Top-flight cast expected in Siargao Cup

SIARGAO—The country’s surfing capital again opens its doors to the world for the 27th staging of the Siargao International Cup from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 at the iconic Cloud 9, the spot where the town’s surfing legacy is traced.

Bets from all over the globe like Skip McCullough of the United States and Japan’s Rita Ritazawa are expected to continue participating in the tournament, which in the past had dangled prize money of as huge as $75,000 (roughly P4.3 million).

Team Philippines made it a clean sweep of both divisions last year with the victories of Mark Tokong and Nilbie Blancada.

First held in 1994, the event is a project of the Municipality of General Luna in partnership with the governing World Surf League (WSL)—the reason why world-class bets come—and has since put the Philippines on the surfing map.

World Top 50 site

The event also counts in the WSL’s events when it determines its world champion.

Cloud 9, meanwhile, has gone on to rake in rave reviews all these years and has made it to CNNGo’s World’s Top 50 best surf spots as the eighth-ranked destination.

Located on the Pacific coast of Surigao del Norte, Cloud 9 is famous for its barreling right hand waves that are suitable for advanced surfers. A guidetothephilippines.ph review describes the Cloud 9 waves as a “death ride, crashing onto shallow razor-sharp coral.”

In the wake of the devastation brought about by Typhoon Odette in 2021, the people of Siargao have shown unparalleled resilience, and the Surfing Cup stands as a proof of their spirit. INQ