Living in the NOW

I used to only imagine what it would be like to go surfing. To be able ride the prepossessing blue-green waves of the Pacific, soak in the salty sea breeze, and possess sea legs on a locally handcrafted surfboard would be like "floating on air". I would watch surf documentaries on the Discovery Channel and learned to use a skateboard because it was the closest I could get to surfing at that time. My parents are very overprotective, and I would always have to hide the scrapes, bruises, and sprains that came with the perils of downhill skateboarding. I was so insistent on chasing that feeling of pure freedom that supposedly comes when you are able to stand on your surfboard for the first time. After much thought, they eventually let me go on my first backpacking trip to Siargao Island with three other friends. We took a 9 hour overnight boat ride from Cebu to Surigao; which is about 3 hours and 45 minutes away from General Luna, Siargao. From Surigao, we piled into a smaller boat or what locals call a "Bangka" for the port of Siargao. I'll always remember our first day on the Island. We wanted to experience the culture first hand and walked a mere 20 minutes until we found lodging. After settling in, we immediately set out for Cloud 9. This was where most of the local surf champions would bide their time if they weren't out fishing with their fathers. A local noticed that we weren't from around there and offered to take us to Daku Island, the premier surf spot for beginners. We did some paddling and balance exercises on land then journeyed on to our first surfing experience. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. You paddle with all your might to catch a wave and then end up wiping out or have somebody drop in before you could even stand. After a few silly attempts, caught on camera of course, I was finally able to catch my first wave. That glorious ride from start to finish left my mind blank and my screams from wiping out had been replaced with the biggest grin. I had no feeling of responsibility or fear and everything that I wanted to know about the cosmos seemed to be with me at that moment. I was stoked! One of the local kids who surfed with us that day actually skipped school just to ride waves with us. He now dominates surf competitions in the Philippines and I just recently saw a full page feature of him on Surfing Life Australia Magazine. I now contact him and other locals whenever I visit, and that first surf day is one to reminisce on.