Alex McGuffin Releases New Film ‘SAMBAL’.

Empty lineups, climbing palm trees, perfect left handers… Enjoy Alex McGuffin’s recent trip to Indonesia.

Posted up in Indo, attuned to the swell charts and weather patterns, Alex jumped on a plane for the Krui Pro, a WSL Qualifying Series event in Sumatra. After losing out in his second heat due to a snapped leggy, Alex took it as a blessing and decided to Search for perfect waves around the island. 

It didn't take long for the man to get into some clean lines and rippable walls. We caught up with Alex to learn a little more about himself, the trip, and what’s next. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself… Home break? Favourite wave growing up? How did you get into surfing?
"I grew up in Fremantle, Perth, Western, Australia, a relaxed Coastal town. Though Perth isn’t known for its waves I spent most of my childhood in and around the ocean. Always making the most from what we had. My home break and favourite wave growing up was Seconds and Cove in Cottesloe. A fun sucky left-hander that breaks over a shallow rocky shelf. If the waves weren’t doing it, we were spending hours at the skate park."

"Dad being a keen surfer and school teacher, together we’d go chasing waves with making endless trips to Margaret River and winter holidays in Bali.
As my love for surfing grew stronger, not long after I finished high school, I realised that the surf in Perth wasn’t enough. World Class waves only being 3 hours down the road, it was clear, Margaret River is where I needed to be.

Margaret River is a place I'm grateful to now call home. With all the epic waves around, to the scenic drives and the magical coastline, it's hard to beat."

The clip looks epic, tell us a little bit about how it all came together. 
"The trip started in Krui, South Sumatra. I was competing in a WSL Qualifying series contest. I got knocked out in my second heat getting a little unlucky with my leggy coming off and my board getting washed all the way in. Perhaps a blessing in disguise as it allowed us to go travelling around the Island in Search for some perfect waves."

"My good mate and talented filmer Ryo came over for the trip. We had heaps of fun getting around the local people and appreciating their culture. One of my favourite memories is hanging out with my girlfriend Imogen and some of the local kids after a surf and sharing many laughs despite the language barrier."

"After 10 days in Sumatra we were back to the action in Bali, reuniting with more mates and staying in a villa not far from Uluwatu. Surfing all the waves in and around the Bukit . Staying for another 10 days."

Where to next? New film in mind?     
"It’s a dream of mine to travel the world making surf films, I am fortunate to have Ryo as a good mate who is talented behind the lens and passionate about capturing the small special moments and creating cinematic surf films. We are always thinking about what’s next. Possibly a run to Gnarloo in the North West of Australia, a cheeky 14 hour drive up the road, very well worth it as we’ve scored mind blowing waves before."

Thanks for your time, Alex!