Interview by Stephanie Moon
A local legend indeed (and not just for streaking down the track at the annual Deus Dress and Drag Race a few years back)! Our next “Faces of Bali” has been described as a larrikin of Canggu, with a head that wears many hats and a passport that has done a few full tours of the world. ‘Monty’ Montell has more then a few stories to tell. From restaurateur to photographer to surf comp judge to wedding planner to surf and skate memorabilia collector, all the way to t-shirt maker, the list could go on and on.
We sat down to talk nostalgia, collecting, and Canggu and got a whole lot more than what we bargained for. This co-founder of the local staple Canteen and lifestyle brand Boomba has a lot to share.
When did you first come to Bali?
In 1981. It was a surf trip. My mates and I were either heading to Sri Lanka or Bali. We found a trio promotion to Bali for 600 Aussie dollars that included a custom surf board. We couldn’t refuse. Could you? The trip was for two weeks I ended up staying for six!
Where did you stay?
Poppies 2 in Kuta. We felt we were on the fringe because everyone was staying at Poppies 1.
It was an entirely different place back then. It was raw and rustic. The streets weren’t paved.
Was it then that the Bali bug bit you?
Bali and the travel bug! After my first trip to Bali, I was determined to come back. I was in and out for years. I was summoned by the waves and the cultural exposure here. It’s a truly multicultural place: Muslims, Hindus, and Christians all living together.
Who was traveling to Bali in the 1980s?
The demographic was the nitty, gritty, murky people: surfers and backpackers. The surfers were mostly from Australia, a touch from Hawaii but that was it.
Everyone had a copy Tony Wheel’s “Southeast Asia on a Shoe String”, the Lonely Planet precursor under their arm. It was as though they were handing them out for free at the universities. Everyone had one.
When did you first come to Canggu?
Canggu has always been on the surf map. I first came in the 80s. I came to surf but you couldn’t stay. It was all rice paddies. It was easier to get to Pererenan. There was a road leading to that beach then, it was the more popular side.
To get to Canggu it was easier to ride on the beach at low tide then try to find the road leading out there. It was a lot faster too! I have a photo of me doing wheelies on the beach in Canggu with a Yamaha DT 100. We’d hang out at the local warung we nicknamed “The Chew n’ Spew”.
Wayan, the owner, didn’t take offense. He actually made t-shrits with “Chew n’ Spew” on them.
When did you decide to move here?
It was a chain of events. Janeen (my wife) and I always felt we wanted to make Bali a home for awhile. On one of our trips to Nusa Lembongan, house envy set in, but it was on a family surf trip to the top end of Java that really sealed the deal. We met a couple up there doing relief work, helping the locals recover from the tsunami. It was there and then we decided to move to Indonesia. On our way back to Australia we passed through Bali. We spent two days here exploring schools and within three months we were back long term. It was a one to three year plan. That changed quickly. Haha, life experience is everything. It’s great for the kids. We were happy to burn a bit of our savings away to make this happen.
Let’s talk surf and skate memorabilia. You’re an avid collector. Have you always been?
I love history and memorabilia. I’m great at dating things. I have a huge collection of old surf magazines dating back to the 1960s.
My first job after returning to Australia was as a construction worker, on a site I found an old 1960s long board. I loved riding it, that’s when the bug set in.
Later, as a flight attendant when everyone else went shopping I’d take ground time to hunt down vintage memorabilia.
Whatever I saw, I’d take it: skateboards, posters, surfboards, whatever, I couldn’t help it, when I came to Bali. There were so many boards left behind on the beach in Kuta, in the racks. They were just left behind. Not anymore.
Three most treasured pieces in your collection?
‘Most treasured’ is ever-changing, boards are treasured for multiple reasons e.g. how well they ride, who shaped them, what brand, what shape, how it was acquired, and how rare. I have a couple of mid-60s boards that I love, both are on loan to mates: a Bobby Brown shaped G&S and a Bob McTavish shaped Cord. I also have a very nice 1980 Mark Richards twin fin in Canteen Cafe Canggu.
I love the art work of the old school surf movie posters, in Canteen you will also see great examples, but I do love “The Forgotten Island of Santosha” poster. For a memorabilia item that I treasure, I have MP’s (Michael Peterson) 1972 Queensland Australia 1st place trophy. All treasured but if someone wants it more than me and offers more than I value, I’m happy to pass on!
Most memorable story attached to collecting?
So many of the items that I own have a story of how I ended up with them. I have been to places I would never have been and met people I would have never met. One story that comes to mind was of a guy that was visiting Bali that loved Canteen. Not only did he love the burgers and coconut milkshakes (he still sends people in just for the coconut milkshake), but he loves all the surf memorabilia fit out. He told me he had a board under his house that I might like. I’ve heard this (sort of thing) a lot and it’s usually something I don’t care for and is over-priced. This guy said I could have it and next time he comes over he will bring it for me. I shouted him lunch and thought I would not see him again. Then one day about a year later, I got a call from the Canteen staff as someone was asking for me. I met a totally different guy to “coconut milkshake boy”. He was a mate of his that had carried a very heavy old 60s longboard with him from central NSW AUST. I was blown away that this guy had done that. I was even more blown away when I realized what the board was, a 1966, stringerless, stepdeck, Migdet Ferrerly…a very rare board that rides well and is a special shape from a special shaper.
Words to live by?
Family. Love. Friends. Travel. Experience
What can’t you leave home without?
Conscience.
What’s your Desert Island hit?
My funeral playlist! lol
If you had to choose one?
“Wild Horses”, The Rolling Stones
Guilty pleasure?
Gelato. I live by the 80 percent, 20 percent rule! That’s for everything!
Are you ever too old to surf?
No!
Favorite dish at Canteen?
The veggie burger with bacon on top! (yum)
Don’t forget the hash browns!
Any Regrets?
No regrets. I might have one, but i’m not going to tell you.
You learn from your mistakes.
This interview is part of a series called “Faces of Bali” and was originally published on the Ocean Tribe blog page. You can find the Tribe team on Instagram @oceantriberetreat.
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