AFTER nearly two years out of the water, the Philippine Surfing Championship Tour is back in action, with the Surf in the City event in Borongan, Eastern Samar.
In December 2019, the inaugural Surf in the City competition was among the last surfing events to be held in the country before the pandemic arrived, putting to a halt all national surf competitions. While the Philippine national surfing team was able to train and send a contingent to the ISA World Surfing Championship in El Salvador in June of this year, local competitions had to be put on hold.
“This year’s Surf in the City is the first and biggest national surfing event since the pandemic,” wrote the Philippine Surfing Championship Tour (PSCT) in a Facebook post. “The event counts as the first leg of the 2022 PSCT and the points won here will set the critical advantage needed to stay seeded in the next legs of the tour.”
It added: “Surf in the City will also serve as a model for mounting surf events that are safe for all. With public health as the top priority, the City of Borongan is committed to complying with national guidelines and minimum health standards.”
Margielyn Didal guest at Samar surf competition
Olympian and fellow athlete in the board sports disciplines Margielyn Didal is also present as a guest in the event. Surfers Philmar Alipayo and SEA Games medalist Daisy Valdez posted shots with the rising star in the skateboard world.
Didal reposted Alipayo’s picture in her own Instagram, writing, “Thank you Borongan for having me.”
Surf in the City will run all the way until December 12. As of writing, the men’s shortboard qualifying rounds had wrapped up, with only two out of the 12 aspiring juniors advanced to the Men’s Open Shortboard Division.
In total, the PSCT said, over 200 participants had signed up for Surf in the City — more than double compared to the inaugural edition back in 2019.
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