Somewhere in Heaven

Pe-rules!

Me and two other friends, Adrian Arias and Daniel "Buru" Alvarado, went to Peru for holidays to surf. All I can say is that the land of Sofia Mulanovich rules! Best surf trip ever. We surfed the north cost of Peru in three great breaks called: Pacasmayo, Poemape and Bermejo.

The wave you can appreciate on the picture is Poemape, a long left point break. One of the things that amazed me the most was that a 5 - 8 feet day was a "normal" day for someone in Peru. We were impressed by the peruvians surfing level and surfing culture.

Overall, the surfing was great, people from Peru treated us like family, thanks to our host Diego Calderon and our new peruvian friend Juan Luis Almendrades.

Perfectly Polluted Waves

Here I am, with two good friends of mine; Santiago Cambefort and Daniel "Buru" Alvarado, surfing perfect waves on polluted water. Yes my friends, on polluted water. Before I started writing for "Sport of Kings" I signed a disclaimer saying "do not reveal surfing spots", so I won't.

This magical place is located in front of a town's dump (ironic as it sounds). In spite of it, a few years back, the water wasn't polluted. Now it is, and I have no confirmation of it, but they say it is because of the Panamenian government (it is just a rumor).

Luckly, me and my two good fellas didn't get sick. We had a very good surfing session, and yes it wasn't the best idea to go in, but see the pictures and judge by yourself.

BOA Surfboards Has a New Shaping Maching

Juan Jimenez, with 30 years of shaping experience just bought a new shaping machine (the only one in the country and one of the few in the region). What amazes me, is that Juan (the creator of BOA surfboards and BOA surf house) is not a common business man, he is a shaper and a surfer first. He really believe in the quality of his product and by being "real" he has gained a strong clientele (me, among many others).

To support what I'm saying if you see the picture above, you can appreciate Juan's surf shop, whit the new shaping machine inside; there is one BOA employee only. The rest of us are all friends. We helped Juan to destroy his window, and get the machine into the surf shop.

The machine needs to be programmed and installed now. BOA's efficiency on delivering boards will increase even more.

PANAMANIAN PARADISE BOCAS DEL TORO IN DANGER

"Call me old-fashioned, but when I embark on a surf trip the only things I want to see barfing are the barrels."

Endless Summer: Happy 2009

Panama is quite different from other countries. We have two seasons: Summer and Winter. The difference between each other is that on the summer season it doesn´t rain and in the winter season it rains a lot. The temperature is the same for the ocean and the swells changes frome ocean to ocean. For example, the Atlantic side of the coutry gives you better waves on the summer season (which is from January until June). On the Pacific side of the country you can find certain spots with good waves -but not that many- like the one you see above in the picture (I am not revealing the place).

Anyway, I just wanted to share a piece of information of this beautiful country with you. What I really wanted to do, is write about this new year 2009, starting with New Year's Resoutions. Well, I keep on surfing every week, so I don´t have one. 2008 was a great year for me, my family, and my dear ones - and you know why? One word: HEALTH. Yeap my friends, that´s all I´m asking for 2009: health for myself, Mom and Dad, brothers and sister and dear ones. That´s all I want, and I pray to God for it, beleive me, it is much more valuable than reducing those few extra pounds. I can tell you, that I feel lucky beacause until now -with good health- I am surfing, working, and enjoyng life.

(Thank you God, please let me enjoy the whole ride.)

Good Bye Marcos Paniagua... Love you bra!

On Sunday, October 5th 2008, my dear friend and fellow surfer Marcos Paniagua passed away. Marcos and I went to school together, the place where I met him and escaped from every once in a while to surf. Since then, we cultivated a great friendship, played in a rock band (sucked at it) and kept on surfing together until now. Actually, the last time I had the pleasure of seeing him ripping the waves was last weekend, at Playa Veano. As usual, he was relaxed, smiling from ear to ear, and in a good mood. He asked me if the waves were good, I told him the tide was too low for him to go in, but that they were. Some minutes later, I spotted him in the water, taking barrels, making floaters and blowing the waves away. That was Marcos.

