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.