World's top surfers coming over for 'Beach Break' festival in La Union

THE country hosts one of the biggest international surfing competitions three weeks from now in Urbiztondo, La Union with the staging of 'Beach Break: Single and Unattached.’

Top Filipino surfers along those from Japan, Korea, and Indonesia are expected to vie in the February 21-22 event which utilizes once more the traditional long board.

A total of P200,000 in prizes will be staked in the meet that offers three different categories, namely men’s invitational, women’s invitational, and juniors’ invitational for young surfers 14-years-old-and-below.

Champion surfer Buji Libarnes is expected to banner the local side in the tournament sanctioned by the Asian Surfing Championships.

“Lahat ng pinaka-magagaling na men and women long boarders sa bansa at sa buong mundo will be coming over for the meet,” said Libarnes in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Libarnes, who became hooked with surfing shortly after college, said the tournament will be a throwback to the days when long board was primarily still being used in the sport.

“For the past two decades already, the focus has been on the short board. So this time, we’re going back to the classic side of long board whose moves define what surfing used to be,” he said.

Joining Libarnes in the session presented by Shakey’s, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. were VR Del Rosario and Mike Ochosa, chairman and president, respectively, of Viva Sports Management Inc.

Ochosa said Viva Sports is already talking to some potential television partners to air the event on a delayed basis, especially with surfing fast gaining momentum in the country.

Del Rosario added, “What better way to showcase the sport than to make an event out of it. We’re doing a festival showcasing the sport together as one.”