One of our ELM volunteers works for ASL, Australia's largest surf magazine. We worked up this interview in September - October last year and the idea was to publish in ASL in time for the tsunami anniversary. The Editor gave the go ahead....... then a strange thing happened.
ASL's publisher pulled the article. Seems he was pressured by friends of Paul King, a surf travel operator who features in my interview. Paul is in prison for drug smuggling and I suppose his friends just could not stand the thought of his arch rival finally telling my side of the Mentawai surf charter saga.
So "surf politics" derailed the publishing of a story that would have helped us raise funds to help the tsunami victims!
The good news is that the article will now run in several international surf magazines. Other Australian surf publications are looking at running it as well. (Now published in The Surfers Path No 55)Bear in mind that the language I speak here is "Aussie surf lingo". Just one of a several languages that I have picked up over the years!
Before the tsunami I operated a surf charter tourism business. See http://www.mentawai.com
All involved are now very deeply concerned that the Mentawais and Padang will be the next to be devastated by a mega quake and tsunami.
We are dedicating all our island holdings to management and development by our non-profit for the benefit of the local communities. All proceeds from the charter of my yacht are used to support ELM. I would like to shut down my surf charter operation and devote the yacht to purely non profit work in the Mentawais but until we secure adequate funding I can't afford to do that. The yacht has to earn the money we need to continue.
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