Chasing Surfing Waves and Dreams

Twenty-seven-year-old director David Arnold brings out two awards out of their black boxes and sets them down on his work desk in his home in Kemang, South Jakarta. They are crystal clear, save for a black-and-white sticker pasted on each one saying “Who’s Your Dede”.

He won the awards for the documentary film “Mengejar Ombak” (Chasing Waves), which he directed alongside Tyrone Lebon. The movie recounts the early life of Dede Suryana — one of only two Indonesian surfers to have ever competed in world championship events and winner of two gold medals at the 2008 Asian Beach Games — and follows his journey from one competition to another across five continents.

The film won in the categories of Emerging Director and Original Music Score at X-Dance, an action sports film festival in Utah in January this year.

“Dede put the stickers on himself,” Arnold says, smiling. “During the Q&A session in Utah, some people in the audience asked me questions, but I called Dede down to answer them. And I swear, throughout the festival, there wasn’t a standing ovation as loud as the one Dede got. The crowd loved him. The girls went crazy for him.”

Early on in the film, Dede sits in his small rented room in Bali and talks about his hopes of one day buying his own house.

Born 23 years ago in the small fishing village of Cimaja, West Java Province, Dede had an early interest and a natural talent in surfing, as his parents and older brothers say in the film. From the age of 6, Dede’s passion and talent for surfing was obvious to those around him. With humble beginnings, he would paddle banana tree trunks in the river and go swimming at Cimaja’s beach. His brothers later taught him how to surf.

“When I saw Dede at the beach, he had just turned 6 years old. After a while, he got good and later he got sponsored by Spyderbilt,” Otoy, one of Dede’s brothers, says in the film.

Edin, another brother of Dede, recalls how he took Dede to Bali twice a year to compete. “My parents were angry at me, but I just wanted to give Dede the support he needed to become the best,” says Edin, who also surfs.

A broad range of other interviewees, such as Dede’s guardian in Bali, Surf Time magazine publisher Harry Radcliffe, and Indonesian surfing legend Rizal Tanjung, recollect their early encounters with the wonder-child after he moved to Bali to chase his dreams.

Arnold, who has lived in Indonesia on and off, would go on surfing trips to Cimaja as a teenager. It was there that he first saw Dede, then a sun-kissed, well-built 14-year-old surfer. Back then, the two would simply exchange nods.

“Dede is one of the most talented surfers, one of the most talented sportsmen, and his story crosses so many themes,” Arnold says. “He comes from a humble background. His family is great. He is a charismatic character and his face is very photogenic. So I thought, let’s make a film about the guy.”

That was 2004. In 2005, the film crew recorded the first interviews, and the shooting process continued throughout 2007. The post-production stage went on, and off, through 2008.

The most interesting thing about the documentary is that it isn’t just another story about a sportsman’s struggle to make it to the top. Instead, it zooms into Dede as he tries to maintain his Muslim identity in a Westernized Bali, where surfers are notorious for being party animals and “chick magnets,” as one of his friends claims in the film.

At the beginning of the film, Dede’s mother, Iin Yuhinu, recalls how before her son was taken to Bali she warned his sponsor not to give the “bad stuff” to her son. “Just give him Sprite or Coca-Cola,” she says.

Her words were solemnly obeyed, confirmed by close friend and fellow surfer Dedi Gun, who says unlike himself, Dede is a serious person who rarely parties. The serious side of Dede is beautifully captured in footage depicting him standing poised, staring thoughtfully into the rolling waves.

For those who wish to see the 2008 Indonesian Surfer of the Year in action, the film shows Dede riding and flying over the breaks, and smoothly gliding out of barrels every now and then.

The 47-minute, organically developed film hints at an anticlimactic ending, when Dede’s attempt to qualify for the world championship looks unpromising.

However, the final scene offers a sense of optimism and closure to Dede’s endeavor, evoking the message that he is also a winner off the breaks.

Arnold believes that with his indubitable talent and young age, Dede will find himself in the spotlight for a long time.

“His is a story that’s going to develop,” he said. “The film is just a portrait in Dede’s ongoing journey.”


