11th–25th MAY | 3–4 FEET
The Annual May Mango Run
Words and pics | Uncle Lip
Johnny and Budgie got the annual May run together with some very familiar faces and some new Mighty Mango virgins.
Conditions/Forecast
Mother Nature threw a bit of a curveball this trip, and for the month of May, the stellar weather we are used to seeing was replaced with a lot of isolated storms and some consistent northerly winds. But in between the rough, there were some golden moments of light variable winds and a back-to-back fun waves every day. The knowledge and experience on board made sure we were always in the right spot.
Standout Sessions
It was a slow start swell-wise, and the first couple of days had us hitting all the swell magnets that are on offer, but they are only fun for so long… Dissecting the forecast on every platform possible to believe a swell was coming, we planned to be at one of everyone’s favourite rights in the north. It was a risk, as this place takes a lot to get going, but we backed our calls, arrived at first light, and kept to the plan, and boy, did it pay off. It was a little small and light onshore at first, but no one was around, so we paddled out anyway. As the day went on, the waves continued to grow, and the conditions just got better and better. Soon the secret was out, and all of a sudden, we had company in the late afternoon, but by this point, we were completely done and decided it was time to enjoy some cold Bintangs in Sumatra’s number one beer garden (top deck Mangalui) and share the stoke, enjoying the afternoon watching the sunset session knowing we had surfed it all day by ourselves. What a day!
Wave of the trip
As mentioned above, everyone’s favourite right-hander was on that day, and everyone had their wave of the trip that day. As pictured below, all we could think about was how busy the Superbank is right now, and we had this all to ourselves.
Personalities
A trip we always look forward to, seeing these regulars for their annual adventure throughout West Sumatra. After-dinner s#*t head (card game) always has the boys laughing and on the edge of their seats with nonstop banter throughout the whole boat. It’s always high vibes with these guys, rain, hail, or shine, as long as you’re not the s#*t head for the day…
The new guys were a great addition to the team this year. It’s always fun to show Mango virgins how we operate and have them leaving wanting more.
Food
Chef Situ’s curries, as always, were a major hit, but the sourdough toasted sandwiches and apple crumble came in with the win this trip.
Fish on
Not so much fishing this trip, but when we went, we managed to get on. It’s always nice to break up the evening and head out in our Foxy Lady on sunset for a trawl. A nice Spanish and a respectable Wahoo gave us plenty of entertainment and some bloody good ceviche and sashimi. You really can’t beat fresh seafood.
We were surfing this slab that is only accessible from behind, so if you don’t know what you’re looking at, it's hard to tell the quality of the waves on offer. But Jason “JD” Phillips came in and said:
“They were the two best waves I’ve seen this trip, hang on, no, two best waves I have seen in years.”
Special Thanks
Always thanks to the crew for their hard work, the support of our returning Mango friends, Uncle Sooley for putting the footy on for us at the Telo RSL, and Resort Latitude Zero for letting us come in and enjoy the cocktails of the day.
Yours truly Uncle Lip. See you guys onboard.
