TRAVEL SLED REVIEW
PHOTOS BY TRAVIS JOHNSON
Bali is the island of the gods. Blessings poured into the temple of the open sky with a bountiful supply of perfect left and right setups. This unique segment of the Indonesian archipelago was ideal for the 2022 Surfing Life Board Bible.
Nine shapers from across the globe delivered virgin sleds, suited to coconut-groved sapphire seas with unforgiving reef sentinels and their unsheathed coral swords. The brief was simple: your best travel board. Whether thruster, twin or quad, because let’s be honest, we all like to travel with different crafts. And both makers and riders were more amped than Parkway Drive on tour.
When taking such sacred objects to the island of gods, we needed expert help. Using World Surfaris’ team for this year’s Board Bible was seamless, as we were supported here in Oz and by their expert Balinese team too. After arriving in Bali, Putu Uchil, Nyang-Nyang and Agus picked us up. They were accommodating, caring and kind—not to mention always ready with a joke and a laugh. Also, a special thanks to Michael from World Surfaris (Bali) and Steve from World Surfaris (Head Office) who strategically organised ... everything!
After settling into our luxurious accommodation centrally located to both coasts, we mapped out the week with Head Surf Guide Uchil. We decided on the Bukit Peninsular for the first half of the trip and the east coast for the second half. Putu’s knowledge of Bali’s surf conditions were second to none and we scored every day.
We successfully surfed, tested, and reviewed the nine boards with only two casualties: one board and one photographer (who came to grief with the Uluwatu Reef, now proudly wearing nature’s tatts). Thanks to our talented test pilots, Ellie and Tommy, whose energy and endurance helped us produce another incredible Board Bible.
TEST PILOTS
THOMAS CARVALHO & ELLIE J BROOKS
Thomas Carvalho
Tommy approaches group dynamics much like the ocean. He arrives dressed, ready to participate but quietly checks the conditions. Once he understands its dynamics, he’s all-in with funny quips or profound observations. We know pro surfers need to fuel and refuel, but Tommy is next level—happily sampling Bali’s local warungs. When he’s not out ripping or upping his energy levels (demolishing Mee Goreng), Tommy loves discussing the intricacies of surfboard design and shaping, making him well suited to be one of this year’s test pilots. Understanding surfboard design has also helped Tom’s inevitable rise in the Qualifying Series rankings, and he is now knocking on
