GOING AGAINST THE WAVES

Kayak surfing finds home in CamNorte
By Jonas Cabiles Soltes

MERCEDES, Camarines Norte --- For two days, the lowly “paraw” in this town has to give way to the kayak.

“Paraw” is a non-motorized small wooden boat, about 4 meters long and equipped with paddle and sail, which is used commonly by small-scale and marginal fishers in the coastal towns of Camarines Norte.

Kayak is similar to the paraw in overall structure but has a covered deck and is commonly made of reinforced plastic. The boat only has a dent or a “cockpit” for the paddler. Having a closed deck makes it possible for this kind of boat to roll over the waves as a surfboard does.

On Sunday, August 7, 14 two-man teams paddled all the way to Baybay Beach on the coast of this bustling fishing town from the fine-sand beach of Caringo Island, an island barangay that also forms part of the municipality.

Fifteen kilometers were spanned by the race, which became a test of strength and stamina for the kayakers, some of whom had travelled all the way from Batangas province to be part of the competition--one of the main events of the weeklong Kadagatan (ocean) Festival in Mercedes.

The festival pays tribute to the fishing industry in this municipality, which is the main source of livelihood of most of this town’s 41, 713 residents.

The race was also the second leg of the Philippine Kayaking Series this year. In addition, it was the first-ever installment of the kayaking series that was held on the Pacific coast of the Philippines.

One of the objectives of the race, aside from promoting kayak-surfing (or surf kayaking), was the promotion of ecotourism and environmental conservation.

“Kayaking is a non-invasive and therefore environment-friendly form of sea transport,” said Andrea Camara, one of the organizers of the kayaking series, “We also want to prop up Mercedes as a kayak-surfing destination.”

She said the Mercedes group of islands, which straddles the mouth of the San Miguel Bay, is comparable to the Hundred Islands in Pangasinan, another famous kayaking location in the Ilocos Region, in terms of being a suitable site for the watersport.

“It is also a way of advocating physical and mental fitness. Being out in the sea develops one’s sense of independence. Physically, it cultivates endurance.”

She said they would also explore the town’s rivers as possible sites for kayaking.

From the starting point on the shore of Caringo Island, the race was mainly a sea kayaking event. It only turns to surf kayaking upon approach to the Baybay Beach in the the town proper, where the shallow seabed, strong sea currents, and winds produce crushing high waves.

The paddlers had to glide through the crests and troughs of rushing waves before reaching the shore. Some participants were able to make it to the beach without their kayaks being tossed by the sea or them falling into the waters.

The race was safe for all participants because each of them had been required to wear protective gear including life vests. They were also accompanied by six marshals and a rescue team.

After almost two hours the team led by Reneric Moreno, 30, emerged as the winner of the competition. It only took him and his buddy one hour, 49 minutes and 45 seconds to reach the shore.

“The most important thing in kayaking is stamina. You should also have a very strong and agile upper body to endure hours of paddling and going against the waves,” said Moreno.

Those who want to try the sport must know that it is more fun than scary, he said.

The 15-kilometer race started in Caringo Island then past the channel between Quinapaguian and Mambungalon Islands and then past Canimog Island. From Canimog Island, the participants had to paddle toward Baybay Beach.

The four islands—Caringo, Quinapaguian, Mambungalon, and Canimog—together with Apuao Islands are collectively known as the Mercedes group of islands, which are offshore islands of Mercedes,Camarines Norte.

“To cut through the sea smoothly, we needed to move in accordance with the waves. There should be timing,” said Julio Casalo, 49, one of the paraw fishers who competed in the race.

Eighteen other locals, most of whom were paraw fishers, joined the competition, and had to joust with professional kayakers who were also in the competition.

The weather was good and had cooperated with the racing event but the blue green waters of the bay had not been without rolling waves, which became additional hurdles for the paddlers.

Among those who provided crash training to local paddlers was German Paz, a Southeast Asian Games Gold Medalist in 2005 for windsurfing.

“Discipline is essential in all watersports, including kayaking and surf kayaking,” Paz said, “One needs to have focus.”

Paz is a watersports veteran who knows surfing, kayaking, and kiteboarding, all of which can be done in the seas off Camarines Norte, especially in this town and in Bagasbas Beach in neighboring Daet, the capital town of Camarines Norte.

Bernard Ibasco, village councilor of Caringo, said they welcome the event and expressed hope that the kayak race would boost the tourism potentials of their island village, which is also the location of a fish sanctuary.

“Our people earn from fishing industry, which is affected by the seasons. Tourism can give a stable source of income for us here,” said Ibasco.

The 500-hectare island village of 1,700 receives an internal revenue allotment from the national government amounting to 890, 000.

“This kind of event will help promote our place,” he added.

The provincial government is doing just that.

Atty. Debbie Francisco, provincial tourism officer, said the Mercedes group of islands would form a triad with Calaguas in Vinzons town and Bagasbas Beach in Daet.

Calaguas is home to powdery, white-sand beaches while Bagasbas Beach is a venue for kiteboarding and surfing.

Francisco also said that the municipal government of this town would make surf kayaking a livelihood program.

Eight kayaks were bought by the municipal government. The equipment would be rented to tourists. They also train tour guides.

Most importantly, Francisco said, the surf kayaking industry would encourage the people of Mercedes, especially those living in coastal villages not to throw garbage into the sea.

“When they see that tourists are making use of the sea for surf kayaking and that the tourism industry is helping them, they would realize that they should protect the sea and keep it free from pollution,” said Francisco.

Going against the waves. That’ what kayaking is all about.