Boracay hosts international windsport cup
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Over a hundred windsport athletes and enthusiasts are expected to flock the shores of Boracay once again for the annual Boracay International Funboard Cup 2011.
Listed last year by CNNgo.com among the Top 52 Weekend Events Destinations in the World, along with other world events such as the Fifa World Cup and Australian Open, the Boracay Funboard Cup is now among the most sought-after windsport events this side of the world.
"The Boracay Int'l Funboard Cup is the biggest windsurfing event in Asia, and the region's longest-running and most successful annual sporting event," said race organizer and international windsurfing champion Nenette Aguirre-Graf.
Graf, who says she fell in love with windsurfing in 1984, has seen how the sport has grown from a mere group of friend-enthusiasts into a major international event. Today, some of the best sailors in the sport are Filipinos.
Expanded competition
Now on its 22nd year, the competition has also expanded to include the fastest-growing windsport in the world - kiteboarding. The rapid rise of kiteboarding's popularity, said Graf, is mostly due to the fast learning curve of the sport. (Kiteboarding was included in the competition five years ago.)
"Girls have a much easier time learning kiteboarding than windsurfing, that's why most women excel in this sport. It's freestyle surfing, less technical and doesn't demand too much strength," Graf said.
Neil Pryde, owner of a top windsurfing company that bears his name, has been a major supporter of the event since the mid-'90s. The Boracay Funboard became popular all over Asia so quickly, he said, that he wasted no time establishing a link between his company and the Cup.
"Boracay is one of the most visited sites in Asia for this kind of sport.
We'd like to help promote it further by bringing in more people from around the world. The real advantage Boracay has over other beaches in Asia is the excellent wind condition. As a windsport company, we are very much dependent on wind to operate, and Boracay delivers just the perfect conditions for us," Pryde said.
Slalom race
Kicking off on Jan. 24 and culminating on Jan. 29, the 22nd Neil Pryde Boracay Int'l Funboard Cup's main event is the Slalom Race, held everyday during the Cup. Windsurfers start 200 meters offshore, turn around five buoys before going full speed to the finish line. The Slalom winner will be crowned Boracay Cup champion.
There will also be a Speed Trial, where speed guns monitor sailors' speeds as they race down a 200-meter course. Participants will be judged daily; the participant with most wins snags the prize.
Kiteboarding, the newest addition to the lineup, will have the Kiteboading Course Race, Speed and Hang Time. All events will be held at the Bulabog Beach.
Graf also said plans are underway for a windsurfing tour this year. Covering six areas (Puerto Gallera, Anilao, Taal, Kaliraya, Subic and Boracay), the tour will be the first of its kind in the country.
Listed last year by CNNgo.com among the Top 52 Weekend Events Destinations in the World, along with other world events such as the Fifa World Cup and Australian Open, the Boracay Funboard Cup is now among the most sought-after windsport events this side of the world.
"The Boracay Int'l Funboard Cup is the biggest windsurfing event in Asia, and the region's longest-running and most successful annual sporting event," said race organizer and international windsurfing champion Nenette Aguirre-Graf.
Graf, who says she fell in love with windsurfing in 1984, has seen how the sport has grown from a mere group of friend-enthusiasts into a major international event. Today, some of the best sailors in the sport are Filipinos.
Expanded competition
Now on its 22nd year, the competition has also expanded to include the fastest-growing windsport in the world - kiteboarding. The rapid rise of kiteboarding's popularity, said Graf, is mostly due to the fast learning curve of the sport. (Kiteboarding was included in the competition five years ago.)
"Girls have a much easier time learning kiteboarding than windsurfing, that's why most women excel in this sport. It's freestyle surfing, less technical and doesn't demand too much strength," Graf said.
Neil Pryde, owner of a top windsurfing company that bears his name, has been a major supporter of the event since the mid-'90s. The Boracay Funboard became popular all over Asia so quickly, he said, that he wasted no time establishing a link between his company and the Cup.
"Boracay is one of the most visited sites in Asia for this kind of sport.
We'd like to help promote it further by bringing in more people from around the world. The real advantage Boracay has over other beaches in Asia is the excellent wind condition. As a windsport company, we are very much dependent on wind to operate, and Boracay delivers just the perfect conditions for us," Pryde said.
Slalom race
Kicking off on Jan. 24 and culminating on Jan. 29, the 22nd Neil Pryde Boracay Int'l Funboard Cup's main event is the Slalom Race, held everyday during the Cup. Windsurfers start 200 meters offshore, turn around five buoys before going full speed to the finish line. The Slalom winner will be crowned Boracay Cup champion.
There will also be a Speed Trial, where speed guns monitor sailors' speeds as they race down a 200-meter course. Participants will be judged daily; the participant with most wins snags the prize.
Kiteboarding, the newest addition to the lineup, will have the Kiteboading Course Race, Speed and Hang Time. All events will be held at the Bulabog Beach.
Graf also said plans are underway for a windsurfing tour this year. Covering six areas (Puerto Gallera, Anilao, Taal, Kaliraya, Subic and Boracay), the tour will be the first of its kind in the country.
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