View this post on Instagram
Febriansyah, a 24-year-old up and coming pro surfer from Indonesia, tragically passed away Friday morning. Febriansyah, also known as “Biawak” to his friends, was in Taiwan to compete in the Taiwan Open QS5000 event. As the Taiwan News reports, Febriansyah hit a tree while riding a motorcycle on Provincial Highway No. 11 and sustained severe injuries to the head. Several hours later, he passed away in the hospital.
To honor his legacy, the WSL held a paddle out and moment of silence at the site of the Taiwan Open event on Saturday morning. Fellow surfers also took to social media to mourn the loss, including longtime friend Rio Waida, who posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. “We lost our brother, best friend, best man. Absolutely heartbreaking,” wrote Waida. “We all [in the] Indonesian surfing community are sending all the love and we will miss you a lot!”
Following the tragedy, a fundraiser was started to raise enough money to bring Febriansyah back home to his family. According to the Instagram account Surfers of Bali, the effort has succeeded in its goal.
View this post on Instagram
