Surfing at Baler!

Its another long weekend and my calendar seems to be unmarked. No scheduled events, no photoshoots. No work! Basically im gonna lay my butt all day and do nothing. 4-Day bummin to be exact. When Tracy asked me if i wanna go surfing with her friends, i never hesitated! Its like automatic! I just said yes! Lets go! Might as well bumm and surf at the beach! Now my bummin ass is on the way to Baler in Aurora! 230 kilometers north-east of Manila! It is one of the best surfing sites here in the Philippines!

Adventure started at the bus station in Cubao. Since its the holidays, a flock of people are going home to their loved ones for all saints / all souls day. Theres so many people that we barely had a chance to sit down. Good thing we arrived early that night coz the que number for the bus eventually ran out! We waited for almost 5 hours before we stepped on our bus - which is the 7th trip going to Aurora. It was a long 7 hour bus ride going to Baler. We were so tired but the conversations kept on going. 

Baler Bus Trerminal. Waiting for Kim to arrive

The trip was so long! 7 hours of sitting will definitely numb you butt cheeks i tell you. There were a couple of bus stops along the way just enough for our driver to have a doze of coffee and pee. We took the Genesis bus by the way. Scheduled time is usually 7 hours to arrive  but if you take the Joy bus,  Manila to Baler is only 4 hours with no bus stops.  It has Lay-Z boy seats, a stewardess, free snacks, a morning kit and it has its own toilet! When you go to Baler, better call them for your reservations early coz seats are very limited. Its actually fullybooked since early October!

with my sufing outfit.

I can hear the roar of the waves! I just cant believe im here!!!! Its been a long dream of mine to surf at Baler and now im finally here. We checked in at Surfer Girls Lodge (pretty kinky name for a place to stay). Its decent enough and not that expensive (1,600 pesos for 2 nights - 2 pax). It has clean rooms, clean bathrooms. Shower is working but i prefer using the tabo - or dipper.. and the best thing, its right in front of  the beach! That awesome beach screaming lets go surfing! Thats me with my.. ehem, surfing attire while eating scrambol. =) Surfboard aint mine.. hehe. probably in the near future il have one =) 

surfing lessons. Tracy forgot the name of his instructor

Time for our surfing lessons (P350, rent of the board and for the lessons). I really wanna thank Kuya Rico for being patient with me. This is actually my first time to surf! I have a problem with balance actually and its kinda hard for me  even standing up! (probably of too much alcohol inside me.. haha) Kuya Rico said "you can do it! " Just focus and believe - (naks believe charot). 

Yeah boy! Im hanging ten! Dont mind the hair ha. Ived been slapped by the waves big time

And there I was riding the waves... ahhhh it feels so good! I never knew the exact definition of being stoked until I experienced it. It was so damn good. You cant hear anything.. you just enjoy the moment. No past, No future.. just the moment.  Just savor gliding on water...awesome feeling. Id like to thank Joc, one of our new found friends in Baler who took this photo. Great shot dude! Thank you! 

thats me 5 seconds on the board. with tracy on the left side

Love this photo! Thats me and Tracy riding the waves of Baler! I think after 5 seconds im about to be wiped out! haha. Being slapped by the wave at the face actually hurts! Probably one of the reasons why my body is aching right now. But getting a bruised knee, a sunburn while surfing is definitely acceptable! Its all good! \m/

tracy is riding the waves real good!

Tracy is such a fast learner! She said maybe because she is light and she can balance herself pretty easy. I was tired already and decided to go back at the beach and grab my camera and go take some photos. How i wish i have a 300mm telephoto with me. 

epic pic of tracy. komang na pi'ke pa haha 

There is tracy with a huge smile in her face! A little portrait of her for remembrance for a job well done! For learning fast and gliding on the waves gracefully.5 stars for you tracy!  On the side, i so love my Optomet Polarizing filter! Look at the blue sky at the back! This was taken at almost high noon. :)

waiting for the others. gutom na

After all that surfing., I am so tired and hungry i could eat a horse! We went to this restaurant called the Bay-ler Restaurant. Its open air and the place is really inviting! When we saw the menu, we noticed that food there is not that expensive! They serve fast! (except during lunch and dinner, place is really packed!)

This is like a pre-requiste when i visit a restaurant. most specially at beachfront! A glass of cold beer... Guzzling on beer at this hot sunny weather. That  beautiful view of the beach..that sound of the waves crashing together..Its like a feeling of ecstasy.... kampai!  gulp gulp gulp.... ahhhh.  

sizzling gambas

Since im a sucker for shrimps, i ordered some gambas and damn its mind blowing! Its so freakingly delicious.  Even the vegetables are delicious! Served hot and sizzling! One of the best gambas ever!

grilled pusit

We also ordered some grilled squid. Delicious as well. Dunk it in to a bowl of soy sauce and calamansi..ugh delicious! That soft and tender meat is just superb! It has this certain sweetness which makes it really good. I love it.  

