BRGY. BALAOI, PAGUDPUD, ILOCOS NORTE – The white windmills aren’t the only things to catch your eye when you are surfing at Heartbreak. As the rain cleared, the verdant tops of the Dos Hermanos islands glistened into view, forming an unmistakable heart. Locals say that the immaculate A-frame broke right in line with the twin mounds and that is how the spot got its name.
Day 1 of the surfIN: Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte began with the ocean swelling into Balaoi Bay. The judges called for the start of the Men’s Open Longboard Round of 36 to take advantage of the rising tide. Longboard heats ran for 15 minutes each and competitors adjusted according to the updated scoring criteria from the World Surf League. Pocket surfing, or executing maneuvers at the most critical part of the wave, was emphasized along with proper footwork and deep railwork. Noserides away from the power source did not post good scores.
The Men’s Open Shortboard Round of 36 followed suit as the tide dropped. There were decent 3-4 foot sets that provided high-scoring potential for surfers who dialed in their wave selection process. Was the left better than the right? Only a surfer in the water would know. The shortboard heats ran for 20 minutes each since the lull between sets also grew longer with the shift in the tide.
Scores were slow to climb above the 5.0 mark all morning but Rj Chico Lopez from La Union squeezed out a 6.25 in the Men’s Longboard Round of 24, posting the highest single score of the day. Jhenard Fernandez, also from La Union, posted the highest heat total of 11.50.
Noah Arkfeld from Siargao, who sits at the top of the Men’s Shortboard rankings, favored Heartbreak’s rights and landed air after air in the 6.0 range. The air game was not in short supply that afternoon as the likes of John Louie Farinas of Zambales, Allen Magos of Baler, and Philmar Alipayo were quick to respond with neat reverses of their own.
But the cheers were loudest toward the day’s end when the Junior Boys Quarterfinals hit the water. Some of the youngest competitors such as Ghiero Hugo and Mick Caluah Tena of Baler were barely into their teens but they were holding their own against the bigger boys. Over a decade ago, it was a small and skinny Jay-r Esquivel who would steal the show at a Billabong grom comp in Malaysia. Today, he is Philippine surfing’s ambassador to the most prestigious global surf events.
The United Philippine Surfing Association is playing the long game by staging a national surfing tour to discover and develop fresh Filipino surfing talent. At the end of the 2023 NextGen Pilipinas Surfing National Tour, we will not only crown new surfing royalty to send to the World Surf League but also pave the way for groms to become even better than their masters.
Don’t miss Day 2 of the surfIN Pagudupud: Ilocos Norte surfing competition. Live heats are broadcasted on the official Facebook Page and YouTube Channel of Pilipinas Surfing.
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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.
