Featured Image: Thank you Troy Medina for capturing my wave at Flotsam (July 2015).

Last year, I got an email from my good friend Erin who insisted I get interviewed for an article to be posted on Parallel Planets featuring Filipina surfers. I was a bit hesitant at first since it had only been half a year since I started surfing again. I said yes eventually and received such a great surprise upon finding out that the other interviewees were my friends — my sisters from the sea! :)

 

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What do you love about the sea?

Going to the beach has a great relaxing effect on me and most people I know, which has led me to believe that the sea is healing and invigorating. A dose of “vitamin sea” is all we need when we are not feeling well in the city. Living in the concrete jungle of Manila, surf trips are always the highlights of my month—a refreshing change of scenery where I can laugh and play in the waves, and on shore, meet a lot interesting people from all walks of life to share the stoke with. It’s these moments that I share with my brothers and sisters from the sea that I live for. Life is better in bikinis, indeed.

On the other hand, the sea is also a dynamic and unpredictable force that can be challenging and fearsome—pretty much how I’d describe life. Life throws a lot of our plans awry, which sends us running around like headless chickens at times. The ocean can be the same—sometimes, waves are nice and enjoyable peelers then out of nowhere it gives you a freak overhead set of waves that eats everyone in the lineup! That’s why I love how surfing pushes me to be present to myself and to my surroundings. When I am out there, everything is blacked out and it really feels like it’s just me, my board, and the waves. Catching a wave isn’t as simple as standing up. For me, understanding how the waves work, knowing my capabilities, and deciding the right timing are required. Once I catch a wave, it then becomes a dance—I can choose to simply glide, take a step or two, caress the face of the wave, or trim along until it ends. This sea then becomes a medium for me to be bold and creative as I flow with the ocean.

These are what I love about the sea: the beautiful sunsets, the cold beers in the beach, the fresh seafood feasts; the fun bonfire parties are all pretty cool too, but it’s the ocean’s effect on me as a person and its influence on my outlook in life is what I love best.

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Read the full article at Parallel Planets.