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Being in a new place... meeting new people... trying new stuff... that's what we love. Ooh! Add three more things to that Sun, sand and SURF! On Sports Unlimited...We're taking you to one of the best and most beautiful surfing destinations in the Philippines. PAGUDPUD, ILOCOS NORTE! Take very close note of this name… KAPULUAN VISTA RESORT! A wonderful place to be introduced to WAVES!
Getting to Pagudpud by land is by no means for the restless traveler. It takes about 12 hours from Manila, that's a long road trip, but trust us, the further you go north, the nicer it gets. You pass Pangasinan, then La Union, after which comes Vigan, and then there's Laoag. Stops in any, or all of these places is a big part of why many opt to take this long but lovely land trip.
If you go by plane which is what my partner and I did, the hub is Laoag. From The Laoag International Airport, it took about an hour and half by land to get to our Final Destination: The Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud which we heard is a jewel of a place in this gem of an island. Here are words that first come to mind when you look around the Kapuluan Vista Resort, charm, serenity, culture, beauty, nature, and adventure.
Upon our arrival at the Kapuluan Vista Resort we were met by its owners Mike and Alma Oida. Mike and Alma is a young, cool couple who share a passion for surfing. Alma is originally from La Union, and Mike's family comes from Bicol. The couple settled in Oxnard, California, that's of course until they discovered this precious piece of land in Pagudpud. It did not take very long till they decided that the beauty here and the wonderful waves was everything they needed to make this place their new home. Hands down, Kapuluan Vista's most fabulous feature is the waves which are only footsteps away from the resort.
We were only staying overnight in Pagudpud so we did not want to waste any precious time enjoying the waves. We wanted to plunge right into the center of all activity here, surfing.
It only took a few minutes on our surfboards for us to realize why you can really boast about Pagudpud being such a great surfing getaway. The feeling of getting to ride the face of a wave all the way to the shore really gets you going, and going, and going. It's addicting.
I have to say, surfing is such a super way to add fun and excitement to your beach trips.
All you need to bring is a surfboard. If you don't own one, Kapuluan Vista rents them that solve that. Then you need bring your adventurous nature, and then, pack along your courage to take on the waves. If you can manage that, your reward will be, raw, real and pure “liquid fun”!
Surfing season here is at its peak from July to October. This season, fate brought Sports Unlimited and some of the best surfers in the world tour together, here at the Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud. Call it a super stroke of luck, though we really think its fate, that we happen to be in the resort at the exact same time these sensational surfers and international surfing personalities heard about the superb surfing you can do in Pagudpud and decided to check in and check out the waves.
Surfers come with a stereotype, and we all know what that is. But when you get to watch these guys up close on the waves, and get the chance to chat with them after, you start having a totally different surfer stereotype. They are dedicated, determined, driven, down to earth and all around cool guys who are passionate and dam good at what they do.
We met Dustin Cuizon who at the young age of 21 is one of Hawaii's rising star surfers.
He has set more records in his short professional career than most qualified world championship tour campaigners, and gets this; Dustin is being dubbed the "Manny Pacquiao of surfing" in Hawaii. You know what that means? Superstardom and one of the best this sport has ever seen.
Check out world class Hawaiian surfer Roy Powers. His surfing is fast, and loose, he is radical in every way. His fluid style makes his surfing look effortless. Roy reminds you of a rockstar slash, acrobat when he takes on a wave.
Daniel Kereopa is a surfing superstar and celebrity in his homeland of New Zealand. he also has the elite honor of holding the record for paddling the biggest wave, 30 meters, yap, you heard right. Daniel paddled into a wave that was 90 feet high. He says that he likes to paddle into colossal waves ‘cause its fun. He is one fearless Kiwi.
These are surfers who have the sensational skill of somehow finding quiet. amidst these powerful waves. These guys are the best of the best. After watching these surfing superstars all afternoon, all we could say was this, there are some who know just how to do it.
Surfing sure has a way of bringing-on the bonding between friends. There is something about passing on your passion of surfing like the way Mike, Alma, Paolo, Corey and the rest did with us.
Marc and I both agreed. If you like the people you are hanging' out with at the beach, you will like them even more after riding the waves together. Here's what we're telling you folks, surfing is a real, exciting and raw way to have a “flood of fun” when you are in the company of waves.
Another reason why we called this trip to Kapuluan Vista a twist of fate is because, not only did we get to witness some of the masters of the waves, we also got the rare chance to meet the creators of probably the most superior surfboards you can pop-up on the couple behind Town and Country, Craig and Linda Sugihara.
Corey Wills is not just a striking model, and a pro Pinoy surfer, he is also a yoga teacher. Corey has been a student of Yoga since he was a kid raised by parents who were both devoted yoga practitioners. Yoga offers a complete mind, body and spirit workout.
It utilizes mental focus and deep breathing while performing a series of specific postures.
My partner Marc has the "hot body” no doubt about that. But yoga is obviously not the way he chooses to work his body out, and I think it's safe to say that yoga is not his cup of tea. We salute you for your effort though partner.
Stretching my body is one of my favorite things to do. My friends, family and TV crew will tell you that I stretch every chance I get, but I have to admit, some of the postures that Corey made us do were totally foreign to me, and it stretched parts of my body in a way I never have before. In the middle of our yoga session with Corey, .night had fallen on us but we felt so good during the class we did not want to end it abruptly due to the lack of light while we were shooting. When our session was over, we felt a rejuvenating calm within, .and an outward energy that we could feel our bodies releasing. It was such an excellent experience that made us want to have another session very soon.
If you can rip yourself apart from the fun you're having on your surfboard, downshift a bit to take a break from the surf. There's a breathtaking beach just around the corner from the Kapuluan Vista Resort known as Blue Lagoon. Blue Lagoon is located at Maira-ira point which is the Northern most tip of Luzon. If just for the charm, seclusion, sugary sands and Pagudpud's pristine coastline, traveling to the very ends of Luzon is a trip we would not mind taking over and over again.
After that refreshing bath we took at Blue Lagoon, it was almost time for us to leave, but not without fueling ourselves fully courtesy of the fantastic food served here at the resort.
You can have classic continental or flavorful Filipino favorites, or you can also binge on awesome fresh fruit plates and hydrate with fresh fruit shakes. Eating here is a happy experience.
Pristine beaches, a crib like Kapuluan Vista Resort to crash in, scenic surroundings, phenomenal waves. What more can we ask for? There are 7,100 islands in this beautiful archipelago of ours, and after our visit to Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud, Sports Unlimited is another step closer to its quest of finding the very best ones. |