Marcos' tragedy occured after a surfing competition, at night, when he and Gustavo Araujo, a surfing photographer, were crossing the street and a car hit them both. Sadly they didn't survive the hit. I don't want to keep on talking about the incident, although I feel I have to mention it. With this post I want to honor Marcos and try to express to you, the good vibes that he exuded to everyone.

Lately Marcos seemed to have the perfect job. He represented the brand Ocean Minded in Panama. A few days ago someone from the environmental network contacted me to make a documentary about the surfing lifestyle and clean beaches. I was planning on contacting Marcos and Ocean Minded to help us with the project. We still have it in mind and I hope to post it soon for you to see. It will be dedicated to Marcos, my dear friend and my brother.

I will be praying for him. No matter what your beliefs are, keep him in your thoughts and prayers. God bless you Marcos.

My brother (Aristides Anguizola) writing from D.C.

Sunday, September 8th, at the Capital of the United States of America. After living here for three years, I really had no idea that I could have such a good day as the one I was about to begin. Washington, D.C., I would say, could be known for its politics, its diplomats, and its bureaucrats, among many other things (some good, like the carved words of Mr. Jefferson "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in his beautiful monument, and others not so good...). Nonetheless, I was about to discover that after this day, D.C. can very well be associated with that closest to our hearts but farthest from politics, diplomacy, and bureaucracy: a good day of East Coast surfing during hurricane season, or what others might call, "the September sessions."

It all started at 6:00 a.m. when my good friend Hans, a fellow law student and wave rider from Puerto Rico, picked me up close to the Washington Monument to head out on our surf trip. The city was totally "asleep", as the bureaucrats, young professionals, and not to mention politicians will not be caught outdoors at such an early time on a sunday morning. The scene was similar to Vanilla Sky's empty Time Square scene. Soon enough, just by Capitol Hill we were on 50 East, which as surreal as it sounds, this road will take you from the Capitol of the U.S. to a surf break. The surf brake is actually 3 hours away from D.C., up in Maryland, by Ocean City. Specifically, the spot is in a small island, which actually shares Maryland and Virginia territory, but, I believe, it is actually a National Park. For a small fee, you can camp in this beautiful beach, and in doing so, you are warned by signs not to feed the horses...yes, there are wild horses running around, free, in the island. So after a beautiful three hour drive, on this gorgeous day, my friend and I were transported from the enclosing of a law library into the freedom of the wind on a wild horse's face. We were off to a good start.

As we parked and got out to check the waves, we come up to beautiful sand dunes, full of people enjoying the gifts of mother Earth in a sunny beach day...farther down the shore, a bunch of nice peaks and many surfers enjoying the gifts of Mother Ocean: perfect beautiful rights and lefts, offshore wind, head high, and tubular too! We immediately ran back to the car and put our wetsuits on (us who grew up in warm waters, Panama and Puerto Rico, will wear wetsuits on 72 degree waters) and paddled out. We had a great straight-up five hour session, full of fun, smiles, waves, good vibes, and dolphins by our side; we were a part of a beuatiful, natural scene.

On the way back to D.C., Hans and myself talked about how amazing it felt to have such a day, when for three years of law school, such an escape was only the dream of winter breaks and a flight to our respective home breaks thousands of miles away. Hans kept saying he was "curao," or "healed" after the session. Back in D.C., Capitol Hill did not seem the same anymore to me, but Hans was right, we were indeed healed after the session, and thus I guess, it was us who were not the same to Capitol Hill anymore. Go surfing whenever you can.

The Future of Panamenian Surfing

When Nic McLean filmed Oli, the Panamanian kid on the video above, he wrote the following:

"Please use the video in it any way you want to help out Oli. I really liked him a lot and would love to see him continue to excel... God bless you and keep me posted on his successes. Thanks so much."

