One would assume that architects, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, students and drifters have nothing at all in common—except they're now found on a surfboard, searching for that perfect wave.
The surfing craze may have hit the Philippines a little late, but it's come down with a vengeance.
The numbers tend to fluctuate, with RP Surfing Association president and Philippine Center for Sports Medicine medical director Dr. Jose Raul C. Canlas pegging it at 100 hardcore surfers—less than 30 of whom make their own boards—and 800 to 1,000 weekend surfers.
Meanwhile, Aloha Boardsports Inc. president and On Board Philippines head Freddy Gonzalez notes 600 to 700 members in the Manila Surfers Association (MSA) alone, not counting "casual surfers." Most are professionals who can't get out of work but are adamant about heading for the far-flung beach when free—which is also why most surf shops are closed over the weekend.
"I feel that a lot of people now have been looking for an outlet, and they've pretty much found that outlet... It's really the best stress relief... Probably you can say there are better feelings in the world than surfing, but to me, those are having your own child, or getting married. When you catch your own wave, you really feel that joy, it's just the fact that you can do it and you're able to do it," Mr. Gonzalez added.
Riding the wave
The attraction in the sport lies in a lifestyle that theoretically doesn't entail much—just sunblock, a pair of shorts (to save on sunblock), and a surfboard, which can be rented if one is really hard up, for P200 an hour or P500 to P800 a day, depending on where one surfs. Most, of course, prefer to have their own board (or three for hard use), and shell out anything from P15,000 to P40,000.
Shared enjoyment also engenders a camaraderie that makes it easy to get along with everyone in the sport. The earliest surfers got their boards secondhand, as giveaways from the itinerant foreigners, or shared.
"I don't really know if we can refer to what we did then as surfing. We had one heavy single fin longboard and there were six of us who shared it," reminisced Dr. Canlas, who started surfing in 1991 and picked it up again on account of his sons, ages 22 and 18.
"What I love about surfing, apart from those few seconds you're up on the board, riding a wave [is] also floating and talking with other surfers. It's waking up my sons at 4 a.m. and taking the boards out, going on a road trip. It's the whole experience, it's a lifestyle. And yes, there is some competition among us," Dr. Canlas said.
Competition is where the action is, drawing hundreds of surfers to Siargao, La Union, Baler, Zambales, Pagudpud, Calicoan Island in Samar, or Camarines Sur, to name a few, apart from the "secret surf spots" that old-timers are increasingly protective of, with new surfers out to prove themselves—and sometimes ignorant of rules or unmindful of etiquette.
"Surfers are usually the easiest people to get along with, [unless] you do step out of line, if you do something wrong in the water where you almost hurt somebody. Because when you're out in the water, you're already dealing with the waves, and all sorts of natural dangers; to add another factor in there is almost certain death. A lot of beginners don't intend to be dumb, because they don't know [any better], [but] they're a danger to themselves and to a lot of people," said Mr. Gonzalez.
Nevertheless, revitalized interest in surfing has also been good for the local economy.
"Surf competitions beef up tourism, it's the fastest-growing tourism, and it goes directly to the local government," said Lui Tortuya, MSA president, citing the benefits to hotels and food establishments, surf shops and beachfront rentals, and local surfers turned small entrepreneurs who become trainers.
"Wherever you go, it's becoming a full-time job for the local guys. Since the local area is benefiting from it, the local government should be more involved. We've got the [Department of Tourism] on the national level, but they should put more pressure on the local government to improve infrastructure or invest in the smaller competitions; in the U.S., these competitions earn $10B a year for the industry."
Spying a swell
Hardcore surfers hit the beach even with violent winds and admittedly dangerous waves. You can also set a calendar on when the surf's up—when there's mass sick leaves and no epidemic.
There is a breed of surfer who is so involved in the sport, he finds a way to earn money from it, and improve the culture to boot.
Mr. Tortuya started to surf as an exchange student in 2000, but he stayed and put up his own surfboard design shop Fiveforty Surf Co., along Katipunan, in Quezon City.
"Filipinos are very particular shoppers, those who buy local are a niche group... we're not a mass-producing shop. We make our money off retail, we sell the brands that come from the States, we don't really rely on the custom-board. We educate whoever comes into the shop [as to board types], we do it because people need to know, there's no bullshit in the shop," said Mr. Tortuya, who learned how to make boards from scratch as an extension of his interest.
Mr. Gonzalez, an athlete and avid surfer turned businessman, also saw the demand for surf equipment, and decided to import and supply shops with recognized brands such as Lost, Volcom and T&C Surf. This January, Aloha Boardsports will be opening its first full-service shop at Rockwell Powerplant.
"We saw the demand in the market grow, and at the same time, we wanted to keep the market growing... And capturing that market builds that awareness on what type of hardware is proper to use for a beginner, intermediate, for advanced [surfer]. In other words, we bring the education to these guys, aside from them buying stuff from us," said Aloha Boardsports Inc. chief marketing officer Mooney Castillo.
"Back then, with six or seven of us sharing the board, you'd be lucky if you could get one or two rides in one afternoon. But now, we've got a whole range of surfboards—foam, epoxy, and fiberglass ones. You can surf anywhere in the Philippines; you have access to a lot of good locations. Add to that the popularity of extreme sports, the so-called X-games sports, so there's also greater accessibility to the sport," said Dr. Canlas.
Changes in the wind
The availability of equipment is but one of the changes in the surfing landscape. Professional surfing, as we know it, is starting to pick up in terms of there being more backers for surfers who want to earn by representing a brand.
"We've got surfers endorsing a product, but some of the local guys that do compete are not what you would call the ideal market model. But with Aloha Boardsports... Freddy's doing a really good job, getting the top surfers in local sports as well as surfers from Manila who are more commercial model types," said Mr. Tortuya, who is also a member of the team.
"The way the Philippines is, we're at the infancy of surfing where early 85% of Filipino surfers are beginners or intermediate. It's good for us, it's good for the industry in general, it's good for everyone, because once the people start to get better, and they know that they can get better, especially people coming out from Manila...
"It's kind of hard to compete against those guys who are surfing everyday, when you surf only once a week... [you have to] put your time in the water and really work," explained Mr. Gonzalez.
Surfers are also trying to stir a little more interest in the environment, from buying organic T-shirts to joining advocacy groups or volunteering on cleanup operations.
Mr. Gonzalez noted that as early as two years ago, one could tell on the dot when a swell would come, but the past year has seen fluctuations in weather patterns.
"The south swell this year didn't star until end of July. We were like, what's going on? Usually we have only one and a half months where we have absolutely no surf...
"If we mess up our environment, there's no more surf, we can't go in the ocean, we can't use the water, it makes it complicated for surfers... it's hard to change that industry overnight, but slowly even the core surf companies like Lost and Volcom, are going into organic lines," said Mr. Gonzalez.
"Garbage, sewage, forest denudation. Everything's tied together and all that is in the drink you surf in. Hopefully, being constantly immersed in it, surfers get to care about the environment," former travel writer/photographer Roel Tan-Torres, who has been surfing since 1998, wrote in an e-mail interview with BusinessWorld.
"Surfing's taught me to be adaptable, to accept what nature gives. Waves will come and go, there's nothing you can do about it except be there, ready to ride. Waves might come as perfect barrels and you accept them as precious gifts. Or they might not come at all and you accept that, certainly not as gladly, but accept them all the same."
Originally published on 23-24 November as the main feature of BusinessWorld Weekender.
