Imagine sitting on a comfy beanbag, on a white sandy beach, watching the sun go down behind a volcano, with pristine waters as far as the eye can see and one of the best waves on the planet pumping behind the reef. Imagine you’re sipping an ice-cold Bintang beer too. Well that is exactly what François was doing when I managed to get hold of him over Skype.
François is a good vibes guru. He’s spent most of his life in the outdoors. He is permanently tanned, dressed in colorful t-shirts and he’s either barefoot or in flip flops. His hair is bleached by the salt and the sun, as he has been pursuing this tropical lifestyle for over 30 years.
Behind this relaxed look is an incredible entrepreneur. From sports instructor to textile guru, graphic designer and now hotel owner, François has always been a true pioneer. This guy knows what it is to be outside his comfort zone and how to overcome challenges, against all odds.
From the French Alps to Sumbawa, Indonesia, François’ path is a really interesting one.
I first met François when I was living in Bali. To be honest, it’s quite hard not to like François and his wife Natalia. At the time, they had just purchased the real estate, and were starting to create their dream, their very own surf camp in one of Indonesia’s secret bays.
Fast forward 5 years, and François is still pursuing his dream with the help of his incredible wife Natalia, and kids Jaï and Vega. Together they have turned Scar Reef Resort into a mini paradise on earth: a boutique hotel for surf lovers on one of the most pristine beaches of Indonesia. The cherry on the cake being obviously Scar Reef, the notorious world-class wave and a couple of other perfect reef breaks within paddling distance.
In our conversation François shares the flukey story about how he found Scar Reef in the first place, and the challenges he has had to face ever since he’s invested in Indonesia. Sometimes the postcard picture comes at a price, and François shares his knowledge with us. That said, he has created a pretty cool lifestyle on his « desert island ».
We discuss what it’s like to surf Scar Reef and although the break is renowned for its gnarly days (it’s one of the most frightening waves of the planet when it’s on), it is incredibly gentle and safe on small days. This is why François is now focusing on attracting longboarders.
“What is amazing, is there’s no-one. There’s nobody. I mean, when you are on the lineup, during a small day, nobody is out because scar reef starts to pump at 5ft 6ft +, but finally longboarding, when you have 1, 2–3 ft it’s perfect. You are alone and you have rides maybe 300 or 400 meters long!” — François Bareau
I questioned François offline about the possible problem of getting longboards to Scar Reef Resort. Problem solved, as the Resort has a special taxi service for your longboards shipping them overland from Bali straight to the lodge in Sumbawa. François has also a quiver of longboards just in case yours doesn’t fit on the plane. So if you’re a single fin maniac, François will have you covered!
“ We have plenty of days. Maybe 150 to 200 days (a year) to practice longboarding.” — François Bareau
To connect with François, just drop him a message on www.scarreefresort.com or DM him on Instagram www.instagram.com/scarreefresort, you can also connect with him on Facebook.
I would like to give a massive thank you to François for putting up with my crappy internet service. We must have made 30 attempts to connect on Skype. Thank you François for your persistance and for believing in this podcast!
I hope you enjoy the episode, I personally adore François’ French accent!
Next week I’ll be meeting a big wave rider from Ireland. Stay tuned…
In the meantime, take care, have fun and enjoy the waves!
Ciao
Imi
The Oceanriders Podcast is a non profit operation and as such, I would like to thank you listeners ever so much for being more and more every week. You guys rock! If you enjoy listening, please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Spotify, if not, you can rate or review the podcast on iTunes. It helps the podcast get more visible and encourages me to do better every episode.
If you want to get in touch with me there are loads of ways: email (hello@theoceanriderspodcast.com), and all my social accounts on www.linktr.ee/theoceanriderspodcast
Tara Ruttenberg is a writer by trade and a yoga teacher. She also works as a coach around compassionate communication and consultant for sustainable surf tourism. Recently, she began to launch her PhD project called SUSPIRO where she works with the community towards sustainable developments in surfing tourism.
In today’s episode, I will be taking you to Peru where my guest Amy Schwartz is running a remote working experience for surfers with wanderlust. Amy’s family business (she created it with her partner, John) [Unleash Surf][1] has been featured in The Inertia, GQ magazine, and even Forbes as THE destination for digital nomads, entrepreneurs and freelancers who want to take a step back from their 9–5 grind and put a new perspective on their careers. We talk about the untouched surf spots of Peru, the challenges of running an international business, and of course surfing!
