WHEN DOES THE EXTRAORDINARY BECOME ORDINARY? At what point does the vanguard become the establishment? How can froth go flat? If you're a diligent surf mag reader (or surf flick fiend), you've probably seen enough idyllic Mentawai Island boat trips to fill a memory card - somebody else's memories, of course, but memories nonetheless. But after, say, 20 years of being fed the same data, the audience is ready to move on. Beachbreaks. Wetsuits. Chop. Anything but perfect Sumatra by yacht.



UNLESS... Unless the vessel is extraordinary - like the Ratu Motu, alpha ship of the Mentawai fleet, helmed by a veteran captain and supported by Surfline's forecasting tools. Unless the cast is respectively vanguard: two Australians, one South African and four Californians who represent their sport in seven distinct, postmodern fringes. Unless the most frothing thing in the story is the surf itself, relentlessly pumping for this 12-day expedition during one of Indonesia's most active late seasons in recent history.



NO. WE'RE NOT DONE HERE YET.