by Jims Vincent Capuno
The world-famous Boracay is noted for its white sand. Siargao in Surigao del Norte is noted for its challenging. Now, if you put wind, sand and waves together in one place, where would that be?
The answer to that question is most likely Dahican Beach in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental. Its seven-kilometer stretch of white sand beach faces the Pacific Ocean. Although its waves and currents can be scary and treacherous during the monsoon months, the beach is a perfect spot for skimboarding.
“You don’t have to go to Boracay to experience white sand,” says Michael N. Rabat, the brother of the city mayor, who toured us around the place the first time we visited Mati. “The area is secluded, peaceful, and far from the madding crowd.”
Dahican Beach is about 15 minutes from the heart of the city. You have to pass over rough roads before reaching the beach. The good thing is that there is no entrance fee and it is open to anyone – whether locals or foreigners.
A recent American visitor, who had also been to Boracay, hailed: “I have not seen such a wonderful beach, not even in Boracay. The Dahican Beach is a South Sea dream come true.”
“I believe that with the right and responsible development, the coastline (of Dahican) can be converted into a world class tourist destination,” one recent visitor wrote in his blog. We definitely agree to that.
Dahican Beach was the venue of the first Mindanao Open Skimboarding Competition recently. Some 50 young and adult skimboarders participated in the event. Some of them were wondering whether Dahican Beach is the skimboarding capital of Mindanao.
“There are several reasons why it should be called such,” says Richard L. Villacorte, the city administrator. “For one, our sand here is white unlike others which are dark or black. For another, the water is pristine and crystal blue. But most important, the waves are what skimboarders are looking for – not so high and not too low but something in-between.”
Marlon S. Binarao, a 26-year-old skimboarder from General Santos City, agrees. “The waves here are great compared to what we have in Sarangani where we practice skimboarding,” he said.
Ted V. Villanueva even suggested further calling Dahican as the new skimboarding capital of the Philippines. “Unlike those in Tanauan, where the waves are only three to five feet high, the waves in Dahican are great – from six to eight feet,” enthused the 23-year-old skimboarder from Zambales.
Tourism officer Dashiel Indelible, Jr. Thought such accolade is music to his ear. After all, Mati Mayor Michelle N. Rabat is very supportive of skimboarding. “She believes skimboarding will not only help develop skills in water sports of our local youth but will also boost the city’s tourism industry,” he pointed out.
Actually, the recent skimboarding tournament was the sixth. Mati had hosted previous competitions, but the participants were mainly locals, according to Villacorte. The recent contest was open supposedly only to those coming from Mindanao, but there were contenders from Leyte and Zambales.
“Actually, competition was in only two categories: beginners and experts,” said Pedro G. Plaza, who co-organized the event together with the mayor. Winning the beginner’s category was Mati’s Jhasper Jeb Consigna. The first and second runner-up honors went to Crisanto Cuizon and Joel Prones, in that order. The two came from Tandag, Surigao del Sur.
In the expert category, Mati’s Sonny “Boy” Aporbo was declared champion while Tandag’s Aldon Pamogas was first runner-up, with Mati’s Rodel Patawi settling for third place.
Also known as skimming or skiffle boarding, skimboarding is a boardsport in which a skimboard is used to ride on an incoming wave. A sleeker version of a surfboard, a typical skimboard is made of smoothed marine plywood and fiberglass. The average weight is six kilograms since it does not require much buoyancy.
“Unlike surfing,” Wikipedia explains, “skimboarding begins on the beach, with skimboarders running and dropping their board onto the thin wash of previous waves. They use their momentum to ‘skim’ out to breaking waves, which they then catch back into shore, in a manner similar to surfing.”
Another aspect of skimboarding is the so-called “flatland” which involves performing tricks derived from skateboarding on the wash of waves without catching shorebreaks.
Today, this extreme water sport is already popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, China, Malaysia, Japan, and Singapore. In the Philippines, skimboarding was first introduced in Tanauan, Leyte, which has earned the title of Skimboarding Capital of the Philippines.
There is an interesting story on how skimboarding came to the Philippines. American tourist Tim Garret visited Tanauan to court a beautiful lady. During his free time, he went skimboarding at the beach. What he did caught the attention of the locals. In no time, almost every beach aficionados wanted to try the unique watersport.
Although skimboarding is an increasingly popular activity along beaches, there are many types of dangers that skimboarders can face on a daily basis. Wikipedia informs: “It is not uncommon to see fractures or dislocations of the lower limbs, some requiring serious medical attention. Lacerations, twisted ankles and bruises are also common due to impact with the board itself, or rocks, logs and other obstacles present off beaches.”
Many injuries that skimboarders suffer happen over a long period of time. Such injuries include fractures, leg pains, and shin splints, among others. Some of these injuries can be prevented by stretching before and after a session.
For further details about Dahican and other places of interest in Mati, visit the City Tourism Office, or call the office at this number: (087) 3883-234. The email address is matitourismoffice@yahoo.com. Also try to visit this website on Mati’s skimboarding activities: http://www.amihanteam.com.
