It’s as if it was just yesterday. A few weeks after learning to surf in Baler, I went on a surf trip to Zambales and surfed an entire day at Liwa. That day was the best I’ve felt in my whole life. On my way back to Crystal beach, the rain was pouring heavily from the heavens and the tricycle I was in provided little shelter. It was freezing cold and the wind and rain won’t allow myself to get dry. I just then played Monsoon by Jack Johnson on my Ipod and a certain feeling filled my soul. I closed my eyes for a bit and said a little prayer. “Lord thank you for such a blessed experience”. Looking back at it, I think that was the start of when surfing made me pray again.
And as I sing my heart out to the fitting lyrics of the song, I remember seeing waves everywhere I look. The trees looked like waves. The bridge we just crossed looked like waves. The houses looked like waves. I closed my eyes and waves are still all I see. I was stoked that day. Pretty hard. And I guess pretty much everything else I do from then on are attempts of recreating that very experience.
That was a year ago. But come ten, twenty or thirty years, I will never forget that rainy day.
- TJ
My First Stoke Story
With the stoked American accent I say, “DuDe wAnnA SURF?!” A friend said it sounds stupid (thanks to the movie Dumb and Dumber) but then, to appreciate something, you have to look into it deeper. As early as six in the morning my alarm goes off and the routine starts, ...
Product Review: Hurley Phantom 60 Boardshort Thanks to Hurley Philippines, we were able to try the Hurley Phantom 60 during our surf trip last weekend at San Antonio, Zambales. It was a perfect time to test the multi awarded Phantom series because as you know conditions in Zambales are always changing. The sun may be out ...
Baler: the Stoke Before the Storm Tralala-lala. Oh how crazy-tropical the Philippines is. Just when summer is at its peak a storm came out of nowhere and decided to rain on the party. Again thank you PAGASA for the accurate weather forecasting. And after the Bicol Region was battered by Typhoon Bebeng, the furious storm went ...
PANATAG by Edeliza Virata
Insatiable. A wise friend once said that we human beings are forever insatiable. We are never content, never satisfied, always looking for something more, something different, something better, or something we don’t have. We are nomads with an intolerant desire. It is this desire that keeps us curious ...
A Second Time Around: Liwa in San Felipe, Zambales It has been over a year ago when I went to Liw-Liwa to surf as an eager beginner. Until now it still is what I consider to be one of the best days I ever had. I think it's probably the session after which I decided that I'm going to ...
after the your first experience of being stoked, how long did you have to wait before buying your own board?
I would also like to be one of the “want to be’s” can’t stop thinking about it after 2 surfing trips.
about 4 months after I started. before I had to rent 800 pesos for one entire day and that is very expensive. getting your own board is cheaper as time goes by.
thanks for the advice!!! I better try renting for a few more trips.. i should be able to know by then if the itch needs to be scratch by buying a board. GREAT JOB on the site. thanks
alright Boks. keep renting muna, the decision to buy your own board will come to you! thanks for reading our blog and hope you share it to your friends too. stay stoked!