Surfing is more fun in San Juan

When you wish to escape the heat and just want to relax and enjoy this summer, you'll definitely have to try and visit the surf capital of the North-- San Juan, La Union.

Brgy. Urbiztondo is the most popular surfing area in San Juan. This place is ideal for first timers. Here you can find a long coastline, one of the longest in the country. The waves are perfect yet safe for beginners. There are surf schools and tutorials here in San Juan. Town surfers organized a club and you can hire them including the surfboard for about P400 in an hour.

Mang Always, as what his colleagues call him, has been teaching surfing since 2003. According to him, surfing is easy. The most important thing you need to learn is to find the perfect balance. The key to doing this well is being calm, or trying to be still. The less movement that you make, the easier you will find it.

There are tips you have to remember for you to be able to stand on the board. When you come up, remember to keep low because if you stand straight you will fall. Your hands should be higher than your waist and just in view of your vision. And always look up! If you look at your feet, you will fall down.

According to Mang Always "wala sa timbang ng tao yan. Kahit sino pwedeng mag-try. Payat, mataba, bata, matanda pwede. Basta pursigido ka tsaka marunong makinig."

The best time to surf is from July to October, and November to March where there are larger waves and the water quite deeper.

"Kung kelan medyo malakas ang hangin, dun mas maraming nagsu-surf. Yung malaking alon ang inaabangan nila kasi mas exciting", he adds

Carlos Marasigan, an aspiring surfer, travelled all the way from Manila to experience another thrilling adventure here in San Juan. Surfing for him is an extreme sport where you can challenge yourself to do something that you fear of.

“Takot ako dati sa dagat kasi malalakas yung alon. But when I learned about surfing and tried it, na-overcome ko yung fear. Ang sarap ng nasa ibabaw ng tubig at nakikipaglaro sa mga waves", he said.

It was said that surfing in La Union was established in the late 70′s by a Japanese surfer named Aki Naga. He introduced this kind of sport to the local residents and trained them. From then on, they make it their own way of living which eventually paved to the establishment of resorts and similar businesses. Since then, the beach has become a famous surfing destination welcoming both aspiring and professional surfers from all over. But if you really don’t have the guts to surf, there are still many ways to plunge into the waters and enjoy the waves! There are plenty of beach resorts you can choose from and simply enjoy swimming. Reaching San Juan is easy. From Manila, it would take more than 7 hours with bus stops included. Take any bus going to San Fernando, La Union. Take a jeep that will lead you shortly to Brgy. Urbiztondo. If you have your own car, you can take NLEX and TPLEX and exit at Carmen. Take the McArthur Road going north.

Don’t miss the fun! Enjoy the sun and surf at San Juan! (Jing Vallejos) FOCUS

Posted by Focus Newsmagazine at 4:15 AM

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