The best thing about the Philippines, says a girl to a Canadian at a seaside hostel, is that there’s always a bus headed to a beach somewhere. The foreigner has to agree. He himself is there to catch a few waves over the weekend.
This is exactly what surfers like to take advantage of as frequently as possible. While weekdays are for the daily grind inside concrete and steel offices, weekends are solely for the sand and sea.
At the 8th Manila Surfers Cup held last February 23 to 24 by the Manila Surfers Association in San Juan, La Union, pros Nikki dela Paz, Buji Libarnes, and Lui Tortuya revealed a few nuggets of wisdom for anyone who wants a piece of the action, too.
1. There are no epiphanies in surfing. One doesn’t figure it out in a single day, said Tortuya, who took the crown at the men’s shortboard invitational division.
“You don’t say, ‘I’m gonna learn to surf this weekend,’” he said. There are hundreds of minor adjustments and tiny movements one’s body learns to make over time, he added.
Tortuya has been surfing for some 20 years, having started when he was 13 back in California, where he grew up. Meanwhile, dela Paz and Libarnes have been in the game for ten and 13 years, respectively.
2. Always prioritize your safety. Dela Paz, who was the champion at the wahine shortboard invitational division, recalled the how she got hooked on surfing on her first try.
“When learning to surf, your instructor will push you into the water. I was done for. With that first push, I knew I would be back.”
While a thrilling experience, she emphasized that surfers should only go on waves they know they can handle. Injury and drowning are very real possibilities.
3. Don’t be ashamed to ride a big board. “Foam is fun,” said Libarnes, who brought home the bacon at the men’s longboard invitational division.
Most surfers from Manila are averse to the longboard, he observed. This is a no-no, as they don’t get to learn the basics in style, gliding, and the like when they immediately use a shortboard.
One gets to catch more waves with a bigger board. If beginners go on shortboards and don’t catch waves, they can get frustrated. Worse, they no longer want to pursue surfing. With a bigger board, said Libarnes, one can improve faster and attain a better form.
He had been longboarding for eight years before he transitioned to shortboarding.
“There is a proper board for every type of wave,” he said. The shortboard is appropriate for big waves, while the longboard is suited for knee-high waves.
Dancing in the ocean
“Dancing in the ocean” is how Tortuya calls it, and whether it be the boogie or the ballet, it is what separates the good surfers from the best.
Libarnes, who is Mr. Style himself, says surfing is “the best feeling.” The architect goes to the beach at least twice a month to get a natural high, spending up to five hours straight in the water to get his fill.
“Wala akong kain (I don’t even have to eat)!” he said. “It’s just you, the ocean, and a couple of friends enjoying nature. You feel like kids again.”
It is here that he finds his escape. There are no problems out in the sea. It never gets tiring, either, as each wave is special.
At the very least, Dela Paz joked, surfing beats going to the gym. One doesn’t break out in a sweat even though it is a form of exercise.
Also an architect, she advised that beginners shouldn’t be discouraged if they wipe out. Falling of the board is normal. One just has to keep going back to try and catch another wave.
She wishes more girls would begin surfing, although their numbers have swelled over the years.
Meanwhile, Libarnes extends the invite to everyone.
“It’s life-changing. You see the world differently. You’d want life to be simpler, to be less materialistic,” he explained.
source: interaksyon.com
