#RipCurlProTerengganu | Tell Laura I Love Her

Phtographed by Daniel Chiam

Like I mentioned in my previous post, A LOT of things was going on in the Rip Curl Pro Terengganu aside from the main 6-Star Asian Surfing Championship. Also one of the main highlights during the event is to be able to witness Laura Mannheim the surfboard artist sharing her artworks with everyone who came.

Laura drawing on a surfboard

Laura is an artist and graphic designer who is based in Germany and Brazil. I didn't get to talk with her much and mostly what I know about her is from Sam and Ariff who managed to actually had a conversation with Laura, and that she do surf, her husband is a Brazilian and that she is really a nice person to hangout with. I wish I'd used that time of sheltering from the rain during the finals to hangout with Laura and getting to know her personally. 

Some of Laura's artworks

I also wish that I have a surfboard that I could request her to draw on. I wish I can surf to begin with! Anyway, I really like her artworks. Its kawaii (cute), its quirky, it looks simple and I love how she play with different vibrant colors in some of her artworks. If she had an online comic strip, I'll be her loyal reader, haha.

Laura was greatly occupied in that 3 days with one surfboard after another and more people just came to her with basically anything that they think is able for Laura to draw on. Phone, camera cap, caps and all other stuffs, but mostly are surfers with their surfboard.

So I tried to find out more about her from her website and that maybe I could get more of her artworks from there, but apparently the website is not up yet and the next option will be her Facebook page. It's still new but you can already see a lot of her artworks there and I am just falling deeper in love with her talent. 

Do checkout her Facebook page and remember to 'like' it.

from www.hello-iam-laura.com

So, currently I'm following up on her updates via her facebook page and hopefully the next time she came down to Malaysia again, I'll be able to meet her, be friend and get something for her to draw too, haha. I can't help it, I really love her artworks.

I tried to get Laura to draw on my Rip Curl's cap during the last day of the event, but the things waiting in line for her to draw was just too much and I had to rush back to the hotel so that I won't miss the bus going home. 

Lo and behold when I was chilling in the hotel lobby with the other bloggers, Laura came walk in and actually greeted us (ain't she just friendly!). All of us get to talk a bit with her and then Jess started to mentioned about Ariff's cap which Laura had draw something on it earlier on. So out came Jess' cap and Laura took out her marker pen and started drawing.

My once in a lifetime chance to get Laura to draw something for me is finally here! I rush off to my bag and get the biggest thing that I could find for Laura to draw, haha. All of I could think of back then was my external hardisk. Out it came from my bag and quickly I waited in line for my turn, haha.

It was Laura's first time coming to Malaysia and she was going to visit Kuala Lumpur the next day after the event has ended. She's really a friendly person, and very kind enough just to spare some time drawing for us in the hotel lobby. I really appreciate it and I'm officially a fan of hers!

Laura if you are reading this, thank you again! Do drop by to Malaysia again soon!

Here's what Laura had draw for me! Hopefully I can get a more colorful drawing from her next time, but at the meantime, I'll just have to continue to ROCK ON!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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#RipCurlProTerengganu | Thank You Very Nice!

by Daniel Chiam

The Rip Curl Pro 6-Star Asian Surfing Championship at Batu Burok beach, Terengganu has finally come to an end on Sunday (2 December 2012). It was indeed a prestigious event that has sparked the interest of many in the sport of surfing within Malaysia itself, and also opened the eyes of the world to the beautiful waves that Terengganu has to offer.

The weather was in great condition for the past 3 days except during the final showdown when it started raining, but at the same time created a much perfect condition with more waves for the surfers to catch and performed their skills.

The crowd turned out was great, especially for the the first 2 days where a lot of the local surfing fans came to support and witness the best of Asian surfers in actions. The crowd was lesser on Sunday morning because it was a working day for the state of Terengganu and somehow it effected the amount of people that turned out at the beginning of the day. In the late afternoon, tho it was raining during the finals, there are a lot of people show up who are taking  shelters along the booths area to witness the surfers giving their best to rise up as champion.

