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
