Cloud Nine by Jojie Alcantara
“Out of the water, I am nothing.” – Duke Kahanamoku
Siargao Island’s ‘Cloud 9′, a powerful hollow right-hander, has been hailed as one of the ten best waves in the world and has been frequently compared to the renowned surf of Hawaii and Indonesia.
Lying at the veritable edge of the Philippine archipelago, Siargao is reputed to be the Surfing Capital of the Philippines that host the annual international surfing event. Its waves combine the best quality features of top-rated waves of Hawaii’s fabled “ pipeline” and the top-billed wave of Indonesia. The huge and powerful “pacific rollers” has been ranked among the top five breaks in the world, including the “Cloud Nine” which is considered one of the world’s top surfing waves.
September is the start of the Siargao Surfing Festival 2011.
I have been to Siargao thrice, all during the international surfing competition. On one occasion, I got to meet and have lunch with then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when she graced the opening event.
Will post earlier articles and photos in my column soon. Meanwhile, enjoy my photo gallery of the 2007 International Surfing event.
