The trip took Ku nearly five hours, but it was worth it. Photos: Instagram//Screenshot
On June 27, Josh Ku did something remarkable: he made the nearly 60-mile crossing of the Bali Strait on a foil.
Ku, an Australian who moved from boring old surfing to foiling a few years back, has made quite a name for himself in the foiling community. He excels at downwind foiling, using the wind and waves to get him where he wants to be, and where he wanted to be in this particular case was G-Land.
Starting at Uluwatu on Bali, Ku set out on the morning of the 27th. For the next four-and-a-half hours, he navigated his way through a serious stretch of water. He was inspired to do the thing by a couple of legends who are credited with the discovery of Uluwatu and G-Land.
“Both historic surf spots founded in the ’70s by adventurous surfers such as Gerry Lopez and Peter McCabe,” he explained. “They inspired me to try something new; something that might not end in a glorious reward but instead end in failure — to trust your gut instinct and have a crack.”
Clearly, it wasn’t an easy journey, and Ku didn’t expect it to be. But it was harder than even he expected.
“I was dealt a super difficult card being the hardest run I’ve ever done, making the Molokai to Oahu crossing in Hawaii seem like a walk in the park,” he wrote afterwards. “Battling tough conditions, huge seas, and dangerous currents, it was clear this was extremely dangerous and I had bitten off more than I could chew.”
He was, however, able to swallow the enormous bite, and on his arrival at G-Land, Ku finished his run in fitting fashion, pumping into a wave at Speedies. “[It was] an overwhelming feeling of achievement,” he said. “I had set a goal and trusted my skill and determination which got me to the end.”
His voyage will be made into a film that is due to be released in September, and if the short Instagram offering you see here is any measure, it’ll be a good watch.
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