Skimboarding at Palo Leyte

Passing by the area of Barangay. Baras in Palo, Leyte, I saw kids drenching walking home, obviously coming from the beach. Oh BEACH! So I said why not check that place out. Just to see what is there!

I was readily met by this sign which is now common all over the region...
a "No Build Zone" warning on the entrance to Red Beach in Baras, Palo, Leyte
Not that the law is something new. It has been such a law for already a long time (I was probably not even born yet) but only gaining attention these days - after the Yolanda / Haiyan devastation of 2013.

But the beach is still there and beckons as always (to me at least)...
the beach and the sea at Red Beach, Baras, Palo Leyte
This time, you can't build homes 40 meters from the water line. O di ba ang ganda kung ganun? Sana!

Anyway, when I looked around, I saw people doing that uncommon sport - skimboarding! Hmm...
skimboarders riding it out on Red Beach Baras, Palo Leyte
skimboarders riding it out on Red Beach Baras, Palo Leyte
Not that I haven't seen or heard about skimboarding, but I said "uncommon" for indeed it still is not a common sight just anywhere. Of course I've watched the skimboarders on Boracay where even dogs ride on the boards. But this thing they were doing in Palo was different. They ride in / with the waves!

Small shoreline waves - that is. But this looks more tiring and needs a lot more skill than even the real surfing thing. So I sat on the sand to watch, until I got to talk to some of them and other on-lookers.

First question I asked (of course) was why were they attacking the waves which makes it very hard to do. Second question was why don't they do it just as the folks do on Boracay, zooming thru thin water.

And I learned from them that there are 2 types of skimboarding; one is "Sand Skimming" and the other "Wave Skimming". Whoa! The thing they do here in Palo is "Wave Skimming", where they run for and eventually ride the waves - if successful. "Sand skimming" for them is "masyadong pambata". Ganun?
skimboarders riding it out on Red Beach Baras, Palo Leyte
They told me almost all of them started with "Sand Skimming" though - as little children even before elementary school! They say it is easier where you just skim through the thin water without the waves.

With this thing that they do, they need to watch farther out for the best waves coming...
No wonder I often caught them standing on the beach, silently looking out to sea! Part of the sport pala yun! I really thought nagpapahinga or nagmumuni-muni lang sila sa ganda ng aplaya hahaha!

Here's a video of them in action...

Well if you ask me, this is a sport I'd rather just watch (add to Triathlon) for life hehe!



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