URBIZTONDO BEACH, SAN JUAN, LA UNION – A week after Finals Day of the La Union Pro, the final leg of the 2023 NextGen Pilipinas Surfing Nationals, the groms surfing at the Point are more fired up than usual. Even the OGs who joined the Masters’ Division linger in the lineup, their shortboards recommissioned after an indefinite stint as wall decor. Power turns of the 90s make a comeback as the juniors try it for themselves. The result? Immaculate fans of spray.
“Surf Comp Energy” is contagious. Whether you’re rooting for the next pro or walking the path less trodden like The Drifter, we can meet at an honorable midpoint: watching exceptionally good surfing is hot. So hot that even the average Joe finds hope of finally hitting that lip!
Let’s look at some integral moments across the mad dash from Pagudpud-Calicoan-Baler-Borongan-La Union for the Pilipinas Surfing Nationals in the last quarter of 2023.
Quick stats
We ran five legs for the first time in 2023 and an average of 160 surfers registered for each leg. Around 28 surfers would join double divisions per leg (e.g. Open Longboard and Open Shortboard).
The 4th leg in Borongan ran the most number of divisions as it was the only event to run a separate division for the Junior Boys and Junior Girls Longboard.
Calicoan and La Union are tied for the most number of participants– 191. Calicoan had the most number of Men’s Open Shortboard participants (64) while La Union had the biggest turnout for Men’s Open Longboard (60).
The Women’s Open Categories remained sparse with an average of 16 longboard participants and 10 shortboard players. The heats often began in the Quarterfinal round because of the scarcity of surfers.
Surf City Borongan was the only Grade 3 event while SurfIN: Pagudpud, Odyssey Waves Calicoan, Akkaw Baler, and the La Union Pro were Grade 2 events.
The United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA) awarded an equal number of points and cash prizes for males and females across all of the legs of the national tour.
“And We’re Live!”
We’ve got to give it to the broadcast team, Tiradores Productions. They’ve made it possible for Pilipinas Surfing to upload all of the competition heats and highlights in real-time. Technological hiccups of years past have been remedied. All of the heats are saved in the official Pilipinas Surfing YouTube channel for posterity (Don’t forget to subscribe!). In the post-television era, the livestream is king of content. Even if you weren’t present on the beach that day, you could tune in via the live link and watch– sometimes, for 10 hours straight.
Surf teams matter
One great surfer is good but five good surfers are better. Progression spikes when you have teammates and a coach who can dish out surf advice on the fly. And when you learn to listen, you kill the ego, too.
Living the Philippine Team Dream
The live broadcast also comes in handy as a coaching tool. Surf teams can watch the heats on replay and ask one another what could have been done better. It’s schoolwork diligence, surf creativity, and athletic commitment– rolled in one barrel.
Surf teams are not only for winners. We’ve seen surf teams grow stronger when they approach their teammate on the beach after a defeat. While the other team rejoices, another one consoles. Whether or not you carry the same last names, a surf team is a family.
Surf teams to emulate: the Happy Islanders from Siargao, the La Union Surf Team, and the Baler Surf Team. Growing surf teams: Team Ilocos (Norte and Sur), Team Zambales, Team Bicol (Daet, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon), Team Eastern Samar, and more recently, Team Palawan.
Strength in local surf clubs
The surf forecast confirmed it: swell would be hard to come by in Kido’s Point in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur. Instead of canceling the final leg and abruptly ending the tour, Pilipinas Surfing made a few calls and the tour would end in La Union.
With just 6 days’ notice, the La Union Pro was off! In record time, the La Union Surf Club (LUSC), with the guidance of Luke Landrigan and Ian Saguan, made the impossible, possible. New event materials were printed. A judges’ tower was built in a nook in front of the Gandawali property instead of the usual location in a known resort. Bookings were made despite December’s high occupancy rates. Most of all, 191 surfers joined the leg, making it one of the biggest turnouts of the tour.
