The LSR Bali Cosmic Experience

Standing by in NZ for a re-sched!!!!

As we start to roll into our winter and, notwithstanding [expletive deleted] Covid impediments, words like "bring it on!", "keen af!" and "keep the dream alive!" come forth.

Second that Emeboy... best non event buzz... hanging out for the real mac oy
Got some choice Sup log practice in today

Any updates on the LSR Cosmic Experience for '21 HawaiiH; Eme; BigH?

I've been putting a few sheckles away under the mattress. Even got a super cheap passport re-printed off eBay which is remarkable in that it looks nothin' like me and uncannily like a photo of Larry Bertlemann from 1972. (The dude who made it in Latvia assured me it's fully legit - and that the Ozoid Gov have just started outsourcing the printing of official docs because of COVID.)

I'm just waiting on delivery of my new 10'2 Starby Wedge and I'm on the next DC3 outta here.

Needless to say - I'm keen AF!!!

Here is the Cosmic Experience story I wrote as therapy to help get over the huge disappointment that all of us had upon return to Australia and then faced self isolation and months and months and months of lockdown..
hope you enjoy it.

Late last year Scott Mckercher came up with the idea of doing an LSR longboard event in Bali.
After many meetings, calls and messages, Scott enlisted his good mate, Jonni, who would be organising the onsite logistics required, and whose SUP business in Sanur would be the HQ for the event.
Both lads did an enormous amount of groundwork in preparation for the longboard sup event; t-shirts, caps, the poster, organising approvals with the local crew, organising water transport for the crew at the comp to the judging platform, the photographers, getting sponsors commitment, organising onsite sup storage, score sheets etc etc. It was all covered to ensure the inaugural event would not only run smoothly, but the vibe of the event would be redlining to the Max.
Dany organised the Eventbrite site, the info of the comp went live on the LSR FB page, and we were off and running.
The competition posts were shared over 75 times, some 15,000 plus folks from all over the world viewed and commented on the various posts; there was a huge level of interest generated and some of the best longboarders from Australia, and around the world, had expressed interest and registered for what would be the first ever international longboard SUP event. We had anticipated about 45-50 longboard surfers competing in the event.
A good old surfing mate said to me "**** you guys dream big", yes everything is possible mate...
The stage was set, the excitement, and anticipation was high.I was pretty nervous but Scotty was laid back, "yeh it's going to be great"...
After all, what could go wrong? Lack of swell? Maybe. **** weather? Could happen. Volcano eruption? There's a possibility. Global pandemic? Nah, no way.
Enter the news of Wuhan market and the corona virus... at the same time of great expectations for the event, there was some serious questions being asked, the doubt started to build as the event got closer and closer. In the days leading up to my flight to Bali, I started receiving messages from crew saying they were cancelling their trip...
My wife and I were booked to fly to Bali, early morning on Friday the 13th - good start. Big news that morning on the way to the airport, the Melbourne Grand Prix had been cancelled..Hoping, just hoping that we still had time to do the event, we were incredibly anxious when we boarded that flight.
Arriving in Bali all those feelings disappeared, the heat, the smell, the familiarity of Bali, ahhh it was great to be back, Bali time here we come. We checked out the event location, met Jonni for the first time, paddled over to Oka Point and had a surf by myself, wow this is it, this is for real now.
That feeling however didn't last that long,as the reality of the news reports and what had now become a Global Pandemic, the rapidly changing world was ever present and looming.
I lost track of the volume of messages I had with Scott about the event in the first few day's in Bali, feeling the pressure of making the right decision in light of our responsibilities for those attending, we decided to cancel the event.
At the time of posting the decision on the LSR FB site, I was both relieved; the pressure had been lifted, but also extremely disappointed.All that effort that we, the LSR team, Scott, Jonni and myself, had put in, it was all gone, the event was cancelled, the vibe was over, but given the new emerging reality, that was it, a new world was taking over and we had to adapt to it..
Our disappointment was huge. There was already some crew in Bali and a few more in transit, too late to turn back and had only found out the news when they arrived a day or so later..
In the true Aussie defiant spirit, the crew who were in Sanur decided, let's have a non event afterall, the swell was on its way and the bintangs were still cold.
The vibe was alive afterall.
Yeh, let's do it....
We met early the next morning, Jonni helped organise the water transport and we piled the longboards high and jumped in for a little cruise down the coast, past Oka Point, around the corner to what looked like heaven, perfect 3-4ft plus glassy, long-walled, lefts and rights, in abundance they were too.We had a couple of days doing that and in between catching 35 plus waves in each session, I decided who was going to take home the trophies that I had made and brought over for the event.The following night we had the presentations at the bamboo bar and celebrated not only the non event, but also the unique time we had experienced and shared.
The cameraderie amongst the crew was superb, the longboarders that gathered in Bali from all over Australia and various countries around the world became friends, surfing together in the morning, catching up for a late lunch and beers and repeat, it was all about the vibe. Yeh.
With all the information coming through about the the virus, we all realised that it would be best if we booked flights and left for home as soon as possible. Anxiety started to creep in as some stories of an impending health crisis in Bali started to emerge,together with knowledge that we would all have to be in quarantine when we arrived back in Australia.
We all agreed that the location for the event in Sanur was perfect, the choice of hotels, access to restaurants, massages and a really cool surf comp HQ at Jonni's offers the perfect location for the LSR Bali cosmic experience to return to Sanur, Bali in 2021.
Thanks to all those who came along to Sanur, to all those that were involved in helping to organise the event, to those who registered, and thanks to all those that embraced the longboard vibe too.
We all have to stay fit and healthy now, not only physically, but mentally too, as each of us face huge new challenges that COVID-19 enforce upon us and to get through this year and all come together next year to hang out and hang 5, laugh and longboard surf once again...
See you there...
Regards MJ

