“Nirvana is … the far shore, the stable, the peaceful, the secure, the island, the shelter, the asylum, and the refuge.”
—Pali Canon, Life and teachings of BuddhaMANILA, Philippines—There are a few places in the urban ’hood where you can spot a true blue surfer. You will not find them in a heavily art-directed “Surfer’s Party” at a well-known club in the city, where the guests are instructed to “come in surfer-slash-beach attire!” to simulate a laid back tropical vista. There once was this kind of a party, in fact, and the real surfers were nowhere to be found amongst the inebriated throng bedecked in Billabong board shorts and flipflops. So where were the surfers at 4 a.m. that weekend? At a gas station of course. Piled in cars and pickups, clutching their coffee cups as if they were life-giving elixirs, waiting for the convoy to hit the road. Embarking once again on that neverending search for that Holy Grail of the perfect wave, which all starts with a long car ride to the coast. Such is the Zen and the Art of Surfing in Manila, where the journey of a thousand swells begins with the first step on the gas pedal. Never has the definition of Nirvana as “The Far Shore” been more apt here. It is that geographical dilemma that inhibits surfing from being as popular as it should be, in a country where the sport should almost be a birthright, with thousands of islands, its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, and more than a few typhoons passing through its latitudes. The long out-of-town trips, expensive equipment rental, fickle weather conditions—it’s enough to keep the urbanites content with simply clubbing in their board shorts. For the hardcore group of Manila surfers, then, diligence is reflected in personal mileage. Wave hello Lately, however, there’s been a wave of news that’s gotten a few of the surfers pretty stoked. No, it has nothing to do with global warming suddenly creating groundswells in Manila Bay, but you could say there is a shift in the topography. A few pro surfers have taken the beach to the city since their discovery of BeachWaves, a wave pool at Club Manila East. Yet far from hogging the swells, these surfers are spreading their love of the sport by founding a school open to anyone interested in learning how to surf. The folks behind this brilliant scheme form the Philippine Surfing Academy, or PSA. The Academy is spearheaded by Paolo Soler, known in local circles as a devotee of Philippine surfing for more than a decade and the first Filipino to be certified by the Academy of Surfing Instructors Australia; and Australian Darryl Buckley, a Level 1 surf coach with the Australian Surf Lifesaving Association. Darryl’s surfing resume rings impressive: he has over 35 years surfing experience, and over 15 years of coaching. He is also a three-time Sunshine Coast champion, Silver Medallion Patrol Captain, Founder of Noosa Surf Lessons in Queensland Australia, and has coached state champions and Australian finalists, some of whom have gone on to compete on an international level. PSA’s passion-infused mission is to provide the safest and highest quality surf education in the country. So before heading out into the open ocean, students already get more than their feet wet with Surfing 101, including board control, paddling, catching waves, standing and balancing on the board. It’s not just fun, but it’s also a very safe way to learn. Safety is a big concern for the Academy, and as such all surf coaches and instructors are Red Cross trained and accredited lifeguards. Stoked in the surfari I am all too familiar with the dangers of this sport, which is why I’m all for safety as top priority. In the past few years, I’ve had my fair share of surfari experiences, from that first freezing day in the waters of Sydney, to some of the most memorable days in Baler, La Union, Siargao and Samar. For the record, I’m in no way a big wave rider, more like a small wave surfer, or “Smurfer” as a friend once touted. I’ve had some nasty wipeouts, near-collisions and blood sacrifices as I gashed my legs on rocks—a testament to the fact that no matter how easy those pros make it seem, it’s certainly a very difficult sport to master. So I decided to take a day off and go back to the basics under Coach Darryl. Under PSA’s program, students then get to graduate from the training pool to the big ocean, in Real, Quezon, a secluded spot with small waves that’s perfect for beginners (and smurfers alike). On the shore, the spirited Coach Darryl meticulously taught the students everything from basic water safety procedures, ocean awareness, wave mechanics, types of waves and tidal conditions, and how to stand properly on the board, using soft top long boards. Oh, and he didn’t forget the short lesson on slathering on SPF either! Finally, the students are rewarded in the water, where they’re all set to catch their first real waves. With the exhilarated shouts upon standing and riding their first waves, I could tell that they had finally discovered the meaning of “stoked,” or that incredible, indescribable high one gets from being one with the wave. It’s that first stoke that pretty much gets you hooked for life. After a whole afternoon of waveriding and a beachside paella picnic for lunch, the group was treated to a very cool bonus surprise: a tour of a nearby waterfall. It was a two-tiered cascade, and a 20-foot dive into the fresh pool was the perfect way to wash off all the salt water. It is in between those surf sessions when neophyte surfers imbibe the other valuable lessons that can’t be learned in any school— the life philosophy that surfing espouses, which I’d vaguely describe as a peace-loving way of life that holds nature in reverence. (Is it any wonder why most surfers are such a laid-back, happy-go-lucky lot?) There’s a little surfer inside everyone, I believe. Listening to the surfers talk about the endless search for those perfect waves, that neither distance nor time can get in the way of—it’s their version of attaining Nirvana, of reaching “the far shore.” For more info about the Philippine Surfing Academy, e-mail info@philippinesurfingacademy.com or log on to surfingacademy.mulitply.com. Telephone number 357-5452 or 631-2805, mobile 0917-8441981 or 0920-9005589. |
