WSL links Philippines Pro to youth surfing push with PSC

The World Surf League says its partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) should do more than give Filipino surfers one chance against the best in the world. Daily Tribune reported that league president Andrew Stark described the Philippines Pro at Cloud 9 in Siargao as a way to help the sport grow in the country.

The WSL staged the event together with the PSC, which is headed by chairman Patrick "Pato" Gregorio. It was the first time the Championship Tour came to the Philippines. Stark said the contest let young local surfers see up close what top-level competition demands. He thanked the agency for its support and said the league felt welcomed by the community.

Two youth programs ran alongside the contest. In Rising Tides, children surfed with professionals, met the competitors and learned from experienced surfers. A board caddy program run with the Siargao Island Surfing Association had junior surfers handling boards for the competitors and following the action from close range.

Stark also praised the Filipino wildcards John Mark "Marama" Tokong, Jayuard Alciso, Noah Arkfeld and Mara Lopez. They went up against a field full of world champions and established tour surfers. He singled out Tokong, saying that his knowledge of Cloud 9 and his ability in the water made him a hard draw for the visitors, and that the champions were "scared of him."

The Filipino campaigns did end, but Stark said the exposure still counted. Their heats reached viewers around the world through WSL broadcasts and digital platforms.

For local juniors, this means the tour's first Philippine stop gave them real time in the water and on the beach next to professionals, not just a view from the crowd.