A tropical cold water between Russkis and locals!
In response to the crisis in Ukraine, there was a gathering of Ukrainians and Russians who in a public park here on Bali were determined to demonstrate for peace.
And among the Russian contingent, a number of them were surfers.
And I suppose this was good PR for the Russian surfers because the Russian surfers who have infiltrated Bali are not the most well-loved group of individuals in the water.
On the contrary.
And for years, there has been a whole mess of ‘em comin’ in over the wire.
So much so that the hipster burg of Canggu has been referred to, in some disgruntled circles, as “Little Moscow”. What with tall, stunning, long legged, super model types swanning into nightclubs and out into the surf with impunity. (And their girlfriends aren’t half bad either.)
But the “Russian attitude” here in Bali surf world has been a generally problematic fit for this Glasnost ignoring set.
Again, generalizing, the Russian contingent, Covid era or not, behave mostly entitled, rude, culturally insensitive and blind in the line-up, having assimilated into the surf scene here with all the sensitivity of bulls in a china shop. Resulting in a sort of tropical cold war between them and some of the local surfers here.
And although thinly tolerated, the authorities have had to take action when these nationals have taken things too far.
Like the Russian knucklehead who posted a video of himself taking a header off the end of a pier atop his rental scooter with a bikini babe riding him piggy back all the way into the drink. He got a hefty environmental fine and a one way ticket to the airport for that caper.
There were also the numerous “Cold War” parties in during the Covid lockdowns that held no regard for, well, anything. Like the full moon Smirnoff and Shroom bacchanal that took place in a Balinese Temple up in Jimbaran that got a favorite surf spot shut down for good.
The scenes of public fornication on this hallowed ground left one prominent Police officer asking “Would we do this in a church in their country?”
Countless trips to the airport after that hullabaloo, let me tell you.
And speaking of hullabaloos, there was the Russian internet porn ring that was busted up in Uluwatu.
Seems the porn producers, with one of Russia’s hottest female porn stars in tow, were looking for “Surfer Types”. Seems the “bulging-gym-head-mob-and-muscle-bound types” had fallen out of favor back in St. Petersburg (Rumour has it that they found numerous enthusiastic volunteers among the surfer set however, including one prominent Aussie pro surfer who was smart enough to wear a Batman motorcycle helmet).
And so it goes here with the Russian surfers, who are not all bad, thank the heavens. I mean, after all, some did join the Ukrainians in a peaceful protest against Russian aggression in Ukraine in a public park on Bali.
Although it’s a shame they didn’t read the rules.
Protests and demonstrations of any kind by non-Indonesians are against the law in this country. The result being the possibility of many trips to the airport for our peace and borscht loving brothers and sisters.
Police videos of the event are currently under scrutiny.
No news yet from the safe houses in “Little Moscow”.