The 2008 Coca-Cola ISC season came to its official conclusion at the Sector Bar in Sanur last Saturday night with the year end awards party to crown its Indonesian surfing champions and the recognize the sponsors and contributors that made the tour such a success this year.

The couple of hundred surfers and members of the Indonesian surfing community begin arriving at the Sector Bar in Sanur starting at 7:00 pm and were treated to drinks and snacks while waiting for the show to begin, swapping stories and viewing the video and slideshows the recapped highlights of the 2008 season’s 25+ events.

MC’s Tai Graham and Ribut Wahyudi stepped up to the microphones at 8:30 to welcome the audience and get the program rolling. First off was the recognition of the ISC’s contest and judging crew for all their hard work throughout the year. This was followed by the calling up representatives from the sponsors of the years events including Billabong, Oakley, Quiksilver, Rip Curl, Rusty, Surfer Girl, as well as SurfTime, Magic Wave, and the Bali Lifeguard Department and thanking them for all their support.

Then Mr. Setya and Mr. Nikko, representatives from the Coca-Cola Bottling Indonesia, were called up and thanked for their tremendous help and contributions that allowed the ISC to progress and grow so rapidly this year. It was also announced that Coca-Cola Bottling Indonesia would again be the sponsor of the ISC Tour for 2009, bringing a huge round of applause from the audience.

Next, it was on to the surfers themselves starting with the Junior Division. Though last year’s Junior Champion Ony Anwar was not able to leave his schooling in Australia to come to Bali to hand over the trophy to his older brother Gazali Hamzah (Sumbawa), Gazali was very stoked to add his name to the trophy above his brother’s. Second place in the Juniors was taken by Agus Frimanto (Nusa Lembongan), and third by Putra Hermawan (Nusa Lembongan)

The Women’s Division was up next, with Yasnyiar Gea (aka Bonne) from Nias getting the honor of being the first Indonesian women to ever get her name on a championship trophy for surfing. In the runner up spot was Yesco (Japan), wife of 2004 ISC Champion Pepen Hendrick, and taking third was Nyoman Satria from Bali.

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Longboard Tour (WLT) crowned Bonga Perkins (HAW), 36, the 2008 ASP World Longboard Champion at the Oxbow World Longboard Tour event at San Onofre State Beach over fellow finalist Antoine Delpero (FRA), 23. This year’s title is Perkins’ second ASP World Longboard Championship, with the other win coming in 1996.

The Oxbow World Longboard Tour sponsors two ASP WLT events, with the top seed at series’ end claiming the title of ASP World Longboard Champion. The other stop on ASP WLT is held in Anglet, France.

Perkins proved to be unstoppable throughout the event’s entirety and defeated Delpero 16.95 to 13.90 in the Final. The 2008 ASP World Longboard Title came down to the wire, with both surfers having to win the event in order to earn longboarding’s top honors, but it was Perkins who jumped out to an early lead in the Final, holding his lead throughout the heat.

“I’ve been bridesmaids and thirds and fourths so many times now and I was hoping that my second title would come soon before I bow out,” Perkins said. “I can’t event speak, I’m blown away right now.”

Perkins, who entered the Oxbow World Longboard Tour event rated third, issued powerful rail-to-rail surfing throughout the contest, consistently compiling some of the highest heat totals. The Hawaiian did the same in the Final, netting two eight-point rides in the opening minutes of his heat.

“I’ve been doing it almost every heat, trying to sneak a couple in and get a couple under my belt, and they ended up being my stronger waves every heat,” Perkins said. “That 30 minute heat felt like a long time. I felt like I was holding my breath.”

Despite his amazing performance throughout the contest, Delpero was unable to put a stop to the polished Hawaiian veteran. Delpero’s second place finish at San Onofre State Beach also puts him at No. 2 in the world behind Perkins.

“I just could not find a wave in that heat,” Delpero said. “I would have liked to win, but that’s life, that’s competition."