Garut Widiarta Defeats Marlon Gerber to Win the Rote Open 2009 Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour

19 September 2009, Nemberala, Rote Island:  In a very closely contested 30 minute final at scenic Bo’a Beach on the East Indonesian island of Rote, Garut Widiarta narrowly defeated Marlon Gerber to bring home 20 million Rupiah (USD 2,000)  and 3,500 points in the inaugural Rote Open 2009 presented by the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour.

“I feel a bit lucky to have been in this final and win against Marlon, especially because it’s on not an easy wave to surf on my backhand.  Marlon has been surfing insanely in every heat, so I’m actually surprised that I beat him” said Widiarta after the final. “All the guys were surfing so good, like Lee (Wilson), Dede (Suryana), Betet (Merta) and Marlon, so I was really fortunate to come out on top.”

“Winning this event here at Rote means a lot to me, because now I have a real shot at the ISC Championship. I’m honestly tired of being number two or three or four. I want that number one spot”, he added with a grin.

Marlon Gerber was good-natured about his loss, saying, “It was pretty hard out there, being up against Garut who is surfing so well and with the wind conditions what they were.  I know I just needed one more good wave, but I just couldn’t find it in time.”  Gerber had been blowing up in each heat, carving big turns and taking to the air at every opportunity, seemingly unstoppable until he met up with Widiarta in the final.

Widiarta had earlier send reigning 2008 ISC Champion Dede Suryana packing in Round 4 and then bested current number one ranked Lee Wilson in Semifinal One, while Gerber had gotten the better of Betet Marta, Tai Graham, and Made Awan on his run to the final.

The event had been blessed by solid surf each day of the three days of competition at the right-hand point break of Boa’s Beach, with conditions ranging from 6-foot glassy conditions on day one to 3-4 foot wind blow surf for the final.  Bo’a Beach is a very consistent wave that can be surfed on virtually every tide and seems to always have a surfable wave on offer, making it an ideal contest in addition being an excellent vantage point from which to view the surfing action. Hundreds of spectators thronged the beach each day of the competition to view these surfers compete.

The government of Rote Ndao in conjunction with event organizer PTR Communications and the Coca-Cola ISC Tour produced this four-day surfing event on the island of Rote in East Indonesia in an effort to promote tourism and provide a great venue to hold a six star prime ISC tour surfing competition.  The event was opened to international and Indonesian surfers with 90 surfers from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Switzerland, Uruguay and the USA competing in four divisions; Open Pro, Masters, Women’s, and Local.

Each day at the contest site the local government officials and event organizers treated the contestants and spectators to cultural programs including dancing, music, and speeches to show off their unique and interesting culture.

At the closing ceremony the governor of Rote Leonardus Hanning expressed his appreciation to all for producing such an excellent event, and committed to having PTR Communications and the Coca-Cola ISC Tour back next year and as long as he is in office (a five year term).

 

Coca-Cola ISC Tour CEO Tipi Jabrik was also very happy with the event, stating “The waves, the people, and the place here are very special and unique.  We’ve had a great competition and I’m looking forward to next year already. Many thanks to the government and to the local people for being such kind and generous hosts.”

Contest Results:

Open Pro

1.  Garut Widiarta (Indonesia)
2.  Marlon Gerber (Switzerland)
3.  Lee Wilson (Australia)
4.  Made Awan (Indonesia)

Masters

1.  Made Lapur (Indonesia)
2.  Wayan Widiarta (Indonesia)
3.  Made Lana (Indonesiai)
4.  Diego (Argentina)

Women’s

1.  Herlani Theresia- (Indonesia)
2.  Stella Hermina (Indonesia)
3.  Jennifer Mikotha (Canada)
4.  Chika Kirin (Indonesia)

Local

1.  Yermi
2.  Dani
3.  Bastian Mboro
4.  Mus Ely

The Rote Open 2009 is presented by the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour and sponsored by the government of Rote Ndao, PTR Communications, Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Airlines, Trans Nusa Airlines, and Heineken, and was sanctioned by the Coca-Cola ISC Tour.

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Bukittinggi, The Most Relaxed Town in All Sumatra

Bukittinggi is one of the loveliest, friendliest, most relaxed town in all Sumatra. This town is situated more or less 930 meters above sea level.

Bukittinggi, formerly named Fort De Cock by the Dutch, has a cool climate and is surrounded by three volcanoes: Tandikat, Singgalang and Merapi. In the outskirts of the town is the Ngarai Sianok canyon, a canyon separating Bukittinggi from Kota Gadang, 12 km away overland. Kota Gadang is renowned for its fine silver filigree and hand embroidery.

A center of attraction is the town's clock-tower, topped with a horn- shaped roof and referred to by the people as Jam Gadang. It overlooks the market square and the city's magnificent surroundings.

Also worth visiting is the Museum which is a Rumah Gadang, a traditional extended family house built in the 19th century. There are dance performances at the museum's open stage every Sunday and on public holidays. Night dance performances are at Sliguri. It is also worth seeing the bullfights at Padang Lawas (6 km south of Bukittinggi) every Tuesday at 5.00 p.m.

From Jakarta International Airport to Minangkabau International Airport in Ketaping it will take about 2 hours, after you arrive you can use Taxi or Bus to Bukittinggi.

There are various Inns and Hotels in Bukittinggi, If you are looking for a star hotel, theres Novotel Coralia Bukittinggi with a grand view of the beautiful Anai valley, while Lima's Hotel, Hotel Asia and Hotel Denai are classified locally as 'superior hotels'.

• Simpang Raya, Jl Muka Jam Gadang. This large, popular restaurant has good-quality Padang food plus a basic Indonesian menu with soup, rice or noodle dishes.
• Under the Bridge Restaurant, Jl A Yani. This is a slightly up market travelers' restaurant serving steaks, pasta, pizza, apple pie and chocolate cake.

