Surf History
As with most remote surf locations worldwide, we'll probably never know who first surfed the Mentawai chain. One story has a Californian shaper, name unknown, surfing the area in 1944 while stationed on a US patrol boat. His greatest concern was the fear of tigers attacking him on the beach so he never ventured ashore. Ironically there are no tigers in the Mentawais and trekking in the jungle is hard work but safe. People were consistently riding Lagundi Bay on Nias, not far to the north, in 1975, and some ventured south. A group of Australian surfers claim to have visited Macaronis in 1980, after a ferry trip across from Padang. They never went back -- the rigors of overland travel in Sumatra outweighed the amazing surf they enjoyed.. The islands were -- and still are, in places -- home to extraordinary bands of indigenous Mentawai, who lived high in the rain forest areas of the larger islands. Indonesia's governing authorities have shown somewhat conflicting attitudes to the islands. They sometimes appear to be concerned with preserving their natural state and, at other times, open the door to giant tropical hardwood logging corporations and relocating thousands of mainland Javanese people to the area's small port towns. Kiwi salvage diver Martin Daly had a chance to scope the area in 1989 when he won a contract to drag a timber barge off a reef in Pagai. He was soon back with a group of mates all sworn to secrecy. He knew he had discovered a treasure trove of surf. In 1991 Dave Plant ran a charter for Rip Curl top brass on his steel ketch Whaima to Enganno …. The guys loved it and they were back with Dave in 92 on his classic timber schooner Sirius . David was based in Bali and had teamed up with Indo veteran and keen surfer, Rick Cameron, to run surf charters to Lombok, Sumbawa and the Eastern Islands. In 91-92 Daly also ran several low key charters for surf industry heavies on board his 75-foot steel-hulled Indies Trader. The first magazine photo trip was in 1993 for Surfing magazine and Rip Curl, with surfers Tom Curren, Chris Davidson, Brock Little and Frankie Oberholzer, and photographer Jeff Hornbaker. The magazines did not name the locations but the cat was out of the bag. In May 1993, Rick Cameron arrived in Benkulu on the West coast of Sumatra in his home built wooden yacht “Electric Lamb” with 6 months of solid bookings lined up. Guests onboard included well know Nias surf pioneer Reevso and a contingent of Margaret Rivers top surf identities… Rick Gath, Rob Conneelly, Terry and Gary Keys, the Jakovich family and Taj Burrows parents, Nancy and Vance to mention a few. After a month exploring Enganno, the Electric Lamb sailed North into the uncharted Mentawai surf zone. Every point and island begged exploration and for the first month the lucky crew did not sight another surfer. Although the islands remained unnamed in the surf press until 1994-5, they hardly remained unknown and the shroud of secrecy only made the area irrestistable to insiders who could figure out how to get out there. (One odd offshoot: since it was all so new, rival captains started renaming spots in an effort to claim them as original, new spots. In this way, Lance's Rights earned the secondary name Hollowtrees) The torrent of images from pro surfers and photographers made waves like HTs into something of a surf media magnet. Most Mentawai veterans consider 15 people in the water a crowd and when the swell kicks in there are so many breaks working that only skippers on the “milk run” consider stopping at a break with that many people in the water. Younger surfers who have grown up with competing hard for every wave enjoy as many waves as they want at the big name breaks and more mellow older surfers can always find a fun wave by themselves. Many spectacular Mentawaian surf spots remain barely ridden and surfers world wide are drawn here by the certainty that they will have a chance to ride the best waves of their lives. |
Culture
The earliest european interaction with Mentawai society led to the naming of these islands as the “Isles of Good Fortune”. It seems that clans lived in relative isolation except for a few weeks every year when edible land crabs migrate to breed. During these few weeks of plenty, the clans would mingle along the beaches and young men would seek brides from neighboring areas. There seems to have been no war amongst clans, no crime, no thieves and no adultery. The rain forest provided plenty of food for all and it was shared equally and with generosity in great clan houses or Umas scattered through the mountains of the interior. Everyone was treated equally—including women and children. The head of the clan was the acknowledged elder and the sikeireis (shamans) were honored and given special status because of the knowledge, wisdom and herbal medicines they prepared.  The Mentawai feared only the warlike Nias who raided villages in Siberut killing the men and taking the women back to work their stony fields. It is possible that Nias war raids resulted in reciprocal head hunting and cannibalism and some early european settlers and missionaries were considered threats and met the same fate. The jungle skills of the Mentawai and their deadly accuracy with poison arrows made them greatly feared by mainlanders. Early attempts at logging by the English and Dutch met with failure. The “modern” world passed them by for centuries but the rich timber resources of the islands started a wave of “development” that changed Mentawai society in dramatic ways. Mountain clans were lured to coastal villages by promises of access to "free" education for their children, medical care, “civilized” clothing and a church of their “choice.” The temptation was strong and many clans left their traditional long houses, umas, where entire clans lived beneath one roof, to settle in small, single-family houses that looked modern but were poorly designed and built. Many Mentawai now live in flat swampy villages with no effective drainage forcing the Mentawai to break their own taboo and use the river or the beach as a latrine. Cholera and hepatitis epidemics are frequent and mainland doctors can not reach the more remote villages to treat the sick. This new sedentary lifestyle encourages heavy exploitation of the nearby natural resources. This rapidly decimated local wildlife such as deer and monkeys prized by the Mentawai for their meat. Sadly many Mentawai now suffer from protein and vitamin deficiencies for the first time in their history. The resettlement of the clans in Mentawai is a classic example of the failure of modernization to improve the quality of life. The missionaries did try to treat the sick and educate the Mentawai but they worked even harder to stamp out the practice of body decoration by tattoo and the wearing of traditional body cover. Loincloths are the only clothing adapted to life in the rainforest and in common with other rain forest cultures around the world, the palm bark loincloths use by the Mentawai have been in use for thousands of years. Long, heavy trousers get wet, restrict movement and make leeches difficult to detect. Polyester cotton shirts rot within a few weeks. The result is often skin disease and always an financial burden for families who must buy new ones regularly. Shoes quickly become sodden and mud-filled, making walking difficult. The women were pressured to cover their bodies and to wear bras to their great discomfort. Another example of paternalistic and prescriptive “aid” that has resulted in young Mentawai being ashamed of their parents culture and way of life. Tourism may be able to preserve these traditions but only if it is well managed. 
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