Other than the competition itself, there is still a lot more things that's going on during the 3 days event. There were a few booths to play games and to win some merchandise from Rip Curl and also from one of the sponsor, Fanta drink. Free Nestle Drumstick ice cream were available the whole 3 days! I have eaten countless ice cream *heaven*, haha oh so nice! There were also a surfboard artist there; Laura who did a splendid job drawing cute characters to decorate the surfers' surfboard, surf clinic where you get to learn how to surf, and many more things going on in that 3 days!

Laura the surfboard artist

The fun part for me and some of us bloggers is the process of taking photos of the surfers in actions, where all of us have the smallest zoom lens if compared to the photographers who showed up for the event with their gigantic and super long zoom lens. We had to go further into the water just to take a few good shots and the surfers needed to wait for the right wave in order to get a better ride, they waited and so are we. It was really an experience that I will forever cherish.

Samuel from seraphsam.com

It's really not easy to take photos of the surfers in actions okay! Most of the time we just had to give up because the scorching hot sun and the tide was too strong. We have tried our best and I know I have have did the best I know how. Hopefully I can do better for the next surfing event (if I ever get to be invited to one again). I'll try to upload as soon as possible all the photos that are with me. At the moment, here's some teaser from Rip Curl Pro Terengganu 2012:

Anyway, here's the Rip Curl Pro Terengganu 2012 Competition Results:

ASC Men’s Open Division

1. Made Darmayasa (IDN)

2. Garut Widiarta (IDN)

3. Andre Julian (IDN)

4. Sandi Selamat (IDN)

ASC Longboard Division

1. Arip Nurhidayat (IDN)

2. Tipi Jabrik (IDN)

3. Decha Sithidej (THA)

4. Khairil Doje (MLY)

ASC Women’s Division

1. Jesse Hong (TWN)

2. Yasnyiar Gea (IDN)

3. Diah Rahayu (IDN)

4. Salini Rengganis (IDN)

ASC Master’s Division

1. Tipi Jabrik (IDN)

2. James Hendy (ENG)

3. Decha Sithidej (THA)

4. Yasuo Hirana (JPN)

Bodyboard Division

1. Ibrahim Shiman (MDV)

2. Syed El Hussain Syed Atikullah (MLY)

3. Ali Javeed (MDV)

4. Hatta Affendi (MLY)

*MDV: Maldives, JPN: Japan, ENG: England, THA: Thailand, TWN: Taiwan, IDN: Indonesia, MLY: Malaysia

The contest was clearly dominated by the surfers from Indonesia, and it was Bali's Made Darmayasa's first ever wins in ASC Men’s Open competition at the Rip Curl Pro Terengganu. I have to admit that the Indonesian surfers are more aggressive and very good at catching the right waves. Congrats to all the winners!

Made Darmayasa (in yellow). Photo courtesy of ASC Media

Only three Malaysian surfers that made it into the finals which is Syed El Hussain Syed Atikullah, Hatta Affendi both for the Bodyboard Division and Khairil Doje for the ASC Longboard Division. 

I was rooting for our female Malaysian surfer; Brenda Lee who only manage to qualified until the semi finals. She has fought a good fight but was unable to catch the right waves most of the time and had to settled in the fourth place during her final heat.

Brenda Lee after her final heat in the semi finals.

Rip Curl Pro Terengganu 2012 is a great significant for all the Malaysian surfers as it is the highlight needed to expose and share with the whole of Malaysia especially about the beauty of surfing the waves. It might not be a popular sport yet in Malaysia but with the on going support and publicity by media, state tourism and also the Malaysia tourism, I believe that one day we can have as much great surfers as other countries have and that we Malaysia too can be a place for great surfers from all around the world to gather and have a good time at the beach and on the Malaysia's waves.

Thank you again Rip Curl Malaysia for inviting me for such a prestigious event and also the great hospitality during the event. See you again in Rip Curl Pro next year perhaps?

PS: "Thank you very nice" was the catch phrase used by the commentator throughout the event and it just stuck in everyone's head, haha.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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