Bali’s first urban resort, Mamaka by Ovolo, has partnered with the island’s most renowned surfing school, Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy.
“At Mamaka, we aim to provide guests with good vibrations and enjoy the ultimate Bali experience. To have Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy as our official partner, our goal is we aim to give guests an exceptional surfing experience through the surf academy’s outstanding surf lessons, given all within our prime location as the birthplace of Bali’s surf culture,” expressed Joel Bartlett, the General Manager of Mamaka by Ovolo.
As official partners, the Academy will be nestled within the resort and provide the finest surfing lessons to those keen on learning the sport. Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy’s proven track record and ISA-certified instructors will complement Mamaka’s prime location perfectly well, as Kuta’s long stretch of golden sand and phenomenal sunsets has become a globally recognised surfer’s paradise. The Academy will be an exceptional addition to the urban resort.
Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy is locally and family-owned by Made Switra and his Australian wife, Holly Monkman.
“Kuta has long been known as a surfing hotspot, and to be in partnership with Mamaka and be a part of the Ovolo family is exciting as it will certainly attract surfers from around the globe to ride the waves of the Kuta Beach once more,” said Made Switra, Co-Founder of Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy.
Switra is one of Bali’s most legendary surfing pioneers and one of the most successful and respected locals, having travelled the world and surfing as a sponsored Quiksilver team rider. He made history as the first Balinese surfer to travel to Hawaii, making his mark by surfing Hawaii’s famed Pipeline surf break. Likewise, Monkman has over twenty years of experience both in professional surfing, as well as in the surf industry. In her youth, she was a sponsored professional surfer and later helped develop the careers of several world tour surfer champions as Roxy’s Global Sports Marketing Manager.
Surfing was first introduced in Indonesia by an American couple, Bob and Louis Koke. Around the mid-1930s, they embarked on a trip to Bali and decided to settle on the exotic island. Bob, an avid surfer who first experienced surf culture during his time in Hawaii, became the first person to surf the waves of Kuta Beach. He taught some of the locals to surf, which sparked the beginning of the island’s long and unique surf history. Back then, surfboards were commonly crafted out of hollowed-out teak wood, which was heavy and quite difficult to manoeuvre.
In the late 1930s, Switra’s grandfather, who had a penchant for shaping wooden boards, discovered Bob Koke’s abandoned surfboard and decided to bring it home. It was then that he created the first-ever handmade surfboard in Bali, which was carved to an iconic shape made out of wood from local trees. This legendary surfboard is now showcased in all its glory in Mamaka’s lobby.
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