MONALIZA POINT, URBIZTONDO, SAN JUAN, LA UNION – This year’s Amihan season brings not only the cool and dry northeast wind blowing down Southeast Asia but also the fifth and final stop of the 2023 NextGen Pilipinas Surfing Nationals. We are back to where Jay-r Esquivel began his qualifiers journey to become 8th in the World Longboard Tour– his homebreak, Monaliza Point.
Esquivel won the WSL Longboard QS1000 in the La Union International Pro held in January of this year and became the first Filipino to qualify for the prestigious World Longboard Tour (WLT). He has since shown off some La Union flair in surfing havens such as Bells Beach in Australia and Huntington Beach and Malibu in California.
La Union has taken home all of the Longboard Titles of this year’s tour with Roger Casugay, Reynie “Perry” Ventura, Ashlee Lopez, and Daisy Valdez rounding up the wins for Team La Union. Jay-r Esquivel, who joined the Pilipinas Surfing Tour only after the WLT, has been unstoppable ever since, bagging wins in Baler and Borongan, Eastern Samar.
“I was really overwhelmed and [I feel so] fortunate that the next leg will take place in my hometown,” shares Ashlee Lopez, who is in the running to be named the best female longboarder in the national tour. “All I can say is, I will ensure that spot in the Finals and make my hometown proud with this upcoming leg.”
“Surftown, atin ‘to! (Surftown, this is ours!)”
Ashlee Lopez
This is Lopez’s rallying cry to her fellow La Union teammates. Where better to rack up the final points to cement your national rankings than the place you call home? Lopez will be a dual-division competitor, and we believe she won’t be the only one.
While La Union has a reputation for being a logger’s paradise, the shortboard division will get to test their power carves and floaters as connecting the Point’s wide sections will offer high scores to those who can read between the lines. We expect longer rides than the pitchy beach break ramps we’ve seen so far across the last few legs of the tour.
The La Union Pro will run on December 8-13, 2023 and this year’s overall champions will be crowned in the surf town known for its blazing sunsets.
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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.