Niki finds her home among Bali's waves<\/p>\n
By Alpha Savitri<\/p>\n
KUTA, Bali (JP): Being a surfer never crossed her mind. She
\nwas the graduate of the Japanese department at a prestigious
\nuniversity in Jakarta and a member of the national basketball
\nteam. But a fling with Bali's waves changed everything.<\/p>\n
Her most memorable holiday in Bali entirely changed her
\ndestiny. Now, the tall and slim woman, Theresia Herlani, who is
\nbetter known as Niki, is one of the most talented female surfers
\nin the country.<\/p>\n
Her love affair with the waves started two years ago when an
\nold friend, an American surfer, introduced her to his surf board
\nand the beauty of Nusa Dua's waves during the holiday. She was
\ncurious and eager to try the board herself.<\/p>\n
Soon, she was running into the water and started paddling her
\nsurfboard toward the waves, startling her American friend with
\nher perfect movements, which seemed like a professional's. The
\nway she handled the waves was amazing, especially for a beginner
\nlike her.<\/p>\n
Now, Niki has grown into a skilled and prominent surfer. Her
\nsurfing technique has matured, making her capable of surfing both
\ncoastal beaches and among large waves, everywhere in Bali.<\/p>\n
Born in Kudus, Central Java in September 1974, Niki now enjoys
\nwide popularity. Her activities are widely covered by both local
\nand foreign sports media. Several surfing magazines have even
\nprofiled her.<\/p>\n
Niki is a rare jewel in the local surfing world. Surfing has
\nnot yet attracted many local people since it is still considered
\nan exclusive and expensive activity.<\/p>\n
At present, there are not many male surfers in the country or
\nin Bali, let alone female surfers like Niki. So far, there were
\nonly five active female surfers in the country, she said.<\/p>\n
This is sad, since Indonesia is renowned as a maritime country
\nwhere clear water beaches with good waves are everywhere in the
\narchipelago. Bali has grown into one of the world's surfing
\nheavens.<\/p>\n
Lack of information and, especially, expensive equipment might
\nbe the reasons why surfing is not yet popular among Indonesians.
\nA surfboard alone can cost upwards of US$498, too expensive for
\nmost.<\/p>\n
For Niki, money has meant nothing compared with her obsession
\nto become a reputable surfer and she has been willing to work
\nhard to achieve her dream.<\/p>\n
In love<\/p>\n
One thing for sure, Niki has fallen in love with Bali and its
\nwaves. She no longer intends to return to Jakarta and find
\nherself a job to support her sports activity.<\/p>\n
For a woman who has mastered Japanese and English, it was not
\ndifficult to find a job in this tourist island.<\/p>\n
\"I needed to find a job that enabled me to spend part of my
\ntime surfing on beaches,\" said Niki.<\/p>\n
She was quite surprised that there was a company in Denpasar
\nthat was willing to hire her despite her strict requirements, but
\nin the end she found a suitable company belonging to a foreign
\nfemale surfer.<\/p>\n
\"I can work whenever I want to as long as I finish my work on
\ntime,\" said Niki, who helps look after of the company when her
\nboss goes abroad.<\/p>\n
Life for Niki seems as easy as a Sunday morning. In reality,
\nshe is a hard worker with very high self-discipline.<\/p>\n
\"I always wake up at dawn before anyone else here,\" Niki said.<\/p>\n
Then, she will take her bike or walk to nearby Kuta beach,
\njust to check the weather and the height of the waves.<\/p>\n
\"By monitoring the waves on Kuta beach, I can predict the
\nheight of waves at other beaches on the island,\" explained Niki,
\nwho likes surfing on Geger beach in Nusa Dua.<\/p>\n
Whenever she finds Kuta's waves perfect, Niki rushes home and
\ntakes up her surfboard. Suddenly, she has forgotten her laundry
\nand her breakfast.<\/p>\n
\"I have been surfing for almost two years now but have still
\nnot come across any Indonesian women who are seriously interested
\nin this sport,\" she complained.<\/p>\n
Recently, she said, there were a number of women enrolling at
\nsome surfing schools here. But soon, they disappeared.<\/p>\n
Surfing, according to Niki, has taught her how to improve her
\ndiscipline and courage.<\/p>\n
\"My life has become so organized. A good surfer will certainly
\nstay away from drugs, alcohol and other negative things,\" she
\nsaid, sharing her experience. \"Then, she or he must wake up early
\nin the morning to catch the good waves. Lazy people won't become
\nsuccessful surfers.\"<\/p>\n
Surfing, as she admitted, promises no material gain.<\/p>\n
\"However, surfing can become a gateway to success and business
\nopportunity. I have a lot of friends from every part of the
\nworld,\" said Niki, who got her present job thanks to her surfing
\nconnection.<\/p>\n
The woman insisted that a person must be persistent and
\nserious in pursuing a goal. Citing an example, she said that she
\nnever expected to be included in the national team when she was a
\nbasketball athlete, but her coaches noticed her perseverance. She
\nwas a member of the Indonesian basketball team from 1991 to 1997.<\/p>\n
In the surfing world, Niki is known as a hard worker and an
\noutstanding professional female surfer.<\/p>\n
\"I get lots of job offers from my friends,\" said Niki, who
\nalso acts as a guide for Japanese surfers wanting to explore
\nvarious beaches in Bali.<\/p>\n
Her reputation has prompted four surfing companies to provide
\nher with several items every month. At present she is involved in
\na documentary film project exploring the world of surfing in Bali
\nfrom the 1970s to the present.<\/p>\n
Surfing is not her only talent. The woman is also an
\naccomplished painter. Most of her paintings portray the surfing
\nworld, as well as sea views and the Balinese landscape. Her
\nstunning painting style and use of bold colors have attracted
\nmany art lovers.<\/p>\n
\"Some of my friends who own surf shops have offered to exhibit
\nmy paintings in their establishments,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes, I give one of my paintings to a friend in return
\nfor a surfboard that is too expensive for me,\" Niki laughed.<\/p>\n
Her obsession is to take part in a world female surfing
\ncontest and to surf at all the world's surfing beaches.<\/p>\n
\"But most of all, I want to surf until I grow old.\"<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/niki-finds-her-home-among-balis-waves-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }