Local boy tops surfing contest

LA UNION—With the current at its wave-crashing mightiest and most violent, it was only fitting that the toughest survived.   Homegrown hero Anthony Valdez withstood a broken surfboard as he outlasted his battle with the waves and was crowned himself king of the Men’s Long Board division in the fourth annual National Surfing Competition last Oct. 31 during the La Union Surfing Break 5 held at Urbiztondo beach here.   Valdez, who impressed the appreciative crowd with his smooth cutbacks and tricky nose rides from the get-go, had scramble for his life right after an overwhelming wave doused his nine-foot long board—which broke into two—with nine minutes remaining in the final heat.   “I was down there for about 50 seconds and I just paddled my way up to save my life because I was running out of air,” said the jolly five-foot-tall Valdez.   “Even after that, I really prayed that what I showed earlier the judges was enough to make me win,” he added.   Valdez, who was vying for his sixth title in his 13 years of surfing experience, edged 15 other more competitors in the Longboard Men’s Open including  another La Union native Filemon Dimes—who copped the record for the longest nose ride in the competition.   When riding the long board, the surfers ride with the current of the wave—and not against—as they  have to slowly maneuver a nine-foot long board made up of layers of fiberglass and cloth.   But for the short board, which uses a shorter surf board around six feet tall in average with a pointed nose, it is speed, balance and precision that is needed. The short board allows for more stunts, too.   And 23-year old Jeff dela Torre proved to be a cut above the rest in the short board with his breathtaking stunts crossing the overwhelming white water, as he seized the title in the Men’s Open division of the contest.   “I had a perfect execution earlier,” said Dela Torre, who has been surfing for 11 years and dethroned last year’s short board defending champion, Luke Landrigan, who finished second.   Dela Torre took advantage of the double overhead waves to execute his stunts.   Dela Torre, who has also competed in other surfing meets internationally under the brand Aloha, had the most number of attempts in the final 25 minute-long heat and drew raves with his mesmerizing pumps, roundhouse cutbacks and sprays at the lip.    “I was confident that I was going to win, I’m used to it (the big wave),” shared Dela Torre,  who actually moved from one surfing hotspot to another—from Baler in Quezon to this noted beach spot.   The waves were actually the most powerful in recent years of competition.   Reeling from the recent super typhoon Juan, which wreaked havoc up north including the province of La Union two weeks before the competition—the shoreline encroached to within the restaurants by the bay, and the waves could really knock people off their feet with just one hit.   “Every year we really couldn’t tell what the waves would be like. But this year, the waves were really big and strong so it really needed a lot of hard work,” said event director Menchie Espenilla Par, who is also the auditor of the La Union Surf Club, which comprised the panel of judges led by Archie Martinez.   Christopher Par and Jong Jong Magsanoc placed second and third respectively in the Men’s Long Board as Tang Jun Fieyas and Francisco Nonag also settled for the same spots in the Men’s Short Board division.   The competition attracted a huge crowd of surfers of all sorts of race, gender and ages, and even spectators under the unforgiving heat of the sun.  

“This event is getting bigger and bigger every year and we’re thankful for the opportunity given to us to demonstrate that surfing is fun,” Par said.