Which Surfers Can Skate as Good As They Surf?
There are no two sports more intertwined with each other than surfing and skating.
Despite the physical surfaces on which their respective sports operate being completely opposite, long have surfers and skaters gravitated towards each other. As a surfer, I can’t think of anything more terrifying in the entire world than skating, and yet there are some particularly talented individuals that seem to thrive in both sports as if it’s completely normal to launch off concrete as it is to tuck into a ten foot barrel. The Keris Cup in Bali is a celebration of those special people. With the inaugural event launching in October last year, this year sees the annual invitational surf and skate event return on the 3-9 November at Uluwatu Surf Villas. Bringing back the same athletes from last year as well as adding a bunch more slots for others to prove they are in fact the superior race of humans that can skate and surf as well as each other. It’s a rare format. Most contests ask you to be the best at one thing, but this one asks you to be great at two.
I mean cmon just look at this place
The Keris Cup, named after the traditional, asymmetrical, double-edged dagger native to Indonesia and the Malay Archipelago that functions as both a weapon and a sacred spiritual object, seems the most appropriate name. Because anyone who can skate and surf is a weapon, and surely possesses some kind of god-like quality. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s through the back to back program of the Keris Cup.
The famous Keris Cup trophy
Every day will have a surf and skate component. Kicking off with the opening ceremony and blessing at the Uluwatu Surf Villas Skatepark on the Wednesday at 5pm, with a skate jam for the invited athletes. The next day, expect a whole day of action as well as the opening of the Keris Art Exhibition and Merch at Mana. Save some of your stamina for Friday as Kai Neville will be previewing a film, with a Public Mana Poolside event to celebrate in the best way possible. Hopefully you’re still alive by Saturday because that’s when the public finals bowl jam is scheduled. From 4pm the doors are open to the USV Skatepark, with the first band kicking off at 5pm.
This year some of the invited riders include our Bright Young Things alumni Keegan Palmer, Red Bull’s incredible all female surf film Now Days star Sky Brown, Hawai’i brothers royalty Ivan Florence and everyone’s favourite skater’s favourite skater Hugo Boserup, just to name a few. Judged by Nathan Fletcher, Christian Fletcher, Omar Hassan, Steve Olson, and Indra Kuban with Dave Duncan on the MC. The riders will surf and skate all day, with scores made in the evening by the judges. There’s an award for best skater and surfer up for grabs, The Big Keris for the rider who is the best combined throughout the week and final bowl jam. Most importantly the ‘Jay Adams’ Keris, awarded to the hardest charger as a nod to Adams, one of the original Dogtown legends and a man who personified the blurred line between the two sports. What kind of charging that includes, we’ll leave up to the judges to decide. Shane Borland was the winner last year if that’s anything to go by.
For those who have never ventured to Bali, Uluwatu Surf Villas are undoubtedly where it’s at. And to those who have, well you already know that. Situated on top of the cliffs with a private staircase leading down to world-famous Indian Ocean reef breaks, as well as its own skatepark, Uluwatu Surf Villas is quite literally a surfer and skater’s dream. You can walk out of your room, skate a bowl, and be paddling out at a world-class wave minutes later. No better place to bring the best of the two sports together, we’ll be seeing you on the cliffs.
