Aurora Is Host to Philippine Surfing Cups

Every February, the province of Aurora plays host to the Aurora Surfing Cup, which through the years, has established a steady following of local and international surfing enthusiasts. The province boasts of internationally recognized surf sites such as Sabang Beach (beach break), Cemento Beach (reef break), and Charlie’s Point (river mouth break). The best waves in these areas come around October to March. Read More: http://www.pranxer.com/Event/Details/4

Photo from: http://www.pranxer.com/Event/Details/4

Baler is a haven for surfers, having a long coastline fronting the Pacific Ocean. Surfing in Baler was once features through the classic film Apocalypse Now featuring soldiers surfing in Aurora. In fact, after filming the scenes, the production crew left the surfboards behind for the local residents to use. That apparently inspired the local residents. Today, Baler has become home to one of the oldest surf communities in the country. Local residents even claim that the waves are sometimes so huge that they could hear it from about 1.5 kilometers away from the coast.

The popularity of surfing in Baler was given birth from the 3-day surfing competition during the annual Aurora Surfing Cup held 1997, wherein surfers from the different parts of the country and of the world became drawn of riding the waves at Baler. Read More: https://www.islandsofthephilippines.com/2013/01/surfing-in-baler/

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Photo from: https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Catchin-up-Baler-Philippines

Charlie, don’t surf!

Movie buffs may recall this line from the movie “Apocalypse Now” (1979) by Francis Ford Coppola. Charlie is a slang term for the Viet Cong, the enemies of the American soldiers in this Vietnam War movie. Spoken by the character Colonel Kilgore, he persuades his troops to surf the waves of Mekong Delta in Vietnam amidst bombs dropping as they take the territory of their enemy.

“One of the most poignant things of the film is how many California surfers went to Vietnam, and how many didn’t come back. One of the reasons I put surfing in ‘Apocalypse Now’ was because I always thought Vietnam was a California war,” shares screenplay writer John Milius in an interview story by CNN in 2009.

Apocalypse Now, however, wasn’t filmed in Mekong Delta nor in Vietnam. A large portion of this war-cum-surf movie was shot in the Philippines’ very own Baler, Aurora.

After nine months of filming in the tropical paradise, surfboards were left on the shore, as if waiting for a local to bring it back to the water. Soon after, even groms (short for grommet or young surfer) were riding the waves like pros, ripping (rip: a surfer who rips is one who is seriously skilled) on a daily basis. Thus, surfing in Baler was born.

With Baler’s long coastline, a number of surfing spots in the area are available for all types of surfers, from the beginning to the seasoned. Read more: http://www.choosephilippines.com/do/adventures-and-sports/1741/Baler-Aurora-surfing-spot-beach/

Photo from: http://philippine-evolution.com/enjoy-surfing-in-cemento-beach-aurora/