“This is the first time I’ve had to qualify for the main event through the Trials and it actually feels amazing,” Raditya said, alluding to his former status as a perennial invite to the main event. 

Raditya is no stranger to this championship; having reached the Rip Curl Cup finals in both 2013 and 2014, but falling short of a title on both occasions. The 30-year-old is a multiple Asian Surfing Champion winner and known as both a contest tactician and an intense competitor. 

Raditya’s trials win this year marks a welcomed redemption for the surfer, after he was eliminated from the event last year. 

“During the trials, I was up against amazing local surfers, but I was a bit lucky with the good waves and I managed to win,” Raditya told Coconuts Bali.

He’ll be competing next to seven other Indonesian surfers, including 2-time Rip Curl Cup Champion Mega Samadhi and Indonesian surfing ambassador and 2014 Rip Curl Cup Champion Garut Widiarta. 

“I’ll be up against international surfers as well during the Main Event, and I hope I can beat them and become the champion this year,” Raditya said.

The 2019 Rip Curl Cup will see a total of 16 invited surfers vying to claim the prize, including international surfers, such as defending champion Jack Robinson from Australia and Hawaii’s Barron Mamiya, who earned back-to-back Breakthrough Performer Awards at the Wave of the Winter Awards. 

NOTE: This article has been updated to include comment from Raditya Rondi.