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Skim boarders during a lazy afternoon at Red Beach

It's all about waiting for the perfect wave, for the perfect flow
It’s all about waiting for the perfect wave, for the perfect flow

The afternoon was uneventful when I arrived via a jeepney at Red Beach, the historic site where Gen. Douglas McArthur and his party landed in 20 October 1944 that started the end of the Japanese invasion in the Philippines in World War II. I was bored that day and to pass time, visited this place from Tacloban.

The sun was already casting a warm glow on the statues. There were no other visitors except me and a couple of locals who were sitting at one of the cement benches while their children were playing. After taking a few photographs of the monument, I went to the beach area.

I’m not sure why they call this Red Beach as the color of the sand is just dark. The sky was clear except a portion of a dark cloud that might have strayed. At one part of the long stretch of beachline were teenaged boys skimboarding. I went closer, observed them and took images.

Skimboarding is quite popular in the country and you can see these in various islands. In Palo, Leyte, its a leisure sport for many teenagers.

But the waves that afternoon were not so great but these teenaged boys were patiently waiting for that perfect wave, that perfect flow. Waiting. When they do see one that is just enough to ride, they spring to the waters, drop the board on the thin wash of the previous wave and carry themselves to the oncoming and breaking wave.

For a few seconds they ride, they maneuver, they perform movements and tricks. And for that brief few seconds, the wave has come to shore and that ride has ended. Sometimes they do fall down but that doesn’t deter them into stopping. They go back to the shore. And wait. And wait.

And when they see one, it's a race to ride the breaking wave, skimboarding
And when they see one, it’s a race to ride the breaking wave, skimboarding
And they do make it to ride the wave, though briefly
And they do make it to ride the wave, though briefly
Languid afternoon in Palo
Languid afternoon in Palo
Another teenager running for that wave
Another teenager running for that wave
Riding it
Riding it
And falling which is part of the fun and this can go on and on until they tire
And falling which is part of the fun and this can go on and on until they tire
The historic monument that commemorates Gen. Douglas McArthur and party's landing in Leyte
The historic monument that commemorates Gen. Douglas McArthur and party’s landing in Leyte
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2 thoughts on “Skim boarders during a lazy afternoon at Red Beach”

  1. Very nice place for skimboarding indeed! Problem is, we don’t know how to skimboard; balance is terrible. Hehe! But we would definitely want to visit Red Beach. We love simple, beautiful, off-the-tourist-track places. 🙂

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