Beach goers watch as national surfers spell out “We Love Balon Dagupan” on the last day of Windsurfing Cup held at Tondaligan Blue Beach in Dagupan City. (CIO photo: Jojo Tamayo)
DAGUPAN CITY – A 15-year old Batang Dagupeño clinched the championship crown in the RSone Juniors’ Class category in the recently concluded Windsurfing Cup held at Tondaligan Blue Beach on April 14-15.
Joaquin Gimenez, grandson of lawyer Liberato Reyna Jr., bested other windsurfers from Manila, Batangas, Dagupan, and from the Philippine Windsurfing Team in his event in the first Windsurfing Cup held in Dagupan.
Landing in the second and third place were Lance and Joshua Napa, respectively.
Two-time windsurfing world champions Yancy Kaibigan won the RSone Seniors’ Class with Geylord “Evang” Coveta finishing second and Renz Amboy settling in 3rdplace.
Gimenez, Kaibigan and Coveta are members of the Philippine windsurfing team, which represented the country in international windsurfing events.
Bonay Napa ruled the RSone Women’s Class with Vinna Dolor in second place and Chloe Buencamino in 3rd place.
Winners in the RSone Kids’Class were Andrei Tugade, champion; Zedly Sumauang, second place; and Tantin Dolor, third place.
Event chairman Karlos Reyna disclosed that the event served as qualifying round where top windsurfers would be representing the country in coming international events.
Paolo Morato, Acting Secretary General of the Philippine Windsurfing Association (PWA), on the other hand, bared that the successful cup in the city will definitely call for another event next year and every year thereafter.
“The beach is perfect for windsurfing. You got good wind, you got a nice beach, and it’s wide. It’s perfect for races. We are going to do this again next year, and every year after ,” Morato said.
Morato also said that aside from the national team races, PWA will likely consider doing a slalom race here with pro riders not just from the Philippines, but also from other Southeast Asian countries.
The association was here last year to conduct a free training for Dagupeños who are interested in the sport.
Morato and Fernandez have agreed to bring potential windsurfers from the city to train in their home base in Batangas so that they would be the ones to teach the sport locally to other aspiring windsurfers in the city. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/April 16, 2018)