When it comes to iconic surf destinations, a few stand out above the rest. Bali, Indonesia is one of them. It’s full of perfect waves, attracting droves of surfers enamored with the image they’ve got in their head. Rio Waida calls Bali home, and he’s on his way to becoming a legend — not just at home, but around the world. Ross Williams recently called him “the best surfer not on Tour,” and he’s finally got his first film.
“In this first film, Rio Waida shows us what it’s like to see a place as fabled to surfing as Bali through a local’s eyes,” wrote the Quiksilver folks. “Every wave Rio surfs throughout his typical day — including Canguu, Padang, Uluwatu, Keramas — are iconic waves in every sense of the word. Rio’s surfing has benefited greatly from this, as you’ll see and while you watch.”
Rio has been making the rest of the world sit up and take notice over the last few years. He was the Indonesian flag-bearer at the Olympic Games and he competed for Indonesia in Tokyo. Then he got a wildcard to compete the World Championship Tour as a Wildcard at the Corona Open Mexico, where he landed a joint-ninth place.
“This kid is unbelievable,” Ross Williams said. “He’s super powerful, he’s really fast, he’s young, he’s fit. He surfs better than half the guys on tour right now, in my opinion… If he gets on tour, he is just going to demolish guys.”
