The past weekend’s start of this year’s summer beach fest’s friendly sports hostilities capped by Saturday evening’s mesmerizing fire dance competition, reggae battle of the bands, and a wild night of beer guzzling and partying at host site Beach View resort in Pindasan affirmed rumours that “it’s more fun” in Compostela Valley than in any place in Davao region in summer.
On Saturday night almost 2,000 people packed themselves in front of the stage within an area the size of two basketball courts and finished off every last bottle of beer sold at the event sponsor San Miguel Beer booths and the resorts bar. The party ended 4:00 o’clock Sunday morning.
“It was a record-breaking party ever in the host resort, more well-attended than last year,” provincial tourism officer Christine T. Dompor observed.
Fire dance groups from Davao City and Samal Island delighted the audience as each vied for the top prize with fiery, breath-taking, and well-choreographed performances. In the end, Davao City’s Mugnapak Fire Artists out-danced same city rivals Junjie’s Flare with their fireworks execution agility. Samal’s Silayan Mindanao came in third.
In the reggae band competition, Nabunturan’s Pure Play Band bested their rivals from Davao del Norte and Davao City to grab the P10,000 grand prize and championship trophy. Compostela’s Blacklisted Band, last year’s champion, slipped into second place. The Skatonic Band of Tagum City landed third overall.
One significant result of Saturday night’s beach party was the discovery of a new cocktail drink during the SMB Mix competition. The new drink the winner baptized Cali de Negra is a concoction of Cervesa Negra, Cali, pinched lemon, and apple slices with fine iodized salt to temper its flavor.
Earlier in the day, eight teams from Davao City, Tagum City, and Welborn Beach Resort of Pantukan battled it out for the cash prize and trophy in men’s beach volley ball. Kenji Team A of Davao City, powered by RJ Desierto and Kenneth Cutamore walloped the Tagum City team of Marvin Saludes and Gian Carlo Pineda to emerge champion. The third place went to Kenjie Team B, also of Davao City.
In women’s volleyball Sunday Tagum volley belles Lovely Jane Omega and Olive Joy Lawag automatically grabbed the crown in the championship round against Haring Tamsi’s Jestine Carla Gonzales and April Mae Lozada.
Lozada, whose powerful serves had dominated the women elimination rounds, went down twice from leg cramps in the second and final sets of the championship game and conceded victory to their city rivals.
Compostela Valley’s summer beach sports festival is a national award-winning and environment-themed summer event held in all weekends of May and organized jointly by the provincial government of Compostela Valley through the provincial tourism office and the Small Hotel and Resorts Association, Inc. (SHARE) and fully-supported by Mayor Hadji Amir B. Muñoz of the municipal government of Mabini as well as provincial sports coordinator Tyrone Uy.
It highlights mostly exotic sports events competitions from body painting and fire dance to open water volleyball hosted by several beach resorts that line the Compostela Valley shoreline of Davao gulf.
This year’s 4th Summer Beach Sports Festival introduces three new competitive events – biggest fish catch, bancarera around Kopiat island, and sea kite flying..
Another contributor to the festivities is the provincial chapter of the Philippine Red Cross has introduced a series of one-day swimming lessons for P200 under its pre-school aquatic program.
The third weekend summer events on May 19 are the biggest fish catch competition starting 5:00 a.m., Bugsay Kopiat at 10:00 a.m., and SMB Night presenting the beach acoustics competition at Magayon Beach Resort. The next day will be devoted to the Manaklay-Kopiat Swimming Challenge at 8:00 a.m. and sea kite flying competition starting 1:00 p.m. at the boat landing.
On May 26, the festival will join Dagan sa Dapugan Araw ng Mabini Fun Run. At 10:00 a.m. the same day, Welborn Resort in Magnaga, Pantukan will host the Amazing Race and Water volleyball competitions. Magnaga Waters in Pantukan will host a Bikini Open at 7:00 p.m.
The festival will end on Sunday May 27 with a beach tattoo competition at 8:00 a.m. in Berioso Beach Resort simultaneous with the start of the regatta fluvial parade competition from Beachview to Magnaga. (jpa/pgo-tourism/ids)
