SABANG BEACH, BALER, AURORA – The year was 1972 and travel around Northern Luzon was restricted by military checkpoints, rough roads, and secrets lurking in the deep jungles of the Sierra Madre. But for determined surfers like Stephen Scott, who had relocated to the Philippines because of his father’s assignment to the Subic Naval Base, it was all about the search. And the search led him to Baler, whose Pacific-facing coastline was a wave magnet for long periods in a year. From a plane ride above, the swell drew white lines along its shoreline for days.
Wanting to travel light on his trip back home, Steve hid his surfboard in the rafters of a small hut, expecting to find it intact where he had left it, ready for his return. But a typhoon would ravage the hut in 1974 and his surfboard would journey down a river where a fisherman would pick it up and a local by the name of Raul Tolentino would eventually come to possess the surfboard. Little did Steve know that the surfboard that he left behind would be instrumental in shaping Baler as the birthplace of Philippine surfing.
This anecdote is just one of the many well-known stories that traces the origin of Philippine surfing back to Baler. The most popular story is, of course, the filming of Francis Ford Coppola’s war epic, Apocalypse Now, in what is now called Charlie’s Point. As the 2023 NextGen Pilipinas Surfing Tour parks its 3rd leg on the historic shores of Sabang Beach, one thing is illuminated– Philippine surfing is going back to its source.
Akkaw Baler National Surfing Competition on Nov 10-16
Suspense continues to build for Baler as Akkaw Baler, a Grade 2 event, hosts more than 200 surfers from different regions of the country striving for surf glory, cash prizes, and points. Top winners of this event will add 750 points to their ranking as well as bring home a generous cash purse.
Last year’s event champions, Remar Magaluna and June Esquivel, have set their eyes on back-to-back wins for the Men’s Shortboard and Men’s Longboard divisions. For the women’s categories, we’ve yet to see if Nilbie Blancada and Aping Agudo will come to keep their crowns.
Jay-r Esquivel, who just stamped his name on the WSL World Longboard Tour, will be putting on the contest jersey in tropical waters once again. Meanwhile, the Happy Islanders Surf Club of Siargao and the Surfriders Club of Eastern Samar have doubled down on training in the past month, eager to rack up more points to boost their rankings.
But who could be more fired up than hometown heroes such as current Men’s Shortboard #4 Neil Sanchez and Junior Girls #1 Cathleya Casals who know the ins and outs of Sabang’s peaky breaks like the backs of their hands? With the tour on their turf, will Allen Magos, Cliford Lumasac, and Julius Isaguirre show us why Baler is where Philippine surfing was born?
Hold on to your seats. We’re about to find out.
Akkaw Baler is brought to you by NextGen Philippines and co-presented by Tingog Partylist, Speaker Martin Romualdez & Senator Sonny Angara.
This event is organized by the United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA) and Aurora Surf Riders Association, Incorporated (ASRAI) in coordination with the Municipality of Baler and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
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About UPSA
The UPSA is the sole recognized National Sports Association (NSA) for developing and promoting surfing in the Philippines. This recognition was granted by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) through Republic Act 6847. As the national governing body for surfing in the Philippines recognized by the International Olympic Committee, UPSA continues to support and foster the growth of exceptional surf athletes like Jay-r Esquivel, Jr.
About Pilipinas Surfing
Pilipinas Surfing is the country’s premiere professional surfing championship tournaments with multiple competitions held at different regions around the Philippines. These events are sanctioned under your Local Government Unit (LGU) as part of the only national competitions in a unifying and collective series of national legs around the country.
