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gili’s skateboard secrets (and why you shouldn’t trust the weather)

@Emma Hayes2/10/2026blog

well i was supposed to find this spot for my first dive into gili’s skate culture but instead i ended up chasing a rogue wave that looked like it was judging my life choices. let me tell you it was 23.27 degrees when i checked and it felt like 24.03 which is basically a sauna but with sand in your hair. i checked again and it’s still there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

so there i was riding a board that felt like it had a personality and trying not to sink into the sea because the foam was 91% humidity. the pressure was 1011 which sounds high but in this case it was just the ocean being bossy. the neighbors? yeah they were the kind who’d leave their doors open and play music so loud you could hear it from the other side of the island. if you get bored gili is just a short drive away but honestly i’d rather stay here and pretend i’m a ghost hunting for the perfect wave.

i heard that somewhere a local warned me about the board called ‘the devil’s lip’ but i ignored them because i’m a reckless idiot. turns out it was real and it bit me. hard. the reviews i overheard were split-some said it’s the best spot ever others swore it’s a death trap. i didn’t ask for advice but someone else did and they said ‘don’t skate here at night if you value your sanity.’ i did it anyway.

my gear list is pointless but here’s what i brought: a board that’s 50% broken honestly, a camera that broke during a wipeout, and a bottle of water that tasted like regret. i didn’t need pro tips because i was too busy figuring out why the wind kept changing directions like it was trying to communicate with me. maybe it was.

the weather was a mess the temp min and max were both 23.27 which is wild. i mean what’s the point of a high if it’s the same as the low? i guess it’s just gili’s way of saying ‘deal with it.’ the humidity made everything slippery and my skin felt like it was wearing a second layer of sweat. i checked once more and it’s still 23.27 so i’m assuming this is how it always is.

i put up some photos on unsplash but i don’t even know if they’re good. the first one is a shot of the board mid-grind because obviously that’s what everyone does. the second one is me crying in the sand after that wipeout. the third is a sunset that looked like a watercolor painting but i didn’t have time to appreciate it.

i saw a yelp review that said ‘the coffee here is the worst but the waves are awesome’ which is 100% accurate. then there was a tripadvisor post about a street artist who painted a skateboard on a wall and now it’s a local legend. i didn’t believe it but i checked and it’s real. also a local board mentioned that the marina is full of sketchy boats but if you ask nice enough they’ll let you ride one. i didn’t ask.

the night was long and the heat was worse. i ended up sleeping in a hammock under a tree and dreaming about a proper skate park. the neighbors came by with a grill and offered me kebabs which was nice but i was too tired to say yes. they probably thought i was a ghost because i didn’t move.

i uploaded the map and it shows the exact spot where i faced the devil’s lip. maybe next time i’ll bring a life jacket. or a better board. or a sense of direction. i don’t know.

i put a link to a local blog about gili’s skate spots but i haven’t read it. also a tripadvisor page for the best cafes and a yelp for the worst. i didn’t check either. i’m just gonna assume they’re as chaotic as the rest of gili.

so yeah this place is a mess of waves, weather, and weird decisions. if you come here bring extra water and a thick skin. and maybe don’t listen to the reviews. they’re probably just people who wanted to sound smart.

p.s. i’m not a pro skater. i’m just a guy who thinks board shorts are a fashion statement.

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About the author: Emma Hayes

Exploring the intersection of technology and humanity.

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