aligue rice...why are you so delicious

and to top everything else is their Aligue Rice. You will go insane over this. Sobrang sarap! Really good swear to God. Aligue is i believe the fat from crabs. Its so delicious yet deadly.. like i said its fat from crabs.. hehe. I dont effing care! I only eat it once in a while...

crispy pata for the win

and of course, in every inuman (drinking) session, its a must to have Crispy Pata on the table. Its so crunchy. Its so fatty.. it is so sinfully good... This is what you called Living the life.... pampabata! This things will make you die young but happy.  

scrambol, the best there is

and for dessert, classic filipino scrambol! shaved ice with i dunno if its strawberry flavoring topped with powdered milk, rice crispies, mallows, chocolate sprinkles and a dash of Hershey's Chocolate syrup on top! God its heaven in a cup... the best thing is., its less than 50 pesos!

from left : tracy, kim and pie

Met some new friends! at the middle thats Kim, and from her right is Pie. They are the ones who helped us find a place in Baler. Thanks guys. We had some great laughs and good times. Hope to see you guys once again! 

from left, me, tracy, kim and andrea

At our last night in Baler, we enjoyed the moments playing cards, sharing stories with red horse beer on the side. I never drank so much beer on a weekend and surprisingly im not dead wasted! Maybe its not enough?! Haha. By the way, the lady at bottom right is Andrea. 

1st time to see the moon rise above the ocean. And it happened twice on our stay in Baler

Capping off the day is this awesome moonlight. It made us all gone emo actually. Such a beautiful night. Playing pusoy dos., silly love conversations, kilig moments with chef sharwin look alike at the beach...all those with chippy and red bull on the side. What a way to end the day...

no i didnt brought home sand. Leave nothing but footprints, Take only but pictures, Kill nothing but time

I wanna leave you guys with this photo of the sands of Baler. This trip is really unexpected and unplanned. The plan., is to have no plans at all! I just gave it a go. I want to thank Tracy for inviting me over. To her friends, Kim, Andrea, Pie and Ayan.. thank you so much for sharing this vacation to us. We will definitely go back. Surfing is really addicting! I am actually thinking of buying a surfboard for myself! To the staff of Surfer Girls Lodge specially to ate chona. To the lady at the sari-sari store who lend me her nail cutter.. thank you! and to  kuya Dennis for taking us to the the bus terminal. We were the last ones to ride the 5:30am trip and we were so fortunate! If you want to go to Baler, please consider riding the Joy Bus. It would be a lot easier and comfy-er.. Call and book now at (+632) 912-33-43 , (+632)912-33-61

Baler..cant wait to go back and get stoked once again! Good times! \m/

Submission Sports Philippines

 One of the reasons why i love photography is shooting people doing action shots. Theres nothing more exciting than taking photos of athletes doing their own moves at their finest. I  had the privilege to photograph one of the best Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter in the country , Mr Erwin Tagle. Photo above is the man himself. This photo is my favorite coz i got this photo with only one try! Awesome flying kick! Its so strong, the loud "waaapakkk" of the cushion almost tore my ears down! Freaking awesome.

Then I met this really huge guy.. about six foot two in height. Arms as huge as my leg and has tatts all over. At first, he seems so intimidating he might beat the hell out of me.. yet he's a really nice guy. Funny and a very jolly person.  His name is Robbie and he's one of Submission Sport's Philippines best fighter. 

look at those veins! i think they'r gonna explode!!!

His tatts are wicked! If I have a body like that id probably ink myself the same! Hmm., id probably get a dragon tattoo! 

poor punching bag.. gets a lot of beating!

 Erwin showed us some of his MMA techniques, from kicks, to elbows, to throw downs and submissions! At first look, he seems to be an ordinary guy with his small built but wait when you see him kick!!!

Theres just so much force i dunno how to describe it. I dunno where is it coming from.The energy is so intense. I captured another flying 45. Thank God for my two speedlights who were working double time helped me froze the action. My set-up : Umbrella softbox top left using Nikon SB600 on 1/2 power and another SB600, bare, powered at 1/4 on the right..  

Robbie for the throwdown! Unloading more punishment and pain.

Now a days, a lot of people are searching for ways on how to get fit. Jogging for hours for some is kinda  borring and they prefer to do something more exciting, more adrenalin rush kinda workout. They choose Muay Thai, or kickboxing... It is indeed one of the greatest cardio workout out there. Not only it makes you fit, it teaches you discipline and self-defense.  Robbie looks like, he went swimming because of sweat! I was surprised when I saw Chino (top), inspite of his size, he can kick so high! And the guy is really strong. 

Sarah keeps her body fit here at the gym. She trains for MMA as well. Watch out guys coz she kicks really high and her knees are strong. Inspite of her good looks, she is one fit lady. A lot of celebrities also trains here. Celebrities like Solenn Heussaff, Bubbles Paraiso and JC de Vera. If you work out here, you'd probably bump into them most of the time. No wonder why they look really fit and lean. 

Sarah's high kick! 