(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com on March 19, 2009. Photo : Zimbio)

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Youngsters Add Life To West Java Surf Scene

Wearing only his black Quiksilver trunks, Dede Fauzi Rahmatullah eased into the water at Cikembang Beach on Saturday morning.

Toting a green and yellow surfboard seemingly too heavy for his 8-year-old body to carry and taller than his one-meter frame, he paddled away from the beach in search of his own waves.

Soon, a one-foot wave to his liking rolled in. As the wave started pushing his board, Dede slowly rose from a prone position to standing, keeping his balance the whole time. He rode the wave to cheers from fellow Surf Culture Club Indonesia members until he wiped out from hitting the beach.

Among the 15 SCCI members was Rian Hidayatullah, Dede’s brother. The group made the 15-kilometer trip to Cikembang after finding few good waves that morning at their usual spot, Sunset Beach at Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java.

Dede and Rian are among 52 children between ages 8 and 17 receiving surfing lessons at SCCI. Surfing is definitely in the brothers’ blood as their father is Mumuh Syamsul Bahri, the SCCI founder and local surfing legend.

Dede, who started hitting the waves at age 6, said he is no longer afraid of the waves at Pelabuhan Ratu, a spot known for its dangerous waves.

“I used to feel afraid when entering the sea. I was afraid the waves would take me away, but slowly I got to like it,” he said.

Even at his tender age, Dede said he has lost count of how many times he has almost drowned.

That has not kept him from the sea, though, as he practices before and after school every day and has won several local tournaments.

Big brother Rian, 14, is considered the next big thing in the Indonesian surfing scene. He finished fourth at the 2008 Quiksilver King of the Groms and was runner-up at the 2008 Volcom’s Helifish Surf Series, both held at Cimaja Beach.

His next competition will be qualifying for the Billabong West Java Pro from May 20 to 23, also at Cimaja.

“I want to be the king of all surfers. My favorite surfer is Garut, he is a goofy-footer and prefers small waves just like me,” said Rian, who started surfing at age 9.

Garut is the nickname of Balinese surfer I Made Widiarta, who recently turned professional after winning two gold medals at the Asian Beach Games and the junior pro division of the 2008 Indonesia Surfing Championship tour.

Like Dede, Rian has had his share of hair-raising experiences in the water.

“I love surfing so much,” Rian said.

“Many times I’ve been swept away by the waves, but I’m back in the water the day after.

“The most terrifying thing happened as I was paddling one day, when a big fish suddenly came out of water. We looked at each other’s eyes before it finally jumped across me and swam away. It was as big as my board. I was so shocked, I just stayed on the beach the whole day.”

The surfing talent is not limited to their family. Andre Julian, 14, is also shining in local competition.

Andre, who started surfing as an 8-year-old, has collected three national junior championship titles, winning the 2006 Ripcurl GromSearch and Quiksilver King of the Groms and Volcom’s Helifish Surf Series in 2008. He said his role models include 2007 world champion Mick Fanning and nine-time world tour winner Kelly Slater.

Andre’s performances earned him several sponsorship offers, and he signed his first-ever contract with Quiksilver, a surfing apparel company, in January.

“They gave me two boards and supply me with clothing every three months, but not money. I’m so happy,” he said.

One link between the three young surfers is their coach, Mumuh. Six SCCI members, including 18-year-old Ende Supriatna Monot, have signed sponsorship contracts.

“They have the talent to become the country’s world class pro surfers,” Mumuh said. “But lots of those kids come from poor families and drop out of school. I hope the government will pay more attention to these talented kids’ education, maybe by giving them scholarships.”

In addition to furthering their development on the waves, Mumuh also provides an academic boost by calling in a teacher to help the kids learn English.

“It will be useful for them. The most important thing is they have to learn new skills,” he said.

Until then, the youngsters join their club mates on the water, hoping to find the waves that will take them to fame and fortune one day. Photo: Surf Culture Club Indonesia member Dede Fauzi Rahmatullah, 8, riding waves at Cikembang Beach, Pelabuhan Ratu.

(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com on April 14, 2009. Photo: Dedy Maryanto/JG)

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