Meet Mencos, Indonesia’s Underground Style Master

Despite being the most wave-rich region on earth, Indonesia is a tough place to crack it as a professional surfer. Case in point: Bali's Rio Waida is the first (and only) surfer from Indo to qualify for the Championship Tour.

Why? Hard to say. Geography plays a part, as does wave quality. It might seem counterintuitive that the waves are too good in Indo, but it's true: Indo is a hard place to leave, and traveling is a big part of being a pro surfer. Who wants to compete in Huntington Beach slop in July, during the peak of Indo's surf season?

But we digress. Not every sponsored surfer in Indo is trying to travel, compete and qualify, and it's great to see the ones that represent surfing in Indo so beautifully still getting a chance to live out their dream.

Over on Java, Arip Nurhidayat, aka Mencos, has found a nice niche, which is the reason he was recently picked up by Drifter, after previous sponsorship opportunities dried up. Unlike Waida, Mencos isn't trying to qualify for the CT. Rather, he's styling his way throughout Indo — Longboard, shortboard, goofy, natural — Mencos does it all.

Click play above to meet one of Indo's most unique surfers.

***

Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.

Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.