Kage's posts with tag: bacnotan
|  | Bacnotan hits Saturday afternoon with some of the Addicts, Howard, Jam, Little Jericho and Aldrix + bro. Medyo wild yung bigger sets -- humahampas sa ilalim ng pier. And then long lulls in between. But we were the only people there and even though I didn't score any good rides, I was still super stoked.
Mainly because I was back in the water with some of the people I have missed surfing with and also because I was watching some really sweet rides. Most notable: Philip's grab-rail-and-touch-the-wall-on-my-new-longboard and Gab's last wave of the day. Woot, woot!!!
All Bacnotan photos by Little Jericho using my Pentax Optio W30. |
| | Gaano ka lakas ba yung hanging nung Sabado? Hmmm...
1. The air was hazey with a mixture of cement dust and lupa. The whole day.
2. Linipad si Alexa, tumama ng solid sa ulo ko tapos nag-landing kay Kosta. Nasa beach kami nyan ha, hindi sa tubig.
3. May isang Fiveforty longboard na tinangay din ng hanging at rumolyo rolyo sya sa may shore habang hinahabol sya ng mga boys.
4. Lahat ng board sa tubig, naging kite at least once.
Buti na lang nung Sunday, nawala yung hangin. Nagising ako sa text ni 'Drix... magic words "Walang hangin! See you in the line up!" Mismo!
Fun sessions sa Bacnots. As usual, sa kanan ako pumwesto para wala masyadong kaagaw sa alon. :) |
One of the best all around sessions ever, ever, ever.
The Point was 6 foot on the face and kinda scary so we (Manang Mi, Roxy, JP Ong, Moro and I) opted for the milder waves at Bacnotan. 3-4 foot sets breaking both left and right. The left was sometimes giving 4-5 foot sets but those were closing out. The right (the one near the pier) was smaller but peeling. Waves had no juice but the walls were clean, the line-up was composed of friends and there was music blasting from the shore due to an ongoing competition.
Mia had a new (old) 8'1 balsa that is what I like to call a fun gun (okay, so I'm inventing my own terms). She and I swapped boards for a bit... and fell in love with each others' boards. So yes, we are board swingers! Haha.
I was out from 11am to 3pm... then back again from 4pm to sunset. And, like Vic said, I'm usually never that masipag. Unless I really, really like the conditions. (I'm kind of picky in that sense). I also have ZERO photos from that day. Hahaha.
It was one of those sessions where you catch a fun ride and, as you paddle back out filled with stoke, you watch your friend make the drop on yet another really fun wave... and you just know how stoked your friend is... so that adds to your own personal stockpile of stoke... and it just keeps going on like that until sunset. Too tired to paddle, too stoked to stop. Then you all pile in, drive back to San Juan and almost fall asleep while eating popcorn cos you're just that exhausted. And you know your body is going to be mean to you in the morning but you dont mind. It'll hurt... but it's the good kind of hurt. Those twinges in your back and shoulders that silently remind you of the session from the day before.
Good times.
| | For some unspoken reason, a majority of the crew decide to call in sick/take a leave/ditch school for one day in order to have a long weekend where no long weekend was originally scheduled. And for all our effort and planning what did we get? STOKED syempre. Hahaha. Bacnotan was closing out cos they closed off the rivermouth (memo: bring shovels and open that damn thing up again). Plus Phil's 9'1 snapped on the first day. Sadness.
Then the Point started working, the Bowl was trying to catch up and we all made the most of the impromptu long weekend, catching rides, watching dismounts and hanging out.
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| | A little bit later but finally uploaded. After endless days of nary a ripple, the Point delivered just in time for the comp. Some of the photos were shot from Surfmaid (read: when I was lazy) and some from the reef (when I was working). And some heats aren't here at all (cos a girl's gotta surf too you know). Plus, this wasnt a working weekend so I didn't feel too guilty about leaving for Bacnotan. ;)
Okay.
Big ups to the Billabong Boys for dominating the Men's Open division. And to MSA members Aya, Bob, JP, Miko, Bjorn and Aston for carrying the MSA banner proudly.
Batch 2 to follow! |
| | Kaz is home from teaching in Boracay. Cybil is home from working in San Francisco. So where do we go between Christmas and New Year? La Union of course! Lots of chilling out, bonding and catching up.
Learned that I should never leave my leash. Surfing Bacnotan leashless is 1. a hassle and 2. annoying. Even during low tide. Even when you aren't at the peak. Dont do it. Dont.