Start your planning,
The Bali Longboard Sup Revolution Cosmic Experience returns April 7-10 2023, Sanur Bali.
as the promo says, A world class event in world class waves in a world class location.....A world first Longboard sup event that will welcome surfers from around the globe to share the kindred spirit on the island of the Gods, Bali.....

looking forward to this, should be lots of fun if the previous pre pandemic LSR non event was anything to go by..

Emeboy!!!!!! It's on!!!

The LSR Cosmic Revolution Regos are OPEN!!!!

Get on the Longboard SUP Revolution Facey page to get all the juicy details!!!

Oh maaaan this is going to be EPIIIIC!

Emeboy ,What width?llooks great! so much nicer than the pintail ,IMO . I have a 10 ft on the way probs in the same shipment it's been along wait but not to much longer I hope

Awesome to be here again with a big crew of LSR frothers

Hi, surf was very small but has been increasing each day, today as Heats went on it started to get solid for the Elite Mens... awesome to watch top athletes doing amazing maneuvers on Long Sup's in those conditions cheered on by a frothing International crew, great supportive camaraderie I am rapped to be here again

Been a while since since the last bit of info appeared about the LSR Cosmic Experience event.
Pleased to say we have close to 60 entries from all over the world registered in the 2024 competition so far so it looks like it will be on track to be an another rippa cosmic event.
Got some pretty talented sup surfies coming right across all categories from the elites to the weekend warriors and now ffs an over 60's category too.
Whoevever would have thought old pricks like me still want to get out amongst the waves and surf. Took along time to get the category included in the national events so given it's the first ever comp for over 60's in the World we are calling it a World Title event in that category. Still time to get organized and enter the event. We are also forever hopeful that the sup shops and the board manufacturers get behind this event, come out of the woodwork and help sponsor this amazing event as many of those crew have indeed benefited from the evolution of the longboard revolution. It's a two way street so please only support those crew that support not only us Cosmickers but also the sup scene in general.
See you next year for the ultimate in Cosmic Experiences.

I'll be on vacations with my family in Sanur at the same time. But will be mostly foiling. Maybe if I get my hands on a longsup, I'll enter the comp