Caring For The Characteristics Of Kuta Beach Through Surfing Competitions And Cultural Festivals

JAKARTA - Kuta Beach, which has been known as a Bali tourist icon with its challenging waves, continues to improve to maintain its charm.

One of Kuta's efforts to maintain the unique attraction is through organizing surfing competitions and cultural festivals that combine local wisdom with global trends.

A total of 136 surfers from various countries took part in a competition held by a shopping center in the Kuta area, Badung Regency, Bali. This activity was initiated to maintain the existence of Kuta Beach as the world's favorite surfing destination.

"Half of the participants came from Indonesia, and the rest came from countries such as Australia, Japan, Korea, to several European countries," said Reksa Hartoyo, Campaign & Experience Manager of the Beachwalk Shopping Center, as quoted by ANTARA.

Reksa explained that this event was a response to the phenomenon of switching tourists to other areas in Bali. Through this competition, they want to emphasize that Kuta remains alive with culture, local energy, and its distinctive activities such as surfing.

"We want to emphasize that Kuta still has a pulse, is still home to local surfers and culture that is distinctive, even though tourism in Bali is currently experiencing a shift," he said.

The surfing event which took place on June 18'22, 2025, was not only a sporting event, but also a form of respect for Kuta Beach's long history as one of the world-class surfing spots. This competition covers five categories, namely Junior, Male Longboard, Women's Longboard, Open Men, and Open Women's Open, with a total prize of IDR 70 million.

The competition starts from the preliminary round, followed by the semifinals and the next day. The peak is the award presentation on Friday, June 20," continued Reksa.

The high interest of participants made the organizers quite surprised, especially since the youngest applicant was only 5 years old. In fact, registration time is only open for one week because it must be adjusted to weather and wave conditions.

Reksa is optimistic that if this competition is held again next year, the number of participants will increase and strengthen the identity of Kuta Beach as a home for surfing.

"This event is not just a competition, but also a talent exploration space. The enthusiasm of participants from various ages and countries proves that interest in surfing in Kuta is still very high," he said.

This festival is also part of the Beachwalk Kuta Fest 2025, which lasts for five days. In addition to surfing competitions, this festival presents various arts and cultural activities as a form of revitalizing Kuta's image as the heart of Bali tourism.

Gita Sunarwulan, General Manager of the Beachwalk Shopping Center, stated that his party is working closely with local community leaders so that this activity really reflects Kuta's spirit and character.

"This festival presents the appearance of traditional arts, cultural exhibitions, and Balinese crafts which aim to revive the local spirit that had receded during the pandemic," said Gita.

Through the combination of sports, arts and cultural activities, Kuta Beach is expected to continue to be a symbol of the dynamics and uniqueness of Bali which is able to compete with global destinations, but remains firmly rooted in its local identity.