In our latest edition, Vol 258, Matt Smith catches up with surfer, seafarer and most recently HTs resort owner Teika Ballian.
“In 2006, I spent eight months living in Bali,” writes Matt.
“After a night out, I ended up vomiting in the same toilet with a man who is now a lifelong friend, Teiki Ballian. In the years that followed, our lives would intersect many times on the Indian Ocean. We’d surf, work, sail and travel together in Bali, The Java Sea, The Maldives, Malaysia and Sumatra. I got to witness Teiki helming big boats and manhandling big tubes; a true master in both realms. When on land, he speaks the language like the locals and doesn’t look out of place creeping in the jungle or dancing in the nightclubs of Singapore.”
A few years back, Teiki “stumbled upon a little abandoned resort at Lance’s Right and got lucky,” as he puts it, and now he co-owns the legendary camp at Hollow Trees.
Although the season has been a tough one so far for obvious reasons, the downtime has given Teiki plenty of chance to surf. Here’s a fresh clip of him taking full advantage out front of his homestead:
Subscribe now to get a copy of Vol 258 and find out more about Teiki’s extraordinary life.
Cover photo: @honestcaptain
