Filipino ingenuity and creativity recently stunned the world when the natives of Lanuza in Surigao del Sur started producing export-quality surfboards made of bamboo.
Lanuza, a surfer’s paradise was the venue for a number of surfing competitions under the auspices of Philippine Surfing Federation. In these competitions surfers using bamboo surfboard were allowed to compete.
Recently, seven Australian surfers won at the 2006 Lanuza International Longboard Surfing Festival. There were 13 Australian contenders, 50 from the host country, the Philippines and one from Japan. But the representatives from "the land down under" survived as champ surfers.
Winners include: 1st place, Harley Ingelby won ,000; 2nd place, Jackson Close, ,000; 3rd place, Grant Thomas, ,500; 4th place, Josh Constable, ,000 and 5th placers, Michael Bellamy and Dane Pioli with US0 each.
Congressman Prospero "Butch" Pichay said, "Surfboards made of bamboo will be mass-produced by the natives of Lanuza to generate extra income for the townsfolk and bolster tourism. Tourists will be enticed to buy bamboo surfboards that are durable and inexpensive as well."
"The Australian and Japanese surfers couldn’t believe at first that bamboo surfboards are durable, but after testing them in the waters, they were all very impressed,’’ he said.
According to Jeraldin and Richard Matthews, bamboo surfboards manufacturers, it takes a month to finish a custom-made bamboo longboard of 9 feet costing R31,500, while a small surfboard made of wood takes two weeks to finish and costs R9,000 only.
At the closing rites of the Lanuza Surfing Festival, Luli Macapagal Arroyo, the Presidential daughter, was the guest of honor and speaker. On hand to welcome her was the Lanuza mayor, Algerico H. Irizari.
Unknown to many, Luli is a surfer herself. "I have been surfing for two years now," she admitted. How does she feel when in action surfing? "As if I am in cloud nine," she confesses.
Luli occasionally surfs in Siargao Island (Surigao del Norte), San Juan (La Union) and hopefully this summer in Calicoan Island (Guiuan, Eastern Samar).
Ms. Arroyo told this writer, her father, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, started surfing in Hawaii. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the First Gentleman were seen surfing in San Juan, La Union, summer of last year.
After the event, the bonding between foreign and Pinoy surfers became more solid which was greatly appreciated by Pichay who is very much determined to promote the bamboo surfboards in the international market.
|
