The Perfection Selection

A Mentawai Boat Trip

The Mentawai Islands are undoubtedly a contender for a surfer’s paradise. Filling a boat with group whose taste in waves, preferred board length, and desire to get barrelled ran the full range does present even the most experienced surf guide with a challenge however, when trying to ensure that everybody finds their slice of paradise.

Somehow surf guide extraordinaire Guy Morgan managed it back in May of this year, when Cord team riders Conor Maguire and Lucy Campbell, head shaper Markie Lascelles, Lucy’s partner Alex Libby, Markie’s partner Carly Maker, Ocean Mountain Explorers founder Jem Rogers and Aude Garnier, dad/daughter duo Ben and Lila Skinner, OMX ambassador Leonor Frogoso and photographer Andy Potts boarded the Mentawai Surf Co’s Siloina 1 for a ten day boat trip.

Markie has known Guy for 15 years or so, and knows full well the depth of his experience in these waters. It was tall order asking him to find the sort of smorgasbord of surf that would make it the trip of a lifetime for everybody aboard, but if anybody could do it then Guy could.

Over ten days the team surfed everything from knee-high longboard perfection to six foot double-ups at empty Macaronis. Guy, and the Mentawais, delivered.

“I’ll admit I had my doubts that we’d find waves to suit us all,” says Markie, “there was an underlying worry that it could go one way or the other – one way being a 10-foot, 15-second swell and Carly would end up sat on deck watching me getting barrelled senseless for days on end! Or simply that crowds would clip our fun. But with Guy guiding us, my concerns were unfounded.”

The trip was put together under the Ocean Mountain Explorers banner, Jem’s surf, dive and snow holiday business. With two Cord teamriders on the boat and perfect mechanical waves, however, Markie took the opportunity to use it as an R&D trip and test some boards. He absolutely pushed the excess baggage limit and the carrying capacity of the airport trolleys taking a pair of the biggest coffin bags on the market on the arduous game of planes, bemos and boats from Cornwall to Padang.

“My board bags had everything from a 5’8" Humbucker high-performance fish through to Carly’s 9’1” longboard. I had a few of our new Otter models in the six-foot range for Conor and I to test when the waves got really good, but I got my best waves on a little 5’6” swallow-tail twin fin. Until I creased it." - Markie

Lucy was first off the boat whenever there were waves, competing with her other half Alex for the longest surf session, both of them taking apart every wave that came their way. Conor, who most of us instantly associate with huge, heavy and cold waves, was free of the restriction of his usual hooded winter wetsuit and flaring on the few occasions he wasn’t slotted in the barrel.

Over the first few days aboard there had been some discussion about tackling the heaving left at Greenbush for the peak of the first swell of the trip. The decision was left with Guy though, who hadn’t missed a beat on this trip, or ever to our knowledge. He had looked at the forecast and for day five decided to book a two day mooring at Macaronis. It was an absolute touch. As the Siloina 1 came into the bay it became apparent that nobody else had the same foresight; Maccas was completely empty with four to six-foot lefts reeling mechanically down the reef. On the inside, Mini Maccas was a silky three foot. There were waves for everyone: the perfection selection.

Aude and Carly went to town on Mini Maccas. Just a few months previously Aude had been deep in a brave battle with cancer, so to see her on the other side of that ordeal, trimming along perfect waves in this tropical paradise with a huge smile across her dial was really special. Up at the top of the reef the rest of the crew were in no doubt about how fortunate they were; when you have one of the best lefts in Indonesia overhead and with nobody but your friends out, you don’t give it a second look. Turn and go, then paddle back out and go again – in Conor’s case for five hours straight right through the heat of the tropical midday sun. These opportunities rarely come around twice, and this lot knew it.

“On day five of the trip we dropped anchor at Macaronis by ourselves with the infamous wave delivering perfect 10/10 conditions from dawn until dusk.” Photographer Andy Potts recalled. “Just after midday I did a quick drop-off from the speedboat to the mothership, and while driving back to the line-up I look up the point to see the most surreal round barrel reeling down the perfectly shaped reef with Markie in position. Although I felt that I was quite far away from the wave, I pulled the camera up to my eye, stretched that lens out as far as it would go, and clicked away!”

A Mentawai boat trip is at the top of most surfers’ bucket lists. For Markie, landing the cover shot of a surf magazine is also on his list. This trip ticked both boxes, with Andy’s shot of Markie at Maccas securing the pair of them their first covers. But beyond that accolade for Markie and Andy, this trip was so much more for the assembled crew. It was a celebration of Aude’s recovery, it was an opportunity to enjoy the company of good friends in the best of waves, and it was proof that whilst the definition of perfection is as broad as the definition of surfing, it’s possible to find it.

If you’re preparing for the trip of a lifetime, to tropical perfection or another destination, and you need a dependable tried and tested design beneath your feet, then get in touch to discuss your requirements with Markie.

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