Manila Standard
11/29/2007
Weekends are for families and friends. It’s the only time of the week where one does not need to wake up early in the morning, brave the metropolitan traffic and hurry to catch the 9:00 a.m. time in or their 7 a.m. classes. For some, spending the weekend at home watching DVD’s, catching the latest on TV or hitting the mall for some shopping, coffee or movie maybe. But the more adventurous fun seekers would troop to the nearest beach or mountains to maximize their two-day vacation.
For surfers and for everyone
Launched last year, the La Union Surfing Break is the local version of the spring break held annually in the United States. The organizers targeted the young crowd, mostly students and yuppies from Manila, Baguio and other nearby areas to expand the surfing market of San Juan. Tents spaces, food stalls and activity areas were made available at the beach to provide affordable accommodation to everyone especially backpackers from Manila and other provinces. According to Martin Valero, regional director of DoT Region, visitors need not worry about security because of added security personnel they assigned to the area. To prevent security lapses that happened the year before, they also deployed Navy forces complete with rescue equipment, uniformed and civilian policemen and air patrol in the beach so everyone will only think of having fun and set aside security worries.
Valero added that unlike other surfing spots like Siargao and Camsur, they want to make San Juan a surfing area for fun rather than for competition. So they included a line of other sports including wall climbing, Frisbee and volleyball in addition to regular surfing clinics.
“We like to have other beach events, fun events that will be enjoyable not just for the surfers but also for the kids and the families which will visit San Juan for the surfing break,” said Valero.
The tripartite initiative of the PGLU, DoT, the local government along with private organizations to promote La Union as a surfing haven with the 2nd Surfing Break took five months of planning and conceptualizing.
San Juan boasts of an 800-meter stretch of beach and is gifted with good waves almost all year round. The best waves occur from September to February. The beaches of Urbiztondo are very ideal for both local and foreign surfers especially for surfing beginners because of its sandy bottoms. Moreover, San Juan offers a safer venue for starters to try surfing.
Surfing in La Union was first introduced during the 1980’s by some Japanese and German surfers. 37-year-old Clemente Villanueva was lucky enough to be taught by these visitors. After only three days of learning to stand on the board, Clemente, popularly called Enteng by the locals, impressed them with his quick grasp of the surfing tricks. According to Enteng, he was very glad when they gave him his first surfing board, that he also urged the other men, who are mostly fishermen and construction workers to try to ride the “white wave.” Try they did, and for the next two years, 12 people were taking turns in using the gift the foreigners left Enteng. When the lone surf board broke, they were lucky enough that another foreigner gave them a new one, which they also shared while perfecting their balances and riding the barrels. Today almost 98 percent of the surfers who comes to Urbiztondo are locals, outnumbering the foreigners and expats. Enteng, and his three kids, also champions in surfing regularly compete in other sports like Lanuza in Surigao and in Daet, Camarines Sur. Presidential daughter Luli Arroyo, also a surfer and a regular visitor of Urbiztondo provides them with financial back-up in every competition.
Ride, ready, stand
It’s not everyday that someone is given a chance to try surfing. So with two of my colleagues, I lined up for the fourth batch of the surfing clinic. The local surfers, who, according to Valero, are mostly out-of-school youth who learned surfing from the expats in the area, facilitate the clinic, with 15 people on each batch. At P300 per person, participants are automatically given surfing lessons, use of surfing board, and personal instructor, in addition to Frisbee try-outs and wall climbing registration. It also comes with a free event shirt, very much affordable package for the students and those in a tight budget.
My instructor Badz, a surfer for four years, won third place in the surfing showdown of the locals overcoming a 13 feet barrel wave during the last day of the event, has been very helpful in my first attempt at surfing. Like a good tutor, he taught me to ride the board facing down with my feet firmly flattened at the end of the board, my body on the center and my hands on a paddling position. Patiently, he guided me toward the waves I was so terrified to brave least I get drown then turned my board towards the shore in preparation for my first ride.
The waves in Urbiztondo ranges from six to 10 ft. high, but could go up to 13 ft. according to the first local surfer in the area, Clemente Villanueva. When my instructor yelled stand, I struggled to my feet to get up just like the way it was demonstrated in the beach, with the knees bended and the arms parallel to it. Giving it all the concentration I could muster, I got up, bended my knees, let my arms fly and fell flat to my face, with the water and the sand taking over my whole body.
After several failed attempts, I finally made one successful ride, which my instructor called a perfect one. Sadly, that’s really the only one I was able to do right. But to be able to ride the waves up to the shore with that one perfect ride, feeling weightless flying on the water and reaching the sand still standing, was worthy of several failures.
Even if I got bruises and scratches and swollen shoulders, I would have tried surfing again and again if I had more time to spare. Pinoy Big Brother celebrities Uma Khouny, Kian Kazemi, JB Magsaysay got in the next batch along with Vice President Noli de Castro’s daughter, Kat-kat. The event endorser Paolo Bediones was also present, playing Frisbee first before trying out surfing.
Next activity I dared not pass was wall climbing which is also my first time. Although a bit nervous especially while looking up the towering yellow wall, I’ve managed to reach the last rock with knees slightly shaking. Only when I got down did I realized that wall climbing is an easier way to lose weight with all the sweating you will get plus it’s definitely exciting up there. It would have been a perfect and fast climb for me, had I not been stuck at the top for some two minutes because I didn’t know that the only way down is to let go of the ropes. The more experienced climbers on the other hand joined the La Union Speed Climbing Championships where one can register for a team of five with a fee of P150.
Clinics and competitions for Frisbee and volleyball were also held, with instructors coming from different clubs in Manila.
Beers, bands and bonfires
The day activities is just one part of the La Union Surfing Break II, the other part is the night life which proved to be as enjoyable. After a tiring day of trying every activity one’s body can take, the after sun down is the next relaxing thing to do in San Juan.
By 7 p.m., dead tree branches and coconut leaves were gathered on sand dug outs and lit to serve as bonfires. Children gathered around the bonfires playing while the young at heart sits at the monobloc chairs set up every evening, drinking cold beers and waiting for local and techno bands invited to provide entertainment for the night. Barbeque stalls are everywhere, where once can get fresh grilled fish or pork to go with their beers. The playing field suddenly becomes a party place to meet new acquaintances and drink and dance to your heart’s content.
Aside from local talents, the ska band Coffee Break Island and Dutch DJ Martijn van Baggem were also invited to play at the beach party held every night for the three-day duration of the event.
“San Juan is a very accessible place for the Manileños because of its nearness to the city. A five-hour ride is all you need to take to be able to experience surfing here, unlike in Siargao where you have to travel very far and spend a big amount on airfare alone,” added Valero.
Indeed, an out of town trip to San Juan over the weekend, spend with a lot of fun and exciting activities is all we need to relieve the stresses of the whole week. For more information on budget-friendly packages to San Juan, contact the Department of Tourism Region I at (072) 888-2098, the La Union local government at 0921-804-8338, La Union Surf Club at 0919-765-0702 or the La Union Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at 0918-404-0368.
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