SIARGAO – Filipino wildcards John Mark “Marama” Tokong and Jayuard Alciso saw their campaigns come to an end in the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro at Cloud 9 on Monday morning.
Just a day after a historic win in the heats against Samuel Pupo, Tokong saw his bid come to an end at the hands of Australian world No. 7 Ethan Ewing.
On the other hand, Alciso was ousted by Kanoa Igarashi of Japan - the same surfer who beat him for the gold medal at the last Asian Games in Nagoya.
READ: 'Marama' Tokong outclasses Pupo to make history in WSL PH Pro debut
The Siargao native known as the “King of Cloud 9” never got into any rhythm against an opponent he idolized, pooling 11.54 points that came short of Ewing’s 14.50 total.
That enabled the Australian to move on to the quarterfinals of the maiden Philippine leg of the premier surfing league presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), with the support of Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, General Luna Mayor Johnson Sajulga and Vice Mayor Romina Sajulga.
Still, the defeat did little to dampen Tokong’s joy from competing against surfers he had looked up to.
The Filipino said he was pleased to discover how friendly the Australian was is.
“I was so comfortable, like when I was starting against this guy. He's one of my idols. And I can't believe he's kind of like a friend. He's very nice, and he knows what he's doing,” said Tokong.
For Tokong, the event was also an opportunity to see how far Siargao has come, with surfing helping put the island on the map and bringing in visitors from different parts of the world.
He hopes the close ties among residents and local businesses will remain as the island continues to attract tourists.
“This island is so beautiful. Before, back then, all the travelers here, I was a surfer, and now there are so many people who know this place because of the waves, the island and especially the community here in Siargao. It's so special, and this is why I love our island because the community is so good. The business community here on the island is really like we're helping each other, and this is how important it is for me. I just wish that we're going to keep going like this,” added Tokong.
Alciso, meanwhile, came close to making a late charge against Igarashi but ran out of time to turn the heat around.
The Asian Games bronze medalist managed just 4.17 points on his final wave as the 30-minute heat came to a close, leaving him short of Igarashi’s 12.90 total.
Igarashi built his winning score with a 6.67 on his third wave and a 6.23 on his fourth, enough to keep Alciso at bay and secure his place in the next round.
"He's such an amazing surfer. I was competing with him in the Asian Games last month and he's such an amazing talent and he had such a good heat yesterday," said Igarashi.
By making Round 2, both Tokong and Alciso made $14,000 from the $1 million prize pool.
Also supporting the event are the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and NEA/SIARELCO.
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