Its nice to start them young. This kid will probably beat the crap out of me. His kicks are strong and his punches gives out a loud thud. The trainers teach them the moves, the techniques, the footwork and the discipline   - which is the most important thing in this sport. After their session, the kid gave his instructors a nod - a sign of respect. Martial arts in any form is always about respect. Respect for your opponent, to ur environment and to yourself. Learning it in a very young age is a huge progress in life. I grew up watching Karate kid and i think Mr Miyagi once said that.. Hehe i dunno, crrect me if im wrong. I dunno if its Mr. Miyagi or Jacky Chan :)

Erwin again wanted a photo of his flying knee and man oh man i was surprised he can jump like that and how flexible  his body was. Imagine thats your chin on his knee, i bet you'l probably eat breakfast using  a straw... Love this photo... 

at the wall

mike got thunder kicks as well

that facial expression is tremendous! i can actually feel the pain 

Submission Sports Philippines currently has a deal with Ensogo and i tell you this is one great deal. For only P999 php, you will have 1 month unlimited training in a choice of Muay Thai, Kids Muay Thai, Mixed Martial Arts, Brazillian  Jiujitzu or NOGI grappling plus 1 free private orientation class. Buy your vouchers now at ensogo and learn Mixed Martial Arts from one of the best fighters in the country.  

I would like to thank Mr. Erwin Tagle for accommodating us with the shoot. Such a nice guy. Also to our instant models, Robbie, Sarah, Chino, Mike, Mac and to all of the guys at the gym.. thank you so much for this awesome hoot. I would like to thank my assistant Jonathan for holding my strobes. Thanks guys. This is such a wonderful experience and im hoping to shoot more MMA action in the future.
Submission Sport Philippines is located at 2/F Bramante Tower, Renaissance Center, Meralco Ave, Pasig City. For more info, give em a call at (+632) 2161465 

Im gonna leave you with a quote that inspired me. Saw this one at the gym and it sez : " LEAVE YOUR EGO OUT THE DOOR "

More photos at this link 

Bang! Bang!

My last visit on a firing range was way back college on my ROTC training. I held an M-16 rifle back then and i tell you its really something. Last saturday, i was acquainted once again to gun powder, target sheets and Bang-Bang!

My friend Jolly's uncle has this really huge sports complex in Bicutan that houses a lot of sports activities that you can choose from. They have a Basketball court, a badminton court, a boxing ring, a beach volleyball court, spas and minipool, and an indoor and out door firing range. They acquired my photography services for their website and marketing materials. Spent the day roaming around his sports haven and literally we had a blast! " Gusto nyo ba bumaril? " Jolly's tito asked us, i just said "opo!!!" haha.

Before everything else, one must respect the rules of holding a gun. Make sure that every gun is loaded. These things are very dangerous. Dont point your gun to anything that your not intended to shoot. Words uttered to me with such conviction. Reminders that should be addressed firm and clear.

This is my first time to use a 9mm pistol and damn im so stoked about it. With Jolly's uncle giving me instructions carefully, it made me listen carefully coz Jolly's tito's hand is bleeding because the cocking action of the pistol sliced up his skin! I dont wanna go home bleeding so I paid attention carefully.

It was so loud! Bang! Bang! Bang! The gun has this "pitik" when you pull the trigger! Its really important to have that firm grip. I was addicted! I kept firing and firing 7 rounds straight like im on a fury! Its quite an experience! Im lookin forward for my next firing session!

If you have a passion for guns and ammos., the firing range at Cantada Sports Center in Bicutan is definitely a place to visit. Its clean, organized and its not that crowded. Not sure how much for the membership but they will launch their website real soon and all of the information about their facilities will be posted. This is just a sneak peak of the explosive and wonderful things that this sports facility can offer. Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs Cantada for their warm hospitality.

DNK Gym

QCAA Season 4 Volleyball Finals

This is Claret's Highschool Boys Volleyball Team. These guys played like a well-oiled machine! They just played better against their challenger, Angelicum. Their set-up plays are quicker. Smooth and efficient. They move their feet a little faster and they are a lot solid. They really deserve that title. The Claret boys won their third straight QCAA championship.

This is one of my favorite shots from the Highschool Girls Finals game. Angelicum won the game against Miriam College. The twin towers of Angelicum just gave Miriam a hard time. They are just blocking pretty well.

The coveted crown., The price. The reason for all the sacrifice. Being a student athlete is one of the greatest achievement a youth could ever have. This is your time guys. Enjoy it! Earn it! Congratulations to all the winners!

My favorite shot of the night. Number 8 spiker of Claret Justin Bonifacio, spiked that ball with so much force the stunned the boys of Angelicum. This was a perfect quick set-up by number 5 player Belleza that gave the boys of claret their third straight championship crown.

QCAA Volleyball

QCAA Volleyball Games
November 21 and 22 2009

These kids are really amazing. They are the future! Im not really into volleyball but watching these guys and girls play gave me a lot of interest on the sport. The last picture is a shot of Number 13 spiker Calicdan from Claret Highschool. You got to see him jump! He has this wicked spike that blows faces away. The games happen at Tivoli Royalle Gym at QC. To see more pictures., visit http://qcaa.multiply.com