SURF AND BALI: Surfer girl Brenda from Canada!


Hi Brenda! How are you?
Hi there! Well, since I’m in Bali the only answer to that question is: Fantastic!

Where are you right now?
Right now? I’m in Legian, Bali, sitting on the porch of my losman (small hotel) with my feet up, a cold drink and a beautiful garden in front of me!

You are originally from Canada but you have been living in Korea for a while, why so?
I first went to Korea for the simple reason of making money! However, I ended up really loving the culture and being a teacher. Right now is also a really exciting time to be in Korea because of the social dynamics of traditional vs. contemporary influences on the young people.

A few weeks ago you moved to Bali! Why did you decide to stay in Bali for a longer time?
Bali is addictive! I’ve been coming here for my holidays for 3 years now, and every time it gets harder and harder to go back to “real life”! In Bali it’s so easy to be happy, even when things go wrong it’s easy to brush it off and just go surfing! I like that my biggest decisions of the day are things like what should I eat for breakfast? Or, where should I surf today? Everywhere you go everybody is so friendly! At restaurants it not unusual to strike up conversations with strangers, which often lead to learning about a new surf break, bar or location for great food and best of all, the making of new friends!

When did you start surfing? 
I first learned to surf in 2000 when I worked in California for a summer, however being from cold Canada and working as an alpine guide I didn’t get the chance to surf again until 2005 when I met some surfers in Korea.

Where did you get your first idea to start surfing?
Now that’s a very long story but the short version is this: I was on a skiing road trip with 2 friends from California, we had been backcountry skiing in the Canadian Rockies and Coastal Ranges and were on our way up to Alaska. My companions talked about surfing all the time! So, while waiting for the ferry in Prince Rupert I finally snapped, “How can you keep talking about missing surfing when we have been climbing and skiing the most beautiful snowy powdery mountains in the world?!!” They simply laughed and said, “If you surfed you’d understand!” They gave me my first lesson, I learnt the “pop-up” right there on the benches at the ferry terminal!

Other than in Bali , where else you have been surfing?
California in the area around Carlsbad and La Jolla, Vancouver Island at a place called Tofino, and in Korea along the east and south coast.

What kind of surfing culture they have in Korea?
Surfing is a really new sport in Korea. Over the past 5 years the sport has really grown. When I first started surfing in 2005 there were only 10 or 12 surfers. If you said you were a surfer the reply would be “Oh wind- surfing”, if you corrected them you would hear, “Oh no! There aren’t any waves in Korea!” In those days if the surf was “really big”, firemen and/or police would come to the shore and with loud speakers order you to come in from the water! One friend even had an ambulance waiting for him for no reason! To make matters worse you would have to pay a fine for putting yourself in a position of potentially having to be rescued!! Since then a surfing a federation has been founded and education about the sport has really grown.  One strange thing about surfing in Korea that won’t change is that it is actually illegal to surf between 8am and 6pm during the summer months! If you saw the millions of people on the beaches you’d understand why! The good news is, if you surf weekdays other seasons or travel out of the city there are opportunities for some great sessions without the crowds.

The surfing community is close in Korea, there isn’t any localism or animosity, and surfers are really friendly. There are various competitions every year which are so fun since there are events for everyone from beginners to experts. There are lots of silly races, dares for prizes and things like limbo competitions and Korean traditional wrestling for both boys and the girls!

How does surfing differ in Korea or Bali?
The main differences are swell consistency, board size and weather. In Bali there are always waves, in Korea you can go weeks and weeks without any swell.  Even when there are waves they are easy to miss unless you’re on the internet checking the forecasts and tides. Then of course you have to get up off your lazy bum and go see what’s happening!

The next difference is that there are more longboarders than shortboarders. With the exception of typhoon season the waves are usually quite small and as a result many Korean surfers ride longboards. In Bali longboards are predominantly used when you learn and as you get better your board gets shorter.

Another difference is that Korea has 4 seasons so it’s not all board-shorts and bikinis like Bali! But even though you can’t get out and tan in the hot Bali sunshine you can go to traditional Korean “bath houses” to peel off your wetsuit in a warm shower and defrost yourself in hot pools and saunas!

Do you have many local friends in Bali?
Everyone professes to be your friend in Bali! But truthfully, I feel very close to so many people in Bali;  the sweet girls at the local restaurant and the family who own it, the boys who run the losman, the guy at the internet and the one who does the laundry, the lifeguards at the beach, etc. etc.  You realize how wonderful the little conversations of everyday life are, especially after you go away and come back again. The warm sincere welcome you get when you return year after year makes you realize how very special all these local people are.

Do they speak English well in Bali?
It depends where you are, in the tourist centers yes, most speak English very well. The Balinese people whose English is at a beginner or intermediate level still have clear pronunciation and a soft accent so they are easy to understand.

Do you know many girl surfers?
Only 2 very very cool and beautiful Finnish girls!

What else you do in Bali than surf?
Living here is a lot different than vacationing here! I used to love going to the spas for massages, manicures and pedicures, facials etc. I loved shopping and going out to the bars. But now, I’m less frivolous with my money! I spend a lot of time reading and keeping in touch with friends through e-mails and facebook. I study Indonesian and sometimes put together ideas for future lectures or workshops. I like going out to eat, or having a BBQ with friends. Naps in the sun are compulsory and of course exploring the island on my scooter always leads to fun adventures!

What is your favorite food in Bali?
I have to choose only one?! Pretty much impossible! Eating in Bali after the limited choices of international food in Korea is overwhelming! You can find foods from so many countries here and everything is made with the freshest of ingredients and super cheap prices! My favorites include jaffles, chicken satay, and every kind of seafood tastes better in Bali! I also have to mention all the different kinds of fresh fruit drinks! Mmmm mangos!

Are there any good waves in Bali right now?
Kuta beach has been closing out the past couple of weeks, so it means traveling to other locations.  Changgu and the breaks near Sanur have all had good swell, and chatting with other surfers they’ve also have been having some awesome days.

Next summer there will be surf and language school for Finnish students! We call it WAVE-Language School. Is there anything you would like to say to the students of WAVE?
First of all congratulations on choosing the mix of studying and surfing because it makes for a great combination! Here’s why, because of the wind and/or the tides, the waves aren’t good for surfing all day, so when the conditions change or when your arms are just too tired to paddle anymore then it’s time for school! What’s more, the excitement of the sport and the incredible wonders of Bali will easily channel into language learning activities and practice conversations! Good luck everyone ~ you’re going learn tons and really love it here!


Thanks for interview Brenda! We wish you some good WAVEs and hope to see you next summer in Bali!