( CNN ) '' This is where it all started , '' says Rizal Tandjung , gazing out over a sandy shoreline lapped by dying breakers . Almost 40 years old , Tandjung is one of Bali 's surfing pioneers . Picking up his first board at the age of eight , he 's now a professional surfer , owner of multiple surf shops and president of a clothing company , Hurley Indonesia/Bali . We 're standing on Kuta Beach , a five kilometer stretch of white sand that 's one of the most popular tourist areas on the Indonesian island of Bali . Once a small fisherman 's village , today 's Kuta is anything but quiet . Large commercial airplanes cruising into Ngurah Rai International Airport fly over the heads of surfers . Beach loungers are scattered down the shore as far as the eye can see , fighting for space with the multiple surf schools catering to tourists with `` Endless Summer '' dreams . Tandjung walks us over to a little hut on the beach where we meet Made Switra , a surf shop owner , painter and leisure surfer who also grew up in Kuta . `` He 's the one , the first generation , the first kid from the fisherman village to surf , '' says Tandjung . Switra , tanned from all those hours in the water , sits with one leg propped up as he fiddles with his fishing pole . `` I started surfing from a fisherman boat . They had wood from a chair , so I started kind of boogie boarding with that and then found a few boards left from Westerners , '' Switra says . Bali a late arrival to global surf scene . Switra and Tandjung are part of the breakthrough generation of Indonesian surfers . Despite Bali being an obvious surf paradise , with its consistent waves and welcoming warm water , it was n't until the late 1960s and 70s that it made its way onto the global surfing map . Hawaii , Australia and California were the three big players . But with the 1971 documentary `` Morning of the Earth , '' Bali finally got its recognition , as scenes of Uluwatu 's barreling waves caused surfers around the world to grip their wax in excitement . With that recognition , Indonesian surfers eventually moved into the sport -- but not before overcoming some cultural taboos . `` Indonesians believe that the ocean is very , very dangerous and the sea god is going to take you away , '' explains Tandjung . Many kids of his generation grew up not knowing how to swim , he says . Even today , some fisherman still ca n't . Tandjung and Switra were viewed as rebels when they began surfing , ignoring their family 's objections and defying any fear , he says . Today , that societal unease is slipping away and fishermen see surfing as a business opportunity . Using their boats to take surfers out to further breaks inaccessible from the shore -- such as a popular set of reef waves near Kuta 's airport runway -- has led families to accept that surfing can pay the bills . Jason Childs , a surf photographer based in Bali , has seen the evolution of surfing culture here . `` Life 's too good and they know it , '' he says . `` They surf with the best surfers on the best waves on a daily basis . '' Though Indonesian surfers have been gracing the pages of international surf magazines for about a decade , Childs believes it takes a certain fire in their bellies to get out of their comfort zone and to the next level . Childs ca n't recall the first time he photographed Tandjung , but believes it must have been when he was about 16 years old . He points out that Tandjung is not Balinese but Chinese Indonesian , so it 's been even harder for him to be accepted into the local surf scene here . `` It 's made him have to work harder . '' And it 's paid off , with Tandjung paving the way for future surfers . Will a Balinese surfer ever top the podium ? Nowadays , hardcore surfers head for Padang Padang in Bali 's southern Uluwatu area . Filled with high-speed waves , it has some of the best -- and most dangerous -- surf in Bali . Just to the left of the rock enclosed beach are those world-famous barrels . Tandjung has taken us here for a practice session leading up to the big annual Rip Curl tournament , which he 's been chasing every year since its inception in 2004 . In tow is Tandjung 's son , Varun , a name which means `` god of the sea . '' Varun and his friends beg to go out and try the big barrels . The boy finally gets his wish and paddles out side by side with Tandjung , even getting to catch a few waves in between world-renowned pros like Bethany Hamilton . Childs figures this new generation of Balinese surfers -- boys and girls -- is the best yet to come out of Bali , but it still could be another 20 to 30 years before a Balinese tops the surfing world . But they 'll find their way there with style and grace , he says . `` It 's not very often you see an ugly Balinese surfer , '' says Childs . `` If you could build a surfer , the Balinese are close to perfect . They can jump to their feet effortlessly . They 're beautiful to watch . '' MORE 11 of the world 's most unusual surf spots .
Bali 's popularity among surfers grew with 1970s release of `` Morning of the Earth '' documentary . Pro surfer Rizal Tandjung was one of the first locals to defy cultural norms and take up the sport . Surf photographer Jason Childs says Indonesian surfers need to take things to the next level if they want to top the podium .