The Aurora Surf Riders Association Inc. (ASRAI), Surfers Association of Ilocos Norte (SAIN), and the Surf Riders Club of Eastern Samar Inc. (SCES) likewise played pivotal roles as hosts in their respective homebreaks.
A place for adaptive surfing
An adaptive surfer is defined as “someone with additional needs or challenges or someone who may need specialized equipment to perform.” Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm to a shark attack, remains the most powerful example of how good surfers can adapt to any situation.
Dave Debuque, a pillar of the Visayan surfing scene, competed in the Odyssey Waves Calicoan leg. Having recovered from a skateboarding injury, he used a wider board and kneeboarded with style as he surfed against Manuel Melindo from Siargao and Rommel Rojo from Baler in the Quarterfinals of the Men’s Masters.
Meanwhile, Baler’s charismatic Harry Cris Marzan is an avid Shortboard Open competitor to this day. Harry Cris lost his left arm in a car accident in 2015 but he persisted with training until his body adapted. He surfed against fellow Baler boys Clifford Posilero and Winston Reynon, and Ivan Nogal from Siargao, in the Round of 48 Men’s Open Shortboard of the Akkaw Baler leg.
Marzan also represented the Philippines in the Bali Adaptive Pro in 2019, an International Surfing Association event, and won 3rd Place in the Para Surfing Stand 1 – Upper Limb category.
Leg 5: done, overall champions crowned
Here are the results of the La Union Pro, which closed this year’s points race:
Junior Girls
1st: Mara Lopez (La Union)
2nd: Kaila Jane Dela Torre (La Union)
Equal 3rd: Cathleya Casals (Baler)
Equal 3rd: Rhica Faith Manegdeg (Pagudpud)
Junior Boys
1st: Jayuard Alciso (Siargao)
2nd: Toby Espejon (Siargao)
Equal 3rd: Troy Espejon (Siargao)
Equal 3rd: Mark Owen Sarabia (Cabugao)
Women’s Open Shortboard
1st: Vea Estrellado (Sorsogon)
2nd: Shelamae Arjona (Siargao)
Equal 3rd: Daisy Valdez (La Union)
Equal 3rd: Susan Escanilla (Siargao)
Men’s Open Shortboard
1st: John Mark Tokong (Siargao)
2nd: Robert Magaluna (Siargao)
Equal 3rd: Jay-r Esquivel (La Union)
Equal 3rd: June Esquivel (La Union)
Women’s Open Longboard
1st: Kaila Jane Dela Torre (La Union)
2nd: Daisy Valdez (La Union)
Equal 3rd: Shiela Mae Convicto (Siargao)
Equal 3rd: Antoinette Valdez (La Union)
Men’s Open Longboard
1st: June Esquivel (La Union)
2nd: Jay-r Esquivel (La Union)
Equal 3rd: Crisanto Villanueva (La Union)
Equal 3rd: John Andrew Esquivel (La Union)
Men’s Masters
1st: Joel Faraon (Baler)
2nd: Luke Landrigan (La Union)
Equal 3rd: Tanjun Fietas (La Union)
Equal 3rd: Rommel Rojo (Baler)
To know more about the points and prizes, download the UPSA rule book located on the footer of their website. To view more photos from the event, go here.
The 2023 NextGen Pilipinas Surfing Nationals Overall Champions are:
Men’s Open Shortboard: Robert “Remar” Magaluna (Siargao)
Men’s Open Longboard: Roger Casugay (La Union)
Women’s Open Shortboard: Vea Estrellado (Sorsogon)
Women’s Open Longboard: Ashlee Lopez (La Union)
Junior Boys: Toby Espejon (Siargao)
Junior Girls: Mara Lopez (La Union)
Ready for the world
With the national rankings in place, Team Philippines is ready to take the 2024 competition schedule by storm. Up next right after the holidays are these World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Events: the La Union International Pro (QS 3000 and LQS 1000) and the Baler Pro (QS 3000 and LQS 1000).
The tour champions will represent the country alongside John Mark Tokong and Jay-r Esquivel. Follow the schedule on www.worldsurfleague.com.
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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.