Niki finds her home among Bali's waves

By Alpha Savitri

KUTA, Bali (JP): Being a surfer never crossed her mind. She was the graduate of the Japanese department at a prestigious university in Jakarta and a member of the national basketball team. But a fling with Bali's waves changed everything.

Her most memorable holiday in Bali entirely changed her destiny. Now, the tall and slim woman, Theresia Herlani, who is better known as Niki, is one of the most talented female surfers in the country.

Her love affair with the waves started two years ago when an old friend, an American surfer, introduced her to his surf board and the beauty of Nusa Dua's waves during the holiday. She was curious and eager to try the board herself.

Soon, she was running into the water and started paddling her surfboard toward the waves, startling her American friend with her perfect movements, which seemed like a professional's. The way she handled the waves was amazing, especially for a beginner like her.

Now, Niki has grown into a skilled and prominent surfer. Her surfing technique has matured, making her capable of surfing both coastal beaches and among large waves, everywhere in Bali.

Born in Kudus, Central Java in September 1974, Niki now enjoys wide popularity. Her activities are widely covered by both local and foreign sports media. Several surfing magazines have even profiled her.

Niki is a rare jewel in the local surfing world. Surfing has not yet attracted many local people since it is still considered an exclusive and expensive activity.

At present, there are not many male surfers in the country or in Bali, let alone female surfers like Niki. So far, there were only five active female surfers in the country, she said.

This is sad, since Indonesia is renowned as a maritime country where clear water beaches with good waves are everywhere in the archipelago. Bali has grown into one of the world's surfing heavens.

Lack of information and, especially, expensive equipment might be the reasons why surfing is not yet popular among Indonesians. A surfboard alone can cost upwards of US$498, too expensive for most.

For Niki, money has meant nothing compared with her obsession to become a reputable surfer and she has been willing to work hard to achieve her dream.

In love

One thing for sure, Niki has fallen in love with Bali and its waves. She no longer intends to return to Jakarta and find herself a job to support her sports activity.

For a woman who has mastered Japanese and English, it was not difficult to find a job in this tourist island.

"I needed to find a job that enabled me to spend part of my time surfing on beaches," said Niki.

She was quite surprised that there was a company in Denpasar that was willing to hire her despite her strict requirements, but in the end she found a suitable company belonging to a foreign female surfer.

"I can work whenever I want to as long as I finish my work on time," said Niki, who helps look after of the company when her boss goes abroad.

Life for Niki seems as easy as a Sunday morning. In reality, she is a hard worker with very high self-discipline.

"I always wake up at dawn before anyone else here," Niki said.

Then, she will take her bike or walk to nearby Kuta beach, just to check the weather and the height of the waves.

"By monitoring the waves on Kuta beach, I can predict the height of waves at other beaches on the island," explained Niki, who likes surfing on Geger beach in Nusa Dua.

Whenever she finds Kuta's waves perfect, Niki rushes home and takes up her surfboard. Suddenly, she has forgotten her laundry and her breakfast.

"I have been surfing for almost two years now but have still not come across any Indonesian women who are seriously interested in this sport," she complained.

Recently, she said, there were a number of women enrolling at some surfing schools here. But soon, they disappeared.

Surfing, according to Niki, has taught her how to improve her discipline and courage.

"My life has become so organized. A good surfer will certainly stay away from drugs, alcohol and other negative things," she said, sharing her experience. "Then, she or he must wake up early in the morning to catch the good waves. Lazy people won't become successful surfers."

Surfing, as she admitted, promises no material gain.

"However, surfing can become a gateway to success and business opportunity. I have a lot of friends from every part of the world," said Niki, who got her present job thanks to her surfing connection.

The woman insisted that a person must be persistent and serious in pursuing a goal. Citing an example, she said that she never expected to be included in the national team when she was a basketball athlete, but her coaches noticed her perseverance. She was a member of the Indonesian basketball team from 1991 to 1997.

In the surfing world, Niki is known as a hard worker and an outstanding professional female surfer.

"I get lots of job offers from my friends," said Niki, who also acts as a guide for Japanese surfers wanting to explore various beaches in Bali.

Her reputation has prompted four surfing companies to provide her with several items every month. At present she is involved in a documentary film project exploring the world of surfing in Bali from the 1970s to the present.

Surfing is not her only talent. The woman is also an accomplished painter. Most of her paintings portray the surfing world, as well as sea views and the Balinese landscape. Her stunning painting style and use of bold colors have attracted many art lovers.

"Some of my friends who own surf shops have offered to exhibit my paintings in their establishments," she said.

"Sometimes, I give one of my paintings to a friend in return for a surfboard that is too expensive for me," Niki laughed.

Her obsession is to take part in a world female surfing contest and to surf at all the world's surfing beaches.

"But most of all, I want to surf until I grow old."