Moving Around
You can move around the city by Taxi, Bus or rent a car. Theres also a horse carriage or sado provide a colorful charming transportation to move around through the town.

Other Things to See or Do

• Watching one of the landmarks of the city, the Bukittinggi Big Ben or known as Jam Gadang. Also.

• Make nice trips in the environment like to the Harau nature reserve, the Pagaruyung Minangkabau palace and Lake Singkarak.

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Souvenir Tips
As a tourist center, Bukittinggi boasts a multitude of craft,souvenir, jewelry, and antique shops. Many craft village lie within an hour ride from Bukittinggi.

 

Shopping

• Lively Pasar Atas (Upper Market), just south of the clock tower, is lined with stalls and shops selling everyday goods and souvenirs. Nearby, Sumatera,
• Jl Minangkabau 19, has a huge range of textiles from Sumba and Irian Jaya and king sticks from North Sumatra.

Travel tips

• Though the horse carriage is far more expensive than the 'ojek', it is very popular with the locals, especially since it can carry whole families.

• The tourist office is at Jl Syech Bantam 1 (Mon-Thurs 8am-2pm, Fri 8-11am, Sat 8am-12.30pm; tel 0752/22403), near the clock tower.
• Tours: Many places offer one-day local tours to traditional villages, the Pagaruyung palace and the Harau Canyon.

Dining Guide
Good varieties of restaurants are situated on or close to the city. But, since youre in West Sumatra who is known with the spicy foods, we suggested you to try some Padang dishes like Rendang and Soto Padang. Here are some of restaurants around the city: Where to StayGetting There

A Memory of an old time in Semarang

Semarang is situated on Java's northern coast and is called the capital of Centarl Java, as it lies just about halfway between the extreme east and west coasts of the island. The environs around Semarang are perfect for day trips and side and side excursions.

The old records of this city date back to the 15th to the 18th century AD in where captivating ancient and colonial monuments still standing to present date. In the older part of the city, near the harbour, you can still find an interesting collection of buildings dating back to the Dutch Colonial era and the Dutch East Indies Company, such as GEREJA BLENDUK, is the eldest Christian Church in Central Java built by the Dutch community in 1753. It shows the Church architecture of the 18th century with its huge dome and a baroque organ inside the building. Nearby the Church, there are some buildings from the Dutch colonial time. STASIUN TAWANG, the main railways station with its "Old Time" architecture located also in this area. While LAWANG SEWU or usually called as Thousand Doors, situated in the downtown of Semarang is also a remarkable building from the "Old Dutch Time".

Beside an interesting collection of Dutch Colonial buildings, there's an also Chinese buildings remain in Semarang. In the west part of Semarang, a temple SAMPOKONG or locally known as Gedong Batu (Stone Building) was dedicated to Chinese Moslem Admiral Cheng Ho, his fleet arrived in the first time at 1406 AD. The other Chinese Buddhist temple is Tay Kak Sie at Lombok Street built in the year 1772.

Getting There

• By Plane
  To and from Semarang is easily accessible by Air, the airport name is Ahmad Yani located in West Semarang around five km from the downtown.
  There are several airlines, such as Garuda and Merpati, connect with other cities of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Banjarmasin, etc.
• By Train
  The main railway station is Tawang, in the old part of the town.
  The main train connection is between Semarang, Cirebon and Surabaya. There is also service to Solo.
• By Bus
  The main Bus Terminal is in Terboyo, in the eastern part of the city. Several Bus companies serve the inter-city connections with many cities in Java, Bali and Sumatra. Direct information can be collected directly in the terminal.
• By Boat
  The Semarang harbor is in Tanjung Mas. There are regular shipping lines for passengers sail to and from Semarang to other island, as Kalimantan. The main line is Pelni. Inquire also for occasional cargo boats, taking passengers in the harbor.

Where to Stay

This city has enough accommodation for its visitors, from budget hotels to the star-rated hotels. Some top hotels located in downtown and in any luxurious area. The facilities meet international demands with combination of traditional specialties.

Moving Around

You can move around the city by becak (a three wheels vehicle) only in the north part of the city, mini-buses, buses and taxi.

Other Things to See or Do

While in Semarang, you can visit other interesting places, such as:

• Simpang Lima, it is a square with many shops and cinemas around. In the evening a lot of people are here taking a walk or window-shopping. Early in the morning, people are jogging along the street.
• Gombel, its a favorite place on the hill with its fresh air and picturesque landscape. In the evening, people like to be here to relax while enjoying the panoramic vista to the city and the harbor.
• Puri Maerakaca, it is a well arranged park on the beach exhibiting traditional houses of every Central Java regencies. In these houses, specific crafts of each regency are displayed.

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Dining Guide

There are a lot of restaurants in Semarang offering delicious food of Indonesian, Chinese, and European cuisine. One should find easily in Jl. Pemuda around Pasar Johar the best speciality market in Simpang Lima mall.

The area of Gang Lombok and Jl. Gadjah Mada are famous with its Chinese restaurants, in Jl. A. Yani there are tasteful Javanese restaurants.

Semarang is famous for its Lumpia (Chinese Spring Rolls ), Pia, Wingko Babat and Bandeng Presto (Tendered Fish).

Souvenir Tips

Souvenir and art objects are available in Semarang, mostly in the downtown areas and popular market places or shopping centres. Batik cloths and garments, handwoven fabrics, traditional and local jewellery, leather puppets, basketry and many.

Travel Tips

• The weather is most pleasant between May to September and it is recommended that travelers choose this time of year to visit
• Dress light and comfortable to wear
• Don't forget to bring an umbrella or raincoat, in case of rain