Aussie surfer Josh Ku first person in history to make 92km Uluwatu-to-Grajagan crossing on a hydro-foil

“Dude, I’m dead. That’s enough. I don’t have to do that again.”

Recently, the Maroubra surfer Josh Ku made history and blew the hinges off plenty of jaws when he foiled from Uluwatu in Bali to Grajagan in East Java, an open-ocean crossing of ninety-two kilometres.

Ku, whose Maroubra deoxyribonucleic acid means he ain’t afraid to huck it over the ledge at the word’s heaviest reefs on a regular surfboard, ol Kelly Slater threw praise at one of his paddle-in moments at Deadman’s, made the journey in four-and-a-half hours, not that much longer than the fast boat.

“On the 27th of June I completed a goal that I had dreamt of doing for over a year,” Ku wrote on socials. “To cross the Bali Strait a 92 km crossing from the famous Uluwatu in Bali to the iconic G-Land in Java on hydrofoil. Both historic surf spots founded in the 70s by adventurous surfers such as Gerry Lopez and Peter Mcabe . 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 . 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 . 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. After 4 hours and 30 mins I made it to g land surfing a wave all the way to speedies ! An overwhelming feeling of achievement. I had set a goal and trusted my skill and determination which got me to the end.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by joshua ku (@joshku)

The magnitude of the crossing was amplified three days ago when a ferry from East Java to Bali sank in the Bali Strait. Four bodies have been recovered and almost thirty souls are still missing.

“The most treacherous sea I’ve ever been in. A serious body of water that needs to be respected,” writes Ku.

A movie of the event is being made with Californian-based filmmaker Dane Wilson and will be released in September.