Tanauan, Leyte rekindles skimboarding

TANAUAN, Leyte, May 23 (PNA) -– This typhoon-hit coastal town has revived skimboarding in the bid to draw more tourists.

Skimboarding is a wave-riding sport popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, Canada, Spain, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

In the Philippines, the sport is popular in Zambales, Siargao and the Pacific coastal towns of Eastern Visayas. Unknown to many, Tanauan, Leyte is the skimboarding capital of the country.

But after super typhoon Yolanda ravaged this town on November 8, 2013, the local government stopped the annual water sport competition as the local government shifted its focus to rehabilitation of tourism facilities.

“After almost three years of hibernation, skimboarding enthusiasts here took the initiative of reviving the water sports that gives pride to our town,” said Mayor Pelagio Tecson.

Skimboarding was introduced in this town in 2000 by the locals, which was later trained by American tourist, Tim Garret, who taught them skimboarding techniques, including modifying the designing of the skimboard.

Using the discipline of surfing, skimboarding involves riding a board on wet sand or shallow water. 

But unlike surfing, where one has to look for big waves, breaking far from shore, skimboarding starts at the beach where short-break waves could be found.

A skimboarder would run fast, drop and mount his board before reaching the break point of the wave.

Skim boards usually are oval shape and smaller than surf boards because they do not require as much buoyancy.

Starting 2005, the town had been hosting the National Skimboarding Competition, from once a year to twice a year. It is usually held after the observance of Holy Week and before New Year’s Day.

The competition was headed by then Mayor Roque Tiu, who included the competition in their annual local programs, providing not only budget for the competition, but also full support in the promotion of the water sport.

Months after the monster typhoon struck, the skimboarding champions from Tanauan and nearby towns gathered weekly at the town’s Bantay Dagat area to train children and hold local competitions every month.

This activity goes on for more than three years despite ruins of the Bantay Dagat wharf, that witnessed the glory days of skimboarding in the town back then.

Skimmer Jamaica Salceda of Tolosa town said that looking for people to support their cause of reviving the competition was hard, but they are lucky to have friends who helped them in looking for partners.

Their consistent participation in national skimboarding scene also helped in persuading sponsors to support the event.

She also thanked the local government for finally giving nod to them when they presented their plan to conduct skimboarding competition this year.

“After nearly three years, some people thought that skim boarding no longer exists in Tanauan, but what they do not know is we are able to continue,” said Salceda, who is one of the top female skimmer in Leyte.

Salceda added that aside from its help in promoting the tourism potential of Tanauan, skimboarding also provides livelihood to them as skimboarding instructors.

Skimmers like her, take part-time job as skimboarding instructors in Dulag town in the surfing camp provided by ABS-CBN Foundation to the locals.

Mervin Kenneth Maceda, one of the frontrunners of skimboarding in Tanauan is pleased that younger generations in their town will continue what they have started.

As the skimboarding capital of the country, Maceda said that it is important for the children to learn the the sports so they could represent the country in international competition.

“We are always here to support them and look for groups that can help them if they would compete abroad to represent our country in international competition,” said Maceda.

Although, they don’t get support from the national government when competing abroad, the glory they bring as winners is enough to make Filipinos proud of them.

He added that involving the youth in skimboarding takes them away from unproductive activities that may destroy their future.

Maceda, along with his elder brother, Darwin and some friends are the first to play skimboarding in the coastal waters of Tanauan way back in 2000. They are Tim Garret first batch of learners.

Among those who are happy for the revival of skimboarding in Tanauan is international skim champion Roderick Bazar of Borongan City in Eastern Samar, who now owns a skimboard business.

Bazar’s skimboarding career started in Tanauan, competing every year against local skimboarders of the town which he said are the best skimmers he had competed with.

Seeing his fellow skimboarders again in Tanauan, brings back the memories of his humble beginnings as skimboarder.

“I am happy to see that they have revived skimboarding because this is where I started. I gain friends here and I was able to compete abroad because of skimboarding. The people and Tanauan is my inspiration every time I compete in international event,” he shared.

Organizers of the skimboarding competition said that aside from the bi-annual skimboarding event, they will also introduce local skimboarding competition, exclusively for local skimmers of the town and nearby provinces, starting August this year, as part of the town’s fiesta celebration.

From three categories, groomet (beginners), wahini (womens division) and open category, organizers introduce advance category for professional skimmers or those who had already competed in various national and international skimboarding events.

With the revival of skimboarding competition in the town, organizers hope that the glory of Tanauan as skimboarding capital of the country will be retained.

The sports is also seen as one way to rebuild the lives of water sports enthusiast in this costal town after the destructive 2013 super typhoon (PNA)
FFC/SQM/RTA/EGR