October to Remember: LU Surfing Break

By: Joy Ann L. Gurtiza, GPC-PIO

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Jam. Surf. Play. Party! The tide is high and nothing can suppress the waves nor the energy as the La Union Surfing Break (LUSB) made a splash in Urbiztondo Beach in San Juan, Galongen-Quirino Beach in Bacnotan and Samara Beach in Caba, La Union on the month of October. First launched in 2006 and fashioned after America’s famous spring breaks, LUSB is fast gaining a reputation for providing students, young professional, and visitors of all backgrounds an October to remember. Asked if someone’s having a good time, a merry-maker was even quoted to have said, “This is better than Boracay.”

The Provincial Government of La Union together with the Department of Tourism (DOT) – Region 1 with the support of the concerned local government units, various tourism stakeholders in the province, the locals and surfers, the annual surfing break was conceptualized. It also rallied overwhelming support from both government and private sectors with groups in the organizing committee, auxiliary government agencies, media partners and from major to minor corporate sponsors.

La Union has always been a surfer’s paradise, thus the conception of the La Union Surfing Break. At its first year, roughly 300 hundred people attended the event. Now on its 14th year, more than ten thousand surfers, travelers and the like attended and rode the waves. With numerous people in attendance every year, LUSB solidified its standing in the Philippines’ major festivals and events.

LUSB aims to educate and expose surfing to the general public. The event is usually held during the semestral break which allows students from Manila, Baguio and other cities in Luzon experience the waves that La Union has to offer. The staging of the annual surfing event over the last thirteen years was a huge success well beyond expectations. With a crowd total of over 15,000 festival attendees and foot traffic every year, the event also helped launch the province as a go-to destination for beach, surfing, and festivals. In fact, it has become a breakthrough for the tourism industry in La Union, promoting the province as the premier surfing destination in Northern Luzon.

The LUSB is an award-winning event that has been inducted into the DOT’s Hall of Fame, dubbed the Best Tourism Event in the Philippines for Sports, Adventure and Wellness which makes it one of the most sought-after surfing events in Luzon and is considered as one of the biggest events in the country with thousands of party-goers every night for three straight nights.

LUSB is open to everyone who loves riding the waves and anyone who just wants to have some fun from surfing competitions for the professionals, surfing clinics for the beginners and various sports inland. As the heart and soul of the three-day event, surf clinics were being held to show beginners that anyone can learn basic surfing in just an hour. The sun, sand and sea are the perfect backdrop for animated daytime. Comes sunset, things start to heat up instead of cool down as the evenings usher in Surfing Break’s famed parties.

There’s more to LUSB than the food, music, and waves. It is the overall sense of community and the heartwarming feeling of feeding your soul with everything that the beach has to offer. LUSB also promotes an eco-friendly attitude towards the seas and beaches through beach clean-up that will not only give the seas a break but will also allow visitors to be one with nature. Tourists are encouraged to take part in the clean-up and plastic collection activity. Moreover, there are also a coral and mangrove planting community workshop which taught the beachgoers and the local community the importance of plants along the beach.

LUSB has been a celebration of surf, music, food, and art. At the core of the event is its ecotourism activities which cares for the local marine life and keep the beaches pristine. It is a good way to show both visitors and locals that it is possible to chill and relax in La Union while still doing their part in saving the environment. With these, everyone will surely Live, Own, Visit, and Enjoy L.O.V.E La Union!