Deviant TravelerPawprints of Albert Egot, Jr.

Nov
8thMeet the Amihan Boys

They were no one but trouble makers. They couldn’t live without their vices. They were once in a dark side of life.

When George Plaza a.k.a ‘Botchok’ or ‘Kuya Jun’ ,who happens to be my relative, discovered the potentials of these kids, the bad guys turned to be the city’s good models. Kuya Jun founded a team called AMIHAN  that will join to any skim boarding competitions and instead of hiring professional surfers, he chose these kids who were once an individual with no direction in life.

Along the shore of Dahican Beach, Kuya Jun, created a small house made of bamboo and nipa hut. The amihan boys live there and now become so popular in Mati City not just the icons of Dahican but also in Youtube and Facebook after winning several competitions in Gensan,Surigao and in Davao.

Amihan boys describe their mentor Botchok as their good and responsible father who is teaching them not just how to skim perfectly but also how to have good manners towards fellowmen. Part of their discipline is doing the chores such as washing dishes, cleaning the beach, cooking, after accomplishing the chores, the boys are free to fool around and play.

After doing their morning chores, each team is entitled to teach anyone on the beach who wants to learn skim boarding for as low as P150 with unlimited time.

One of the young Amihan boys , which I call him Dude, 8 yrs old , taught me how to skim. At first glance, skim boarding is a simple game for you only have to glide along with the fiction produced by the waves.

Well, I fell many times. I just couldn’t hold my feet and balance my body. Skim boarding requires focus, balance and wave timing.

I tried but most of the time I failed to do the skim. The small wounds this experience gave me, made me realize how life becomes so fair. I have many things that others don’t have. On other hand, there are people around me who do a lot of stuff that I cannot even afford to do. God really made us balanced. It is a matter of understanding life thoroughly.

This writer with Sonny Boy “Bayugyog” Aporbo

Happiness is actually living in us. It depends on  how will we  maximize the skills that we possess. Just like Sonny Boy “Bayugyug” Aporbo, an Amihan Boy, who bagged several awards from skim boarding competition in some areas of Mindanao and who was the grand champion of the recently 2^nd Annual Skim Boarding competition held at Dahican Beach, Mati City as one the city’s Sambuokan festival highlights.

Bayuyog took home 10,000 pesos but he remained humble, generous and who keeps on practising to raise the flag of Amihan Team and leaving his dark past.

The word Amihan refers to the season dominated by the trade winds, which are experienced here in Philippines. Amihan breeze begins sometime in September or October and ends sometime in May or June. A perfect season for skimming and surfing especially in Dahican Beach, Mati City. MORE PHOTOS CLICK HERE