To educate, to support — and to surf

College friends bring SB vibes to southern Indonesia with LMBK Surf House

by Samantha Bronson

Andrew Irwin's typical day revolves around the surf of southern Lombok. Meetings and work? They’re scheduled around when he can score the best waves on this Indonesian island.

That means he’s usually in the water before breakfast and then chatting with guests and staff of LMBK Surf House,
a resort in Kuta, Lombok, that he co- owns with fellow former Gaucho Matt Mullens MA ’09.

From there, Irwin, who left UCSB in 2010, dives into the work of enhancing guests’ experiences and planning out new projects at the resort. Mullens, who’s based in Los Angeles, focuses on the behind-the-scenes work of bookings, web traffic and finances.

With no prior experience in hospitality or doing business in Indonesia, these longtime friends have created a thriving resort that draws visitors from around the world. They credit a willingness to adapt and try new ideas, staying humble and forging local connections for their success in opening a surf resort during the pandemic.

“This resort was really not something either one of us had even remotely considered previously, but it seemed like an idea that could work,” Mullens says. “And I guess we were crazy enough to go for it."

Open for less than four years, the resort now hosts about 2,500 guests per year, most of them in their 20s to early 30s. About 60% of guests travel from western Europe and another 20% hail from Australia (LMBK’s single biggest country market). Singapore, given its size, is also a large market. Guests from the United States make up about 10% of the resort’s visitors.

Regardless of where they’re from, guests come to LMBK interested in connecting with people from around the world while enjoying nature and new adventures. And, of course, they bring an interest in catching waves in Indonesia’s famously crystal-clear blue waters that are consistently about 80 degrees.

For some, their first time on a surfboard is at LMBK, while others have surfed for years. In the water, guests are grouped by skill level — with no more than two students per instructor — so everyone is surfing waves suitable for their surfing experience and goals. Instruction also happens out of the water with coaching, surf theory lessons and photo analysis reviews.

During their stay, guests receive daily breakfast, board rentals and insurance, sunset trips, surf yoga classes and family-style dinners. There’s also plenty of downtime to relax and recharge, whether on the property, in Kuta’s bars and restaurants or around the island, enjoying its stunning natural beauty.

Socializing is an important aspect of the LMBK experience.

“The sense of community around UCSB and Isla Vista was an inspiration for the type of atmosphere we
wanted to provide to guests and the connections we encourage them to make with each other,” Mullens says.

In fact, a few Gauchos have stayed at LMBK, Irwin says, and they’ve all said it reminds them of the UCSB vibe.

Mullens and Irwin hope the resort’s impact extends beyond guests; they aim to have a positive impact on their employees (44 of whom are locals) and on the local economy. The staff, they say, is what makes the experience great for guests, a sentiment reflected in the glowing testimonials guests routinely provide.

Salaries for locals working at LMBK are above market and greatly above typical domestic business salaries, Irwin says. “In addition, we create a safe space that allows our team to feel welcome on and off the clock,” he says. “We are here to support them and to better the overall experience of life for our team. They also teach us so much about what is really important in life — family and relationships.”

So what’s next for these Gaucho buddies?

Short term, they want to keep improving the experience at LMBK. Longer term? They’re considering opening surf resorts in other countries after they open a yoga retreat next door to LMBK. Construction on that is about to begin.

That’s quite a path for the two friends who — fittingly — first pondered the idea that would become LMBK Surf Resort while they themselves were surfing. It was 2021 and conversation turned to real estate prices around the world. They wondered if there were investments to consider in places like Indonesia, where Irwin had traveled extensively. And, if so, why not consider them?

“Opening LMBK was a selfish move
in the beginning for me. Go run a place where you can surf all the time? Sign me up!” Irwin says. “But over time, with the relationships we have made with our local team and guests from around the world ... I am proud to be able to leave
a place better than I found it and to promote surfing in a way that educates and supports the local community.”