I got stung by a bee Saturday night. Yes, a bee. But I totally forgot about the excruciating pain when I got this ride Sunday morning by the pier. A right that was bigger than I thought it would be... and witnessed by Alfred. Woot, woot. (Back in Manila, the sting has turned into this purple, itchy bump that is annoying more than anything else.)
Heading home we had a short scare with our brakes... dealt with a farty pug... and memorized Tito Ben's only two compact discs in the car. So much for our iPods. Haha. Dropped Cy off in Pampanga. Kazzie and me kept company to Manila. And that, kids, was the weekend.
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| | Moro and I were just about to start a super yummy meal at Bellini's when they announced curfew on the news. (Curfew?! Gago ba sila?) So instead of savoring the dinner, we scarfed it down so we could meet up with Isa, Aids and Terence and hightail it out of the curfew zone. Our goal? Be out of Tarlac before midnight.
Aids was The Man, getting us past the last checkpoint at exactly 11:51pm. Nine minutes to spare!
Friday morning session -- you know how sometimes you feel switched off? I felt switched off. Couldn't seem to get my game on. Managed one ride that I was really stoked about but that seemed to be it. The afternoon session was so much better.
Saturday - the return of The Colony with two new 'brellas and coolers galore. Super crowded - and kind of dangerous - Bacnotan line-up. It cleared up a little after lunch and we managed to have fun without being afraid for ourselves and our boards.
Sunday was beach break and Point day as the swell had really died down. Crowded everywhere too as the grommets were done with their comp and could now freesurf to their hearts' content. (Photos from the Grom Comp coming in another album)
Then it was time to pack up and head back down to Manila.
Highlights:
- JP Sarmiento's major wipe out at Hacienda
- Marnie turning out to be a rehab center worker
- Tin Terrible and the C-Class
- More apples and coco jam snackage! Spread the love!
- Seeing the Siargao & Baler groms again
- (For once) not minding that we were doing 160 in Tarlac
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| | Super stoked weekend that more than made up for last weekend. It was firing everywhere! Saturday was all about Bacnorth Shore's wild, wild lefts and crazy impact zone if you went right. Stoked, stoked, stoked from my second wave. Tired from walking out and around and paddling back to the peak. The afternoon sesh lasted only 45 minutes but it was sobrang worth it! All of it was so worth it.
Ride of the day and comp champion? Tin Terible and her superdrop! :) Plus, the sunset colored our world bronze. Miko and I were padding back out when this set came through... first wave went to Marky and Phil... next one to Aston. Once they were past us, we resumed paddling... all of us glowing from that killer sunset.
Sunday began with rain. But the rain begat better swell. Heehee. We split the line-up between the Point, Carille and Bacnorth Shore and everyone came back so filled with stoke that if we could've bottled it and sold it, we'd have enough to buy the Indies Trader II. No kidding.
Bacnorth was unbelievable: wild, wild lefts at the rivermouth (shoulder to head high with overhead sets coming in every 15 minutes... and some paddle or die moments and of course, me & Phil sharing some white wash and laughing as we rode past the impact zone)... mellow rights at the pier (shoulder high and clean). Personal ride of the day? The first wave at the pier, dropping and slotting it in... with a mellow right hander peeling along. Haaaay! So much stoke that I dont know what to do with it. I think I might dance for a bit. Hahaha.
All snaps taken with the Pentax OptioW30 |
| | Long weekend ulit! Woot, woot! This weekend was a major reunion for me. In attendance were my first ever surf buddies (Daddy Alex, Rico, Al, Ter, Gab, Bjorn Pabon, Pao, Killer, Lui, Mama Amanda), the new crew (the Sarmientos, Gamboas, ToPhil, Del, Marky, Tin Terible etc) and most of the apartment gang (Earl, Roxy, Joncy, Viva, Doc, Adda, Olracs, Quito), the weekend ampons (Isa, Aids, Jam, BJ, Lib)... plus basically almost everyone else. Note to Aya and Dom: I missed you girls super much but I'm glad that you guys had an excellent week in Baler!
One day of 11am to 6pm and then two days of 9am to 6pm in Bacnotan. Ginawang opisina ang Bacnotan e. Hehe. Coolers and pink umbrellas rock! "The Colony" sharing ice, beer, food and stoke. Two "comps" with no rules... except no stretching. Haha. Super fun sessions on Alexa, who is still running faster than I am. But we're getting there, slowly... but we are.
Oh! And Mayat Ti Daluyon Surf School is coming out on TV soon!
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| | Okay, that's not true. It wasn't an official MSA event. But it was a major event without peer... Joncy's Fabulous Fete! Loads of food, a big-screen projector, a sound system and over 30 cases of booze. Yan ang birthday party!
