What have your favorite Zap team riders been up to outside of skimming? We dive into it with them in the new series called “Currently”. We first catch up with team shredder Sonny Boy Aporbo to see what’s been going on in the Philippines. Other than skimming, Sonny’s life, like so many other skimmer, revolves around the beach. Check out what he’s been up to below!
I spend as much time as possible on the beach, mostly skimboarding and surfing. The past couple of months (from October-April) it was ‘’Amihan’’, translated as wind season, which for us means unlimited skim and surfing sessions all day. In March, I joined two local skimboarding competitions in Northern Samar, a different part of the country far from my home break. The conditions were challenging, windy and shallow, but it was worth the trip. I met a lot of new talented local skimboarders, and just being part of that vibe was really inspiring.
Now that it is July, the sea is calmer, and the days feel slower. Besides being a skimboarder, I am also a lifeguard and surf instructor at the beach where I grew up. I am an active member of the local watersports association, and besides skimboarding and surfing, we do other things like coastal clean-up. We try to teach the younger members to care for the beach. By clearing out coconuts and big wood, it makes it safe to skim, but is also good for the ocean life. Dahican, my homebreak, is also home for many ocean animals like sea turtles, which often come ashore to lay eggs. We help transfer the eggs to the turtle hatchery to stay safe from visitors.
We spend a lot of time with the local kids by doing skim clinics with the boards that were gifted from ZAP last year. They are used non-stop by the kids and they love them! And with a big group of skimmers, there are a lot of birthdays to celebrate. Skimboards have another use for birthdays: we serve the food on it for a boodle fight. After dinner we skim and there are no dishes! It’s the best!
