Many surfers around the world have put their daily surf fix at the very centre of their world. Several of them have become modern day pioneers, pushing through years of angst and expense in far off lands. Many just fulfil the initial dream of finding an idyllic wave location and making it “their own”. Others go further and do such things as creating surf camps in their dream areas. They search to find those with the authority to agree to a surf camp in the area. They spend months, even years, in agonisingly long, drawn out negotiations with so many parties – locals, investors, partners, designers, builders, suppliers – the list goes on. But we are so grateful to those few who do persist because oh my, what paradises they have created for us all to enjoy!
Take Telos Surfing Village (TSV) as an example. It is surrounded by multiple world class waves that work in all swell directions. The founders designed and built the infrastructure themselves, employing loads of locals along the way. They had families and brought them to TSV. The only access used to be an overnight boat trip from Padang to get to TSV – all 12 hours of it. But once at TSV, the effort is so worthwhile. There is no excuse to sleep in, as there are waves virtually every day. Beautiful, uncrowded waves. Your hosts will drag you out of bed to take you surfing, regardless of your (or their) Bintang consumption the night before. Or how well, or how badly, or how late into the night, you played in the pool comp.
