SABANG BEACH, BALER, AURORA – “Five waves” is a phrase all Baler surf pioneers know. With only a handful of surfboards and the occasional plywood board in rotation, the first locals devised a system where everyone took turns using the same board to practice surfing. After getting five waves, wipeouts included, the surfer had to turn the board over to the next frothing grom.
This is how surfing spread across Baler, where we are holding the 2023 Akkaw Baler National Surfing Competition. By taking turns on borrowed boards, the Baler surf community grew until it was a force to be reckoned with. And while there are earlier records of surfing on other beaches in the country, it was only in Baler that a true Philippine surf culture was born.
Today, Sabang Beach is host to 137 competitors from 11 regions across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The boardwalk is lined with an abundance of surfboards. From above, Edwin Namoro, Jango Mendoza, and Argie Hugo could see how far Baler has come since the early days of just five waves.
The Baler spirit: thriving under pressure
When in Baler, one develops a deep appreciation for beach breaks. Multiple peaks line the two-kilometer stretch of Sabang Beach and surfers have a wide variety of waves to practice on. The result is a well-rounded Baler surfer who can surf all kinds of waves. The trickier the conditions get, the finer they perform.
Cathleya Casals, granddaughter of the late Edwin Namoro, was the first event champion to be crowned for the Junior Girls division. Alongside Cathleya and La Union’s Mara Lopez, Janel Proceso, and Lady Vargas, both from Baler, make an appearance in the event finals. Casals and Lopez have each taken a win in the previous legs of the national tour.
The Junior Boys and Men’s Open Shortboard divisions were also dominated by Baler locals. Marco Ventura and Julius Isaguirre are holding the fort in the Junior Boys Semis against last year’s event champion, Jayuard Alciso, and fellow Siargaonons Toby and Troy Espejon, and a new contender, Jack Andy Johns from Gubat, Sorsogon.
Meanwhile, Jhandel Ramos’s backhand attack in his homebreak has been consistent since the Round of 48. He eliminated one of Siargao’s top competitors, Noah Arkfeld, in the Men’s Open Quarterfinals. Ramos will go head-to-head with rank #1, Robert Magaluna, in the first heat of the Semifinals. Following them is an all-Baler semis where Cliford Lumasac tests his mettle against Neil Sanchez.
An indomitable strength imbues the Baler spirit– its people are built to outlast and withstand. The legacy of the seven families who survived the Tromba Marina, or big tidal wave, in 1735 lives on in the nearly 50,000-strong population, especially in those who carry the family names: Angara, Bihasa, Bitong, Carrasco, Ferreras, Lumasac, and Poblete.
Rites of passage: from the old to the new
June Esquivel displayed admirable resolve when he surfed against his older brother, Jay-r Esquivel, for the first time in the Men’s Open Longboard Finals. The Esquivel younger by eight years lost only by 0.9 points. Will it take another Esquivel to beat the reigning #8 in the World Longboard Tour? It is only a matter of time.
In the Women’s Open Shortboard, Lolit Edusma, 43, a pioneer female surfer from Bagasbas Beach in Daet, came in second to fellow Bicolana, Vea Estrellado, 20, of Sorsogon. In a post-heat interview, Estrellado remarked that she was proud of the Junior Girls and that she looked forward to surfing with them in the Women’s Open.
Two Lopez’s– Ashlee and Mara– tried to snatch the Women’s Open Longboard Title from Daisy Valdez. Inspired by her recent contest experience in Ventura and Cardiff by the Sea, California, Valdez goes all out in the dying minutes of the Finals to secure her winning wave. Antoinette Valdez, Daisy’s niece, also made an appearance in the Finals.
For many Filipino surfers, surfing is a family affair. Baler’s first “kuyas” or older brothers of surfing such as Joel Faraon, Ryan Lumasac, and Rommel Rojo will be showing the younger generation a page from their textbook as they fight to keep the Master’s Men title in their hometown.
We have one more day until the Akkaw Baler National Surfing Competition is done and dusted. Don’t miss the Finals Day action!
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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.