- Nic McLean

Two years ago, was the first time I met Oli, in his local beach and town, Santa Catalina. He made an impression on me, because of his style, no fear attitude and air tricks. Inspite of that impression, I didn't talk to the kid, I guess he was 9 years old by the time? I don't know. What impressed me the most about the kid, was that he came for a chat. He just wanted to see my board. He explaned to me that the shaper of my board Juan Jimenez (Boa Surfboards), was sponsoring him with free boards. "Not just a talented surfer, but a cool kid" I said to myself.

When I saw the video presented above I felt great that Oli is receiving some help from other people too (Nic McLean). Oli is a very talented surfer and can turn pro in the future. He will need to keep on with the good work and he also will need some financial help. If you want to pass Oli's video around or help him financialy, feel free to do so, for more information about Oli's carrear you can reply to this post.

Boa Surfboards Rocks!

The guy you see in the picture (Santa Catalina, Panama), Juan Jimenez, is the best shaper in Panama. I´ve know him since 6 years ago, but until my comeback to surfing (3 years from now) I´ve been bonding with him. Juan Jimenez, represents in Panama, what a guy like Al Merrick or even Gerry Lopez represents to professional surfing. You go to his surf shop, called Boa Surf house, and the first thing you feel is that the shop is not a shopping mall surf shop. It is a surf shop made for real surfers, in which you can have a relationship with Juan, tell him about your surfing, ask him for advise on boards. I mean, in a place like Panama (3,000,000 people), we should feel blessed for having a guy like this, who feels so much passion for what he does and the quality of his product (I´m not trying to get my next surfboard for free, believe me!). Some of the best surfers in the country, which are good friends of mine too, form part of his team: Juancho Arezes, Peter Novey among others, represent what this brand means. Since my comeback to surfing I just use Boa Surfboards. I do this for having an experience; seeing the process of making my board, and testing the final product. It´s great to have Juan Jimenez in Panama, and if you pass by, you can go to his shop and look for some quality boards. By the way, he is shaping since 1978, the year I was born.

A great surfing friendship

Bruno Sanchez Laws, is the creator of the number one surfing website in Panama: surfeapanama.com. I met Bruno randomly in a surf trip. He went into a group surf trip to surf and to take pictures for his website. The surfing session was a flop, from 0 to 2 feet (You can see that, in the picture taken to me, didn´t make the cover). Bruno (the guy riding the tube, at a Panamanian Beach Break called Malibu, picture taken by Ibon Gamecho) is one of the most charismatic characters I ever met, needless to say he is a great person too, and a great surfer. Friendship and surfing comes together, and a year ago I develop a friendship and a working relationship with this guy. I invite you all, to visit surfeapanama.com, see the panamanian surfing family and enjoy the site. It´s all good vibes, as his creator and my friend. Keep on riding.

The day I became myself again

Hi, my name is Carlos Anguizola. I've been surfing for 15 years. I am almost 30 years old. From age 15 to 18 surfing was a part of me. Then I went to College, started working and never stopped surfing, but somewhere along the way, It was not a part of me anymore. I started trying a new sport called the rat race, and for 5 years I was successful at it, but not happy. Truth be told, three years ago the sport hit on me again. I started discovering that this is not just a sport, this is a way of life, it is a philosophy, in which the rat race (which had me pretty sick by the time) wasn't a part of it. The picture you are seeing was taken in an island (I am not revealing the place) in the Republic of Panama, from where I am. That day was very spacial, 4 - 6 feet with one of my best friends Cienfue, who was learning at the time. Joking that day, after a super session, we said to each other, you know this sport is like no other sport, it is a "Sport of Kings". That very day, I did my comeback to surfing, and I became a happy person again. I left my job and the rat race, now I have my own company and I am my own boss. This doesn't mean I work less, It means I play by my rules. Now, my serious surfing years sum up to 8 years (although an interesting fact is I never left it). After I took this decisions, only positive things started happening to me. This 2008 my New Years Resolution is surfing at least once a week (I have achieved that goal by 98% I would said). If you are a surfer, you know what I'm talking about. If you are not a surfer, probably this is making you think or you are thinking that I am nut's. The thing is that only a surfer knows the feeling. In this blog, I will be posting the good sessions that are waiting for me and my good friends, and talking about life and philosophy. Hope you enjoy it.