Gede Narmada by Kamilla

“A day without surfing is a day wasted”

The ocean, which occupies the largest part of this planet that we live on, accommodates some really strange creatures: flying fish, octopus of unimaginable size, deep sea creatures with very strange looking parts�and some yet undiscovered.

We suppose that all living beings and plants that now exist on land were originally developed in this wet region, and even today, life wouldn�t exist without this huge basin, surrounding and connecting all the continents. Just think about the very dynamic and complex relation of the water, air and landmasses! Imagine life without the rain, which actually comes into being on the ocean! Drought would cover the planet, with hunger and thirst completing this horrible scenario.
It doesn�t matter if you live close to the sea or not, it will always have a great influence on every single life on this planet�Besides that, it is still one of the most exciting and undiscovered areas! Almost � of the planets� surface (362 million sqm) is water. More than 30% of it is between 4,000 and 5,000 meters deep. It�s not hard to imagine that there are still many secrets and treasures lying on the bottom of the ocean, but unfortunately some neglect to focus their vision on their immediate environment � we are talking about living on Mars � even though there is so much to discover in the depth of the oceans. But not everyone grasps for the stars - one of them is standing right next to me, looking at the sea and says, “There is still so much we can learn from the ocean.”
This is the voice of Gede Narmada - father, businessman and surfer, but not an ordinary one. He belongs to a certain league of Balinese surfers - one that has leveled the ground for the younger generation on this island and has helped to make surfing much more easy and popular. When Gede first started to surf in the early seventies, the surf scene in Bali looked totally different. It wasn�t just smaller and more difficult to get the right equipment, it was also dominated by foreign surfers, mostly from Australia.

Similar to many young local boys in those days, Gede tried to earn money in order to finance his education�paying for his schooling. That�s how he got in touch with tourists, even though there were only a few (among other things, they were called Hippies). One day, some of them with some strange looking luggage asked him to take them to a place called Uluwatu. Gede had never been there before but managed to find it, and that�s when he discovered what was inside of their luggage, and what magical things they could do with those long and thin boards � gliding across the waves. That was not only the beginning of his great love affair with surfing but also the beginning of some real good friendships. Gede met lots of helpful people who shared their knowledge with the young and motivated boy from Bali, and at the same time encouraged him to try more. They also supported him with their equipment, because back in the early seventies it was not easy to get boards, wax or anything else. Gede still remembers very well the name of the guy who left him his first board, Ron Robino, before he could afford his own in 1975. Gede himself actually continued this kind of attitude and lifestyle � sharing, supporting and helping those who needed it.

Since then, many things have happened and a lot of things have changed. Not only in Gede’s personal life but also in the lives and attitudes of many people in Bali. Take for instance Kuta: the tiny former fishing village has developed into to the tourist center of Bali, with lots of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and of course a big and stimulated surfing scene - and this scene gets bigger every day�.unimaginable thirty years ago when our young Gede started out. Although the people of Bali live on an island and therefore close to water, they preferred working in the rice fields to being in the ocean. The ocean was known to be a feared and sometimes merciless dimension, so that�s why they always turned their backs to the ocean. But not our hero - he always loved the ocean. Even as a young boy he would sit for hours close to the sea, enjoying the sound, the color, and the seemingly never-ending vastness. Money can�t buy this� and although he had the opportunity to see many lovely places, there is just nothing better than this big, blue playground. That�s why he says, “a day without surfing or just seeing the sea is a day wasted.”
For Gede, surfing is not only his greatest love, his passion, and his lifestyle, this sport provided him with lots of other great possibilities � you even can say that he was one of the lucky people who got to profit from it, or to say it in his words, “I was just at the right place at the right time.” Through his surf business, Ulu�s Surf Shops, he has met many people and made wonderful friends all over the world, and has had the opportunity to see many countries and try different surf spots all over the globe. But if you ask him which are his favorite, he would give you a list like this: Padang-Padang, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua, Sanur and Kuta Reef.
So, what might be the plans for a man who has all he needs and much more in life? “Giving back what I have received from the ocean, �” is the reply, “and this starts with cleaning up the beaches. Unfortunately, too many young people are not conscious of the importance of a healthy environment. We abuse it instead of just using it. To make swimming, snorkeling, diving and of course surfing possible for all coming generations, we actually have to protect the ocean from ourselves � but we must also call everyone�s attention to stop the destruction of nature. This should be on everybody�s agenda.”
After a minute of silence Gede shows me his magnificently great smile and finally adds: “� and of course I want to make sure to stay very close to the ocean.”
By Kamilla

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