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.
