John Carby, Gino Canlas, and James O’Donnell were delighted to learn that the local government of the Borongan Team fully funded their logistics and entry fees. James O’Donnell, the owner of Kudo Surf which sponsors athletes, expounded on branding and how the team’s actions are a heavier representation of their hometown than their surfing abilities. He reminded our local surfers to be grateful by acknowledging their sponsors and by being on their best conduct. Likewise, the surf veterans emphasized the importance of finishing education and how it will provide opportunities in their future lives, and give them a chance to give back to their community through their knowledge and experiences in the industry.
During the meeting, they shared their insights on what lies ahead for surfing in the Philippines, especially the goal of having the sport professionalized. They explained the difference between being a surfer and an athlete. The Borongan Team learned that the first quality of an athlete is a good attitude and that skills are secondary.
The team then visited the KS Boardrider Surf Shop by John Carby and Kudo Surf’s Digital Content Creator, Gabs Batallones. Luckily, seasoned international pro surfer Nildie Blancada was there. She shared her excitement in seeing young surfers from Eastern Samar compete in the nationals, and showed interest in training our lone wahine, Danica Lebrilla and in visiting Surf City 2022.
John Carby later accompanied our Boronganon surfers to CrossFit Siargao, where he acquainted them with Mike Breuker, the co-owner of the gym and the coach of the Philippine National Surf Team. Coach John is a seasoned surfer whose coaching specializes in technique, while Coach Mike focuses on the strength and conditioning of competing surfers. They work together on creating training programs that strengthen bodies while improving the performance of their athletes in the water.
“When boards get broken you can get them fixed. You can even buy new ones but you’ve only got one body,” said John Carby.
The coaches stressed that the most important equipment of surfers is their body, not their boards. Correspondingly, they demonstrated the types of exercises done with and without the fitness center’s equipment and how each applies to improving specific surfing techniques while conditioning the body out of the water. Their intention was to point out that sacrifice and time, discipline, and commitment are required to enhance skills. This insight gave the team a deeper understanding of why having a good attitude is the first quality of an athlete.
Crossfit Siargao owner describes how he initially measures the fitness of his athletes and clients with his Rogue Echo Bikes. The high resistance equipment determines how many calories a rider can burn in a given time.
The Borongan team went on a friendly competition with each other on who gets to burn 10 calories in the least amount of time. 2 of the eldest members of the team won the mini challenge – Oliver ‘Tayson’ Esplago, and Jeffrey ‘Puwa’ Alegre finishing with only 22 seconds.
The Cross Circuit class led by Coach Bri Kource of Crossfit Siargao showed how cardio and strength training can increase endurance in and out of the water. This marks the first time Team Borongan joined a training session in the company of national surf coaches and the country’s surfing giants Roger Casugay and Robert Timbal. They are grateful to Coach Mike for the invite and free class, and to Coach John for helping the team establish new friendships in the island.
Borongan City Sports Staff Shanti Meracdo reports : One can feel an immediate shift in the disposition of our Boronganon surfers. It is as if a certain easiness and inspiration came over them. There is now the eagerness for the juniors to finish their modules. The invaluable insights shared by the surf veterans on the island greatly influenced their outlook. For that, I am truly grateful. I am hopeful that the groms will find meaning in their experiences in Siargao and that the same will impact not just their lives but others’ as well.
#PilipinasSurfing #SurfcityPH #FunBorongan
