Perth based photo-journalist Ric Chan started going on surf trips to Bali in the early 80s. In 1985 he was lured to Bali to help set up and run Cheaters Night Club in Kuta’s entertainment strip, near the famous Peanuts Club.
Ric lived in Bali until ’91 and then returned to his native NZ after his wife Sami passed away. Ric and his sons Taron & Tao settled in NZ’s North Island.
This is a glimpse of Ric’s 80’s Bali photo gallery and a taste of quieter times in Bali.
Ric Chan – Peter Neely is an old mate who was in Bali when I was there.
Peter runs the web site INDO SURF and LINGOwww.indosurf.com.au and has provided background comments on some of Ric’s Bali pics.
Photo: 1985 Royal Cremation Ceremony Kuta
Photo: 1985 Bali transport at Kuta.
Photo: 1980 Balinese surfer at Kuta
Peter Neely – Now this is definitely Made Kasim, one of the first Balinese to travel overseas on the surf contest trail. He made a big impression in Hawaii, and teamed up with Da Hui to sell their clothes in Bali and build villas and hotels at Uluwatu. Still a highly respected elder of the surf community, these days he is a priest in his home village of Legian.
Photo: 1980 Made Kasimi surfing at Kuta
Peter Neely – I’m not sure, but looking at how radical this guy is surfing, I’d say it has to be Made Kasim.
Photo: 1985 Cheaters Night Club at Kuta. Ric Chan helped set up & manage the night club.
Photo: 1985 Ric & local lad with Bali jeep in paddy fields.
Photo: 1985 unidentified surfer at Padang Padang – water damaged image.
Photo: 1985 shopping day in Ubud.
Photo: 1985 Ric’s wife Sami sharing fruit with pet monkey at Jimbaran Bay.
Photo: 1980 Sanur beachscape.
Photo: 1979-80 Sanur Tanjung Sari reef
Peter Neely – Hard to believe we never surfed this section of the reef (called Tanjung Sari) because the next reef north is so much better. We surfed the world-class Sanur Reef alone often in 1977, 78 and 79. My mate Col McLauchlan who worked as a singer at the Hotel Bali Beach for a few years tells of surfing alone so often that he would search among tourists sunbaking around the pool to see if any would paddle out with him. Qantas crew staying at the hotel were probably the first to see the uncrowded waves, and many brought their surfboards especially for Sanur in the early 70’s.
Photo: 1985 Aussie surfing Sanur reef.
Peter Neely – This looks like Kim “Fly” Bradley who was one of the first Aussie surfers to start living in Bali in 1973. He was the first to shape surfboards there too, often with colourful Balinese paintings on the deck featuring green ricefields, palm trees and Hindu demons and gods.
Photo: 1985 Bali sunset.
Coming soon 1980s Bali Photo Gallery by Ric Chan with comments from Peter Neely #5
You can inquire on the SDS Web & Facebook sites to view Ric’s previous Bali photo galleries.
Perth based photo-journalist Ric Chan started going on surf trips to Bali in the early 80s. In 1985 he was lured to Bali to help set up and run Cheaters Night Club in Kuta’s entertainment strip, near the famous Peanuts Club.
Ric lived in Bali until ’91 and then returned to his native NZ after his wife Sami passed away. Ric and his sons Taron & Tao settled in NZ’s North Island.
This is a glimpse of Ric’s 80’s Bali photo gallery and a taste of quieter times in Bali.
Ric Chan – Peter Neely is an old mate who was in Bali when I was there.
Peter runs the web site INDO SURF and LINGO www.indosurf.com.au and has provided background comments on some of Ric’s Bali pics.
Photo: 1985 Royal Cremation Ceremony Kuta
Photo: 1985 Bali transport at Kuta.
Photo: 1980 Balinese surfer at Kuta
Peter Neely – Now this is definitely Made Kasim, one of the first Balinese to travel overseas on the surf contest trail. He made a big impression in Hawaii, and teamed up with Da Hui to sell their clothes in Bali and build villas and hotels at Uluwatu. Still a highly respected elder of the surf community, these days he is a priest in his home village of Legian.
Photo: 1980 Made Kasimi surfing at Kuta
Peter Neely – I’m not sure, but looking at how radical this guy is surfing, I’d say it has to be Made Kasim.
Photo: 1985 Cheaters Night Club at Kuta. Ric Chan helped set up & manage the night club.
Photo: 1985 Ric & local lad with Bali jeep in paddy fields.
Photo: 1985 unidentified surfer at Padang Padang – water damaged image.
Photo: 1985 shopping day in Ubud.
Photo: 1985 Ric’s wife Sami sharing fruit with pet monkey at Jimbaran Bay.
Photo: 1980 Sanur beachscape.
Photo: 1979-80 Sanur Tanjung Sari reef
Peter Neely – Hard to believe we never surfed this section of the reef (called Tanjung Sari) because the next reef north is so much better. We surfed the world-class Sanur Reef alone often in 1977, 78 and 79. My mate Col McLauchlan who worked as a singer at the Hotel Bali Beach for a few years tells of surfing alone so often that he would search among tourists sunbaking around the pool to see if any would paddle out with him. Qantas crew staying at the hotel were probably the first to see the uncrowded waves, and many brought their surfboards especially for Sanur in the early 70’s.
Photo: 1985 Aussie surfing Sanur reef.
Peter Neely – This looks like Kim “Fly” Bradley who was one of the first Aussie surfers to start living in Bali in 1973. He was the first to shape surfboards there too, often with colourful Balinese paintings on the deck featuring green ricefields, palm trees and Hindu demons and gods.
Photo: 1985 Bali sunset.
Coming soon 1980s Bali Photo Gallery by Ric Chan with comments from Peter Neely #5
You can inquire on the SDS Web & Facebook sites to view Ric’s previous Bali photo galleries.
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