The Untold Story Behind the Quest to get to Know SkimboardingMeeting, Culver, Kim and Bambam truly put so many puzzles in my head as I was loosely introduced to the country’s newest athletic event that is basically done yearly in my hometown’s neighbor, Tanauan — Skimboarding! What the heck is this?!! ‘Cause every time we meet in a party these three stooges would talk about skimboarding in Tanauan. I heard Kim saying plenty of times, “Aw hi Bambam? Amo ito hiya it gibabagsiki nga skimmer hit Tanauan!” I was puzzled and I wanted to learn more…

Now, for fear of being misunderstood and taken out of context, I discreetly haunted Bambam (who, some people, thought as my “crush”, ok lang, cute naman sya!), so he can tell me…er…explain to me…what the heck is Skimboarding, this is because according to his Friendster profile, he is the person who loves waves, waves, waves and waves! Plus, Kim said gibabagsiki ito hiya!

But since Bambam is infuriatingly shy, and doesn’t seem to warm up to blubber mouths like me (posted comments in his Friendster profile, about skimboarding, but wasn’t able to get a single reply…fyi!), my quest to get to know this sport turned from enthusiasm to sheer disappointment. That’s when I so decided to stop thinking, texting Bambam and asking about it (isa po syang dakilang BATO!). And let my skimboarding interest die a natural death instead.

But the gods weren’t letting me off the hook that easy! Come December 30, after deciding to spend the whole day lazing in our new sofa at home (in V&G), a very late text message (received the text at 11:45 in the morning already), knocked me off my lazy musings…from my very makulit boss Culver Songalia, asking me to cover the last day and closing ceremony (that very day!) of this very sport I had already learned to forget and take out of my system despite my being enthralled with any sports done in seas and shores.

So, brave and unwavering as I am, never backing down from any challenge given by my sometimes-pesky Mano Culver, off I went to the 4th Skimboarding National Competition. Upon entering the gates of the Bantay Dagat Area in Tanauan, I felt I was transported to another world, for I saw many people with weird actions and stints with peculiar get ups, trance-like, oblivious and not minding others existence in the sweltering heat of Tanauan sun and sea breeze. I saw this huge stage for the reggae party later that night with kids swarming around it, super tanned women in their not-so-skimpy-but-not-that-modest bikinis, men in all size and shapes — drinking their hearts out on such an early afternoon hour, the tents built by the shores with men loitering near them in their modest swimming trunks and horrifyingly sticky dreadlocks! Ano ‘to? Basang-basang, maraming Bob Marley?

My gosh! Where the heck am I? Am I still on earth? Why are these people acting so weird? They were all gazing towards the sea as if waiting for something to happen. So I walked by the shore and tried to see what the heck were they looking at? But all I see is NADA! Nothing! So I started cursing Culver, Bambam and Kim! Why in the world did they not tell about skimboarding and then suddenly, out of the blue, send me into this insufferable mystery of covering something I am not in anyway familiar with…grrrr! I hate them all! So para kunwari may ginagawa and to douse the looks I’m getting from the people who don’t seem to see me as one of their kind, I started taking pictures…and despite the fact that the idea seems very infuriating, I took out my phone and texted the last person in this planet, I would dare text about skimboarding – Bambam Mendoza!!!

I asked him if he is home for Christmas and if is around to tell me where in the world is that competition? He just said, “di gihap ak maaram kay ti-uli pa la ako!” So again I crashed and burned.

Wearing my sunniest smile and “pinakamakapal na mukha” ever, off I went to look for somebody to tell me something about this mysterious sport that slowly gnaws my patience, sanity and yes, even my temper! Oh, I circled the place for about an hour or so…praying for some miracle to happen, but to no avail!

I talked with some people and they all said I have to wait for PSA President Juan Duazo Jr. for nobody can ever tell me the basic rules, mechanics and requirements of skimboarding! Tough luck! Some even suggested that I go and wait for Tanauan Mayor Roque Tiu so he can explain the event, which for me would just be hitting the solid bottom of talking with someone who’ll end up probably glorifying his political career’s achievements, so I abandoned the idea of that interview! But decided to stay for Juan, who knows?

Heavy-hearted I loitered beside the huge tarpaulin bearing the event’s basic information; I copied everything, and hoped to God that this will be enough for I am getting the hell out of this place! Thinking I’ll just go and crash Joey Maraya’s wedding, hope to get many pictures and then go home peacefully. Not minding, Culver’s ire in the end. But the journalist and writer person in me forbade to abandon such a story that will once again showcase a great town like Tanauan.

So, I again went and scour the shores, hoping against hope that I’ll run into an angel who’ll help me with my current dilemma. I started taking pictures of the tents and the beach and the stage and…lo and behold! At the end of my camera’s frame is that very familiar figure I had started to hate! Bambam Mendoza — that insufferable tight-lipped stranger slash friend is closely watching me — suffer!!!

Again, not succumbing to this maddening temptation to kick his butt, I included him in my pictures. Wearing my brightest and please-help-me-am-lost smile, I went and approach him. And finally! After years of waiting!! NAGYAKAN na hiya ha akon!!! I asked him why are these people acting out so strange, gazing out to the sea as if looking for something and where the heck is that skimboarding competition Culver was saying I should cover? He said, “agi niyan pa ada ito kay naghuhulat pa ito hira hin maupay nga balud!” Finally!!!

Oh! Now I know why these people are oddly waiting for that something…they were actually waiting for the right waves so they can start the semi-finals (the elimination round was done in the morning) and the finals. So after coaxing Bambam out of his usual tight-lipped quips, I asked if I can still go to Joey’s wedding, take some pictures and be back as fast as I can then cover the competition still later that afternoon. Alleluia! Bambam said I still can! And maybe daw later he can help me find Juan or Dave Debuque who can tell me stuff about skimboarding (kay hiya diri mahilig magyinakan! ). My gosh I was so tempted to kiss Bambam right there and then! (But his girlfriend won’t think that would be a lovely idea!) So, equipped with a promise that he’ll text me as soon as the competition starts, off I went to Tacloban City…

So to make the long story short, I went to Sacred Heart Church, and also at Kanhuraw Hill took some pictures of Joey’s wedding and rushed back to Tanauan shores for the skimboarding competition.

And my luck was better later that night since I run into Juan this time around, was able to interview him about the rudiments of the competition, the mechanics, etc, of skimboarding. Also, I was able to talk with SPAWNorg President Larry Basas who told me things about how the Skimboarding competition came about in Tanauan.

And the great part? I was able to thoroughly enjoy watching skimboarding this time around, in the flesh and with much enthusiasm because I know now, how the skimmers can score a point or how one leads or rules over the rest of the competing skimmers. God bless Juan and his patience in telling me stuff about skimboarding…now I can kill Bambam! (hehehe…don’t need him anymore to tell me things about the sport)…okay, kahit pilit sige na nga! — thanks to Bam also for his reticent help! And to Culver for the challenge… again!

Skimboarding mechanics, blah… according to Juan will follow after this…halaba na kun dudugtong ko pa!