC Tour victory.
Frimanto and Hermawan both hail from the small island of Nusa Lembongan, which is within eyesight of the island of Bali, and grew up surfing together. Hermawan is last year’s Coca-Cola ISC Open Division Champion as well as Pro Junior Division Champion, and both competitors are just 18 years of age.
For his victory today, Frimanto will receive a cash prize of Rp 15 million and 3,000 Coca-Cola ISC Championship points. “I’m so happy to get the win here today and especially happy to be in the final with my Lembongan brother,” said Frimanto. “In Round 4 I can’t believe that I beat Dede Suryana, I was so lucky to get that 9 point wave in the last two minutes, then win my quarterfinal and semifinal heats too. This place and the people are so great, and the wave is so perfect. It’s the first time I ever surfed in a wave so good like this!”
Hermawan was smiling and didn’t seem disappointed with his runner up finish, saying, “I was surprised and totally stoked just to be in the final, especially with Agus. Truthfully I didn’t think either of us would be in the final, with all these other really good surfers here. So I’m very happy for Agus, and that we could be here in this great place surfing such amazing waves. It’s such a cool place and I’m so glad we got to come here and surf, hang out, and enjoy it. “
29 Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship competitors traveled from Bali, Nusa Lembongan and West Java to compete in this the fourth stop on the 2011 Coca-Cola ISC Tour, with 29 surfers from Padang and the Mentawai Islands joining in. The Mentawai Surf Competition 2011 was officially opened on the afternoon of June 20 with speeches and local dances, after the group arrived at the village of Katiet on Sipora Island, and the competition began on the morning of June 22nd.
On June 23rd, in addition to the Open Division and Master’s Division surfing competition, the Coca-Cola ISC Team headed by Tipi Jabrik led the locals in beach cleanup, with prizes of Coca-Cola, stickers, and t-shirts being given out so that everybody received something. It is the Coca-Cola ISC Tour’s and tour sponsor Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia’s mission to not only support and develop surfing in Indonesia but also to develop environmental awareness by teaching the local people how to keep their beaches clean and properly dispose of their trash.
In addition to the total Rp 60 million in prize money received by the competitors at the competition, the Coca-Cola ISC Tour CEO presented 13-year-old local Ijrel Sababalat a brand new surfboard as the Coca-Cola Encouragement award. The tiny but brave young man was charging the big waves of Lances Right with no fear and lots of skill, and according to him he can’t even remember when he first started surfing! “From when I was small,” he said with a grin.
Bali’s Dewa Made Ardika won the Coca-Cola ISC Highest Wave Score award of Rp 1 million for his 9 point (out of a possible 10 points) wave on the first day of competition, the biggest and deepest barrel ride of the event.
Initiated and sponsored by the Mentawai Islands Department of Culture, Tourism, Youth, and Sports, Mentawai Surf Competition 2011 is the first ever 6-star ISC event to be held in the Mentawai Islands, which are known throughout the world as THE Mecca of surfing. Mrs Desti Seminora SE, who is the head of the Tourism Office was very satisfied with the results of the event, saying “It was great to see the excitement from the local people and the amazing ability of the surfers. I’m very happy with how the event went and I thank the ISC for helping us to organize and run such a professional competition. Our plan is to have another surfing event next year on the island of Siburut, and to make it even bigger and better than this one.”
Special thanks to SurfAid for the use of their internet, and to the people of Katiet for their hospitality.
Mentawai Surf Competition 2011 Contest Results:
Coca-Cola ISC Open Division
1 – Agus Frimanto (Nusa Lembongan)
2 – Putra Hermawan (Nusa Lembongan)
Equal 3rd – Marlon Gerber (Bali) and Raditya Rondi (Bali)
Coca-Cola ISC Masters Division (35 years of age and older)
1 – Ketut Wirtawan (Bali)
2 – Wayan Wirtama (Bali)
3 – Ketut Juliarta (Bali)
4 – Nyoman Wastika (Bali)
Coca- Cola Surfboard Encouragement Award – Ijrel Sababalat
Coca-Cola ISC Highest Wave Score – Dewa Made Ardika = Rp 1 million
Text and Photos: Tim Hain – Coca-Cola ISC Tour
High Resolution Photos Available On Request
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