27th August – 6th September | 4 foot ++
Always better in front of your mates
Choc and Stockton’s finest wash off the cobwebs and jump on the Mighty Mango for their very first time and set course for the land of the rights south of the equator.
DREAMS TURN INTO REALITY
The usual mission statement was thrown out before departure: find empty waves. And that’s exactly what went down.
We banked up plenty of solo sessions and soon reality had set in that we are doing exactly what we came for.
STOCKO’S FINEST
The Mango Madness was back in full swing - breakfast beers weren’t a novelty, they were the norm, and heavily sunburnt backs were the proof of hours clocked in the water.
Buffa copped a surprise with a black-banded sea krait licking at his foot, and plenty of belly laughs from “Story Time with Foz”.
DAY OF DAYS
Only fools rush…The Indian Ocean swell machine took a breather mid trip, but we all had our eyes on the next west swell that was coming with plenty of energy and favorable winds. You could feel the excitement levels as we traveled through the early hours of the morning to be first on the spot.
Huey delivered with a beautiful slow swell. Slow doesn’t sound good, unless it works to your benefit, as other boats drove in to check the waves, think it was flat, and keep on driving looking for something else.
We surfed it all day pretty much to ourselves on the “slow swell”. Trading barrels with your best mates, loaded esky sitting on the Foxy Lady in the channel, Village kids swimming around on a sugar high. It truly doesn’t get much better.
We aren’t lying when we talk about the Mango JuJu!
STINKY BARRACUDA
Fishing was light-on this run. A few tiddlers, nothing worth the Instagram feed. On one particular run the reel screamed, the crew leapt, and Neil went to work. It felt heavy, looked heavy… and turned out to be a monster stinking barracuda. Not the sashimi trophy we wanted, but the chaos, sore arms, and belly laughs were worth the strike and land.
MVP - THE GOLDEN DRAGON
Young Kobie saved his second-year apprentice money and jumped on last minute for his first ever taste of Indonesia, and it might go down as the best investment he’ll ever make after clocking up over 30 barrels on the day of days.
He truly had the wave dialed by mid-morning weaving through tube after tube and coming out with a bigger smile every time. It was so epic watching Kobie have the time of his life.
For effort, attitude, and pure froth factor, Kobie claims the MVP, AKA The Golden Ring, and the honorary title of The Golden Dragon.
BBQ VIBES
There are few things stranger than paddling for a set while your nose tells you someone’s cooking steak. Back on deck, Situ was at it again, whipping up BBQ Thai marinated beef and sweet potato salad that stole the show.
QUOTE
“I’ve done more surfing in the last 3 days than I have in the last 3 years”
Buffa
“I think I could live here”
Young Kobie
“I’ve never seen barrels like that in my life”
Pretzel
“Oh, you guys are on the Mango? We wish we were on the Mango”
Random dude on the plane to Padang
Special Thanks
As always, the hardest working crew in the world and Choc for doing the research and booking with us. We are glad the Mighty Mango lived up to all the hype.
Cheers Uncle Lip.
