Nic von Rupp looking down the line at a whole bunch of fun. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
It is increasingly rare these days to show up at a well-known wave on a good day to find an almost empty lineup. But Nic von Rupp, a guy who shows up at well-known waves on good days very frequently, did just that when he paddled out to Nihiwatu, also known as Occy’s Left.
Occy’s Left, as you likely know, is on the Indonesian island of Sumba. Just east of Bali, it’s a place with more than a few good waves, but since it’s a little harder to get to than Bali, it tends to be a little lonelier in the lineup. Not “completely alone” lonely, but lonelier than somewhere like, say, Uluwatu.
The wave you see here sits in front of a luxury surf resort called Nihi Sumba, and when it’s on, it’s not a wave for the newcomer.
Since it’s basically a private wave, only 10 people are supposed to be allowed to surf there at a time. To surf there you need to stay at the resort, which gives out exclusive surfing passes. That’s a big draw, but lends itself to a few moral questions which we shall choose to ignore for now. Named after Mark Occhilupo, the wave was made famous in a film called The Green Iguana.
It’s a long left, running with mechanical perfection along the shallow reef. It has barrels, fast, steep walls, and little pockets to wipe off speed should one need to. In short, if you’re a goofy footer — or just someone who loves going left — it’s tough to beat in terms of wave quality.