Also over the weekend: super stoked sessions for everyone at both the Point and Bacnotan (Dom/Aya: I used Alexa all weekend!) ... Olracs' birthday... ice cream sessions on the beach (Pinipig Brazo de Mercedes the best!) ... and the boys all trooping down to vote for Kuya Enteng on Monday. :)
Coming next: surf photos! Woot, woot! |
| | Started the weekend with birthday lunch for my brother at La Maison (got free birthday brownies!!! Woot, woot!) then off to La Union for another weekend of sunshine and surf.
The Point was glassy and big and peeling and perfect. Getting out was the opposite. Wild. One million duck dives plus extra strong current. So... I went to Bacnotan instead. Hahahaha. Same thing for Sunday.
Highlights:
- Akaw Daluyon is now in the hospital :( His deck buckled while Moro was using him at the Point so now he is in the loving hands of Aki Akinaga, the Yoda of LU Surfing.
- Angel made a special batch of turon for dinner. Sobrang sarap!
- Scored three extra stoke rides that I continue to replay in my head
- The standard LU sunset never fails to take my breath away.
- Lunch at Hacienda this weekend came with sinigang! Woohoo! Love sinigang.
- Hangin' out with Paolo Babycakes ni Bjorn Soler again. It's been too long Pao. Glad to see you back in the line-up.
- Moro shredding on his new 7S superfish (no name yet)
- The ride home with only me in the backseat of the Santa Fe = snoozing the whole way down to Manila.
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| | South swell na talaga because the forecast said flat and... it wasn't! Doc, Viva and I made the trip up. Me not just to surf but also to bring the boards for sale down to Manila and also to meet my brand new board.
Yeah, yeah... Kagey's got a new baby in her quiver. She stand 6'0 x 22 and is absolutely gorgeous. I've named her Alexa Jazz. :) Moro, Kuya Chu and I were able to try her out over the weekend and she's gotten great reviews.
Other highlights: Marie and Angel weren't busy so we got to spend the whole weekend with them! We surfed with them and it felt so good to see Angel back in the line-up, surfing like he never left.
We ended the weekend with a special lunch prepared for us by the talented hands of Angel himself. Those photos are still with Viva so I'll put them up here once she's sent them to me.
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| | A shortlist of the 400 images Coy took during our session in almost-flat Bacnotan last Saturday. We got there all amped and it was super small. So out came the longboards! Woot, woot!
Super thanks to Phil and Aya for lending me the magic 8'4 board. And to Coy for "stealth-shooting" this session. Di ko alam may kuha pala ako dito. Heehee. |
| | Where do I even begin? Hmmm...
1. Moved out of the Yeah, Yeah house and across the street to Surfers' Inn
2. Used my new Pentax Optio W30
3. Surfed Bacnotan Saturday and Sunday then scored big time at the "isang spot natin" on Monday.
4. Turned over photog duties to Coy, whose photos I will soon nick and post here as well (but with credit to him of course).
5. Got Mang Bong to finally have a surf lesson!
6. Listened to the Jellyfish song
7. Got sprayed with vinegar in the eye by Phil, then later sprayed with dirty rainwater in the face by Raf.
8. Got to use a 9'1, 9'0 6'6, 6'0 and an 8'4 at different points in the weekend. ;)
9. Pimped Millie's clothes
10. Had an awesome awesome surf trip. Woot, woot! |
| | After maybe 4 years of driving up to La Union, Baler, Zambales... after thousands of miles logged... Mang Bong finally agrees to a surf lesson. Moro and Junior helped sort him out over the weekend. And now? He's hooked!
Mang Bong is officially the coolest driver in MSA. Next? Zipping lessons!
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| | We've finally named the longboard: Akaw Daluyon. Akaw because we were in Baler when I realized I wanted a 9'1 after all. Daluyon because it is the Ilocano word for wave. Anyway --
My brother, his girlfriend and our friends finally made the trip up to La Union. Moro and Larry gave them for lessons on the nearly-flat shorebreak on Saturday. Sunday Moro and I checked out Bacnotan and - true to Earl's kwento - it was working! Not big... maybe hip-high with chest-high sets coming in.
Earl, Sheila, Tony and their friends were with us until noon. And then they went home... leaving me alone in the line-up on a super fun wave day. Low tide. Clean fun waves. All ours!
Best of all? My brother got his first three waves ever. :) Woot, woot. |
| | A salubong dinner with some friends at Penang. Drinks at Grilla. Midnight made me 30. Actual birthday dinner at Bellini's with the family. A drive up to La Union with the cousins (plus brother and girlfriend a few days later) made up my birthday week.
If you want to read about it, the blog is over here |
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