I am so sorry to hear that Peter has died. I remem...

2008-12-19T15:58:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry to hear that Peter has died. I remember him being a very nice guy and with lots of funny stories. May his radiant soul progress through all the worlds of God.

I was with him when we discovered Lagundri Bay in 1975. There were three Aussie surfers (Peter and two guys, one named John and I forget the name of the other) as well as my friend Rick Waite and me, Michael Day.

Rick and I were just travelling and were in Nias where we met the Aussie surfers.

They were running down to try a tiny shore break wave in Teluk Dalam. The locals were following them, laughing and having a good time. Peter, even though a world famous surfer (I remembered him from surfing magazines), was not stuck up at all but warm, friendly and funny.

The were amazed when the surfers paddled out, turned and stood up on the tiny waves. Then a local teacher had a go, stood up for a few seconds and fell off. The crowd applauded. They had never seen or even heard of surfing before.

I had been a surfer and so was interested to go with them when they said they were going to check out a place where they heard there were waves.

We were all amazed when we arrived and saw the waves. It was Lagundri Bay and had never been surfed or seen by surfers before. They went out and surfed, and I body surfed a bit.
I could speak Indonesian so they asked me to ask the locals to build a hut for them, at the place where the village now is. So I did ask a guy, and he agreed to build the hut. I guess that the was the start of the settlement there.

At that time there were no dwellings, but the locals told me they used to enjoy watching the waves. I think they were amazed to see the Aussies riding the great waves that day.

The Aussies asked me not to tell anybody about the place which we called Spot X and Express.

I didn't tell, and was amazed 13 years later to read a story about Nias in a surfing mag I saw in a shop. The break had become famous.

I haven't been back, though I did end up covering Indonesia as a journalist more than 20 years later.

In 1975 Peter was travelling through Indonesia on motorbikes with his girlfriend, Wendy. I saw them later in Nepal.

Anybody interested in more anecdotes about the discovery or about Peter from that time, please contact me at michaelvday@gmail.com

Comments on LEGENDARY SURFERS: Peter Troy (1938-2008)

I am so sorry to hear that Peter has died. I remem...