âKhawatirâ :
In the south of Sumatra, many small bays are naturally sheltered by the shape of the land, where the swell doesnât have enough strength to push in, so the local population chooses to moor their boats inside. However, sometimes bigger swells break through in places where there used to be none. The fishermen from these areas, who rely almost solely on fishing, are deeply worried about this. We can see them smoking and watching the waves break through. "Khawatir," which literally means "worried" in Indonesian, perfectly describes the situation. During the night, we can hear them screaming and shouting in a hurry to get the boats onto land to prevent them from being destroyed. We were there to chase a swell; they were there to protect their only source of income. Itâs a humbling situation that makes me reflect on the differing perspectives from us surfers pursuing swells and the locals focused on their livelihoods . This contrast makes me addicted to that kind of experience.
