Shane Dorian posits, "There are Indonesians and then there are foreigners. Living there does not make someone a local."
The Australian Lennix Smith is enjoying a viral online success after film of his altercation with an Italian surfer living in Indonesia lit up this past week.
Lennix, who is twenty-one, posted a video of the Italian ex-pat, identified as Edoardo Puddu, owner of Shardana West Sumbawa, makers of delicious European style pizzas and hosts par excellence at their homestay right there at Sumbawa’s Scar Reef, dropping on on him and subsequently becoming very animated.
I’m just going to show you a quick video of an altercation between me and a Spanish surfer who claims he’s lived in Indo for the last 25-plus years, and give you a rundown of what went down.
After dropping in on me, this guy paddles up to me as fast as he can, grabs my board, kicks it out from underneath me and screams: “I will fucking kill you. I will kill you. You just fucked up big time. I’ve been in Indo for a long time. Punch me, pussy. Punch me. Punch me. I dare you. I will kill you. I will smash your knee.”
And I’m like, “What the hell? Chill out, bro.”
And he’s like, “No, you fucked up. You snaked me. You snaked me, you fucking idiot. I will kill you. Why you laughing at me? Why you laughing?”
And I’m just like, “What the hell, bro? Chill out.”
Then for about ten minutes straight he kept telling me he was going to kill me, smash my knee and ruin my surf career, and that he didn’t give a fuck. Then he started doing this [throat-cutting gesture] at me, and I was like, what the hell even is that?
Honestly, I find it crazy that these guys come over here for five minutes, think they’re locals and start carrying on. They don’t realise they’re the ones ruining it for everyone. They come out with this crazy ego, the worst vibe ever, and they kill the vibe so hard. Surfing’s meant to be fun, and these guys are so aggressive they don’t even realise it.
So if you know who this is, tag him. It’ll be good for him to realise that people like him are the ones ruining it for everyone.
Eddy is tagged everywhere below the line with surf heavyweights Tom Carroll and Shane Dorian posting in favour of Lennix Smith.
Tom writes, “Nicely handled Lennix. He barely made it to his feet – however in his mind he was getting barrelled. Interesting times.”
And Shane Dorian, pointedly, “There are Indonesians and then there are foreigners, there is no in between. Living there does not make someone a local.”
Whose camp do you favour? Lenny or Eddy?
And, more importantly, can an ex-pat ever enjoy local status or is forever an outsider etc?
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Living somewhere for decades makes you a long-term resident, expat, or member of the foreign community, not an ethnic or cultural local.
Absolutely fucken brilliant, Joanie.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Desert Point Brazzos?
Or is that a myth?
Eddy Would Go!
Theres some really, really nice Italians in Indo but collectively they are in the top five worst nations to move there and assume a misplaced sense of entitlement. Unfortunately this attitude is often expressed in the worst possible manner. Remember when they thought Pandawa was an Italian break?
I’ve done a bit of time in West Sumbawa. Always stayed with with Lee at Scar Reef villas including a three month stint in about 2012. No sign of any feisty Italians there then. A couple of Swedes( ?) who were restricted to waist high little Bingin was about the only Euros there. Bit different down Maluk / Yo-yos way.
Geez, old Lennix hasn’t had much luck in Sumbawa. Last I saw was him getting yelled out of the lineup at Lakey. But that was a local ( Hi Kisan!)
To be honest, if you haven’t been yelled at in the water in Indo over the last couple of decades you’re either the Dalia Lama or a door mat.