MORE WAVES AHEAD

SIARGAO — John Mark “Marama” Tokong was hoping to advance further at Cloud 9, but he is taking his early exit from the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro in stride.

The four-time Siargao International Surfing Cup champion admitted he had chances to advance but could not convert them, especially when the wind picked up and the waves became harder to handle.

Tokong bowed to Australian world No. 7 Ethan Ewing, while Alciso suffered a setback against familiar rival Kanoa Igarashi of Japan.

Fresh from a memorable win in his previous heat, the Siargao native known as the “King of Cloud 9” tried to keep his momentum going but found himself up against a tough opponent in Ewing.

Tokong came away with 11.54 points, short of Ewing’s 14.50, as the Australian moved on to the next round of the prestigious event presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), with the support of Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, General Luna Mayor Johnson Sajulga and Vice Mayor Romina Sajulga.

He said he was happy with his performance in his earlier heat when he felt relaxed and comfortable selecting the waves he wanted. But the conditions changed in his succeeding heat, making it difficult for him to execute the moves he had planned.

“I was really happy with my performance in that heat. I felt relaxed and just focused on choosing the right waves. But the conditions yesterday and today were different,” Tokong said.

“The wind picked up, and I tried to stay busy, catch more waves and go for aerials, but unfortunately, I couldn't land them.”

Tokong particularly rued his opening wave, believing he could have put himself in a better position to advance had he landed his aerial and made it out of the barrel.

“If I had landed that aerial and made it out of the barrel on my first wave, I think it could have helped me move to the next round,” he said.

Still, Tokong was thankful for the opportunity to compete against some of the world's best surfers. He said being able to watch them compete and learn from their performances was already a big experience for him.

“Everyone here is a champion. They're among the best athletes in the world. Just being able to surf against them, watch them compete and learn from them is already amazing. I've learned so much from this experience,” he said.

The crowd's support also meant a lot to Tokong. He was surprised to see so many people at Cloud 9 cheering for him, including his family, friends and local supporters who stayed despite the scorching heat.

“I feel like I didn't really lose anything because of all the support from the community, my friends, and my family. It's crazy to see so many people at Cloud 9 cheering for me. Even though it's so hot, they're still there. I've never experienced anything like this before. I'm really thankful to everyone,” Tokong said.

Tokong also had words of encouragement for fellow Filipino surfer Mara Lopez, who competed in the event at just 15 years old.

The veteran believes the young La Union surfer has plenty of time to improve, but said she still needs to get used to the waves at Cloud 9, which are quite different from those in her hometown.