May 21st 2024: Turning 50

I'm not sure whose idea it was but the idea of a bunch of my mates all heading to West Sumatra to celebrate turning 50 was pure genius. We were all in our late teens when we met at university. We formed strong bonds over surf missions to the Wairarapa and South Taranaki – often with very little money, sleeping in board bags in the dunes, eating pāua, or fish if we got lucky, and pushing holey wetsuits to their brink.

More than 30 years later, most of that same crew experienced virtually the opposite end of comfort in the Telo Islands. And few of us would have imagined we could all be surfing waves like these at 50 – I saw a bunch of the boys surfing the best I have seen them surf in their lives.

One remarkable thing in the Telos was the lack of crowds. We surfed a lot of waves – beautiful line ups – and most of them alone. It's such a stunning place to be a photographer – every nook and cranny of the island chain promises surf potential. I could drift around up there for years and never get bored I reckon.

I owe a huge thanks to Scuzz and the crew aboard the Mahogany for our trip – Sumatran Surfariis are just superb operators. And to the dozen 50-year-olds out there acting like grommets – take a bow gents, each and every one of you made that trip the trip of a lifetime for me. What a bunch of legends.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS Want to explore the Mentawai or Telo Islands with me in 2025? I've booked a trip starting May 23, 2025, for 14 days exploring the remote islands off the coast of West Sumatra. We'll decide where to head once we have a swell report for the area. We will again be travelling with the guru Scuzz, who knows this place better than anyone. The goal will be to spend 13 days out there aboard Mahogany surfing as much as we can. I'll be shooting photos of your trip and making sure that your best waves are documented. To register your interest and for more info send me an email: derek@boxoflight.com