Most people will never have heard of the tiny island of Nias off the west of Sumatra in Indonesia. Just a tiny blip on the map of south-east Asia with quiet traditional community, pristine beaches and perfect undiscovered surf breaks.

Undiscovered that is until the 1970s, when surf pioneers came across the perfect peeling reef break and named it The Point.

Soon word got out about this remote Indonesian paradise. Surfers piled onto the island, consumerism prevailed, a giant soft drink manufacturer filmed an advert there – and the island was never the same again.

“Bonne Gea is the island’s first female surfer – she went on to become the five times Indonesian Women’s Surfing Champion”

However, out of this came Bonne Gea, the island’s first female surfer who went on to become the five times Indonesian Women’s Surfing Champion. She had to battle traditional village beliefs that women should remain in the home and tend to their families.

Filmmaker Rebecca Coley has launched a Kickstarter campaign to get back to the Indonesian island and film a documentary about her remarkable story with a proper cinematographer, editor and equipment.

The film will focus around Bonne’s journey to success, while also revealing an intimate side to a lesser-known culture and demonstrating that surf tourism can be achieved in a sustainable way. Read Cooler’s rad interview with Bonne herself here.

It’s a great story that deserves telling. Support Rebecca on Kickstarter here. There is only a few days left to go, so get in there quick!

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