Marie Aquino-The girl behind the counter of SURFER'S RETREAT

PHOTO BY: MAHDAM
Marie or Marinethe Aquino would probably appear to you as the typical ilocana in San Juan La union, with her bronzed skin and brown-blonde highlighted hair ( free highlights- get your hair overbaked by mixing salt water and then just stay under the sun for about 8 hours)and often seen behind the counter of La union’s surfer’s retreat, usually remembered as angel’s mamaluvs….is actually a champ wahine surfer from La union.

About 6 years ago, Marie was that shy girl who used to drop by the kubo while we were all either drunk or goofing around…. You’d see her with an umbrella ( beat that!) she was still about to finish college, too shy to say hello. She would usually give you a huge smile and that’s it! But then she was already surfing already.The the kubo boys were the ones who taught her how to. Probably the reason why this girl charges waves bigger than her is because during that time it was just her and a few other local girls who were interested in the sport. Few, meaning there were only four then, Herself,Daisy Valdez another accomplished surfer who started at a really young age and was definitely the first accomplished local girl in that town, Menchie Espanilla Aling Norm’s pretty American Indian looking daughter, and there’s Mona Leubben, Kawkaw’s sister who eventually after a few years decided to go for pageants rather than becoming a good surfer. Few then meant four. Imagine Marie learning the sport with the Kubo boys,she had no choice but to go learn surfing straight up with the shortboard. She didnt go through the whole "longboard first-ride" thing. Well that was about 6 years ago when Marie never used long boards…until of course the cash prizes for longboard competitions went way up, she eventually changed her mind along with...... almost everyone! hehehe. She only wanted short then, probably because we were all really short of long boards ??? Only surf camp had the most number of longboards, up to this day I guess, But then again, at least almost every local in La union owns at least one short and one long board now.

Eventually, after hard practice, Marie started winning competitions, She was like a nobody in the surfing scene and then all of a sudden she surprised the industry when she started grabbing all the championship titles in the country during the surf season in 2002-2003. Her story is like a real life BLUE CRUSH movie...with a bit of exaggeration and we don't have the pipe here.

Of course time flies, we have all aged and eventhough Marie is still quite young at 25 and is supposed to compete still, she opted to start doing business and thought about her future with Angel. She seldom goes to the beach now because of the number of hungry people trying to get more and more rice at their surfer’s retreat. She may not be around to continuously bag titles, although we may probably say she and Angel have now become masters in the food business. La union is not like how it was before, where everything was slow and it was alright to not work at all and just be with friends all day,things are progressing already in that quiet town, the perfect time to grab the chance to start a business. With a little luck, a lot of LOVE from someone and of course perseverance, one could actually make it big in the tiny yet booming surf spot in San Juan,La Union. Angel and Marie are fine examples of people with direction. I wish you all the Best!

Where is jake the God father?

JAKE CALLING HIS NEW HOME " THE PLEASANTVILLE SET"

He is in Hercules California!!! Yes everyone! he is there at the moment, trying to find greener pastures abroad. Actually his family resides there and that this time he feels like it is time for him to rejoin his family once and for all and sort of leave the country FOR A WHILE. It's so funny how Jake describes the new environment that he's at. He completely thinks it's like a set of the film " PLEASANTVILLE". Either or, we all think that it is some sort of a good idea that he's in a location like that.... a sense of rehabilitation from the crazy hustle and bustle of his long long stay in the city life and film industry.

Jake has'nt changed a bit. Still the makabayan Jake, ( we used to go in the streets whenever we needed to protest on something we strongly disagreed on).. In his most recent blog he says.

bad pinoy sa amerika
since i got here in california last month, palagi na lang akong nakakarinig ng warning sa mga kapwa pinoy na nakakausap ko, "jake, ingat ka sa mga pinoy dito ha." bakit kaya? but so far, wala pa naman akong bad encounter with "those" pinoy. but i feel bad. i feel bad for the "filipinos".
and i want to meet more filipinos here. but siguro nga, since lahat yata ng pinoy dito are avoiding each other, wala pa akong bagong pinoy na nakikilala, siguro iniiwasan din nila ako.
i don't need to go to the root of this "problem". simple lang yan, like what my surfmate dads told me, "matino ang mga filipino, ang nagpapasama sa kanya ay ang kanyang environment, ang mundong kanyang ginagalawan." and i agree, and i'm sure all of us filipinos will agree.
sa japan, ang sama din ng reputation ng mga pinoy. sa europa hindi masyado. ano ba ang pagkakaiba ng japan at america kumpara sa europe? alam na natin yan. (yung hindi pa nakakaalam, alamin nyo, i don't have enough space to elaborate). i haven't been to japan, but i have a little interesting knowledge about their culture, because maraming impluwensya sa akin ang kultura nila bilang isang "artist". obviously ang buhay sa pilipinas ay "very americanized", from school to our everyday life. dito sa america, ang mga tao ay trabaho ng trabaho, tamad nga lang daw ang hindi magkakaroon ng maayos na buhay dito. kaya ang mga tao, kayod. nagtatrabaho ng 18 hours a day. pero hindi dahil masisipag sila, kailangan kasi nilang bayaran ang tambak na utang nila. kaya sa ordinaryong pinoy, kulang ang 24 hours a day sa dami ng babayarang utang. ganun nga yata ang buhay sa america, kung wala kang utang hindi ka magsu-survive.
nandito sa america ang lahat ng hinahanap ng mga ordinaryong pinoy. lalong-lalo na ang mga materyal na bagay na salat sila sa pilipinas. since lahat ay puedeng utangin, utang kabi-kabila ang pinoy, kaya ang ending, nangagarag sa paghahanap ng pera. ngarag plus walang pera equals pagsama ng ugali.
sa pilipinas, specially kung nasa probinsya ka, ang babait ng mga filipino. simple lang kasi ang buhay, simple ang kapaligiran, simple ang pamumuhay.
but then again, nasa foundation ng isang tao ang maaaring magpabagsak sa kanyang pagkatao. malumanay man o mabilis ang kanyang ginagalawang environment, ang taong may matibay na foundation ay hndi matitibag. kaya maari kayang kalimitan sa mga pinoy na naririto sa america ay may weak foundation? or sadyang mahina talaga ang foundation ng mga makabagong filipino?
jake de asis
hercules, california
september 10, 2006

Don't think however that Jake being outside the country would mean that he doesnt care so much about what's going on out here... in fact he is very much updated...( thanks to the world wide web) and he is still that strict and firm guy we have always known. in a recent blog he still gets to get back at the dumbest people who doesnt have anything to do but chismis.... here:

chismis
Ayokong magpaka-plastik para hindi ko aminin na na-"bad trip" ako sa "chismis" na sinabi ng kapatid ko sa email nya.
Ganito ang "chismis" tungkol sa akin:
"Pumunta daw ako dito sa Amerika bilang "tourist". At ngayon daw ay hindi ako makauwi."
Hahaha!
Ewan ko kung papaano nakakaisip ang mga tao ng ganyang kwento. Paano kaya nila nililikha ang mga ganoong kuento sa kanilang isip? At bakit sila nakakaisip ng mga ganung kuento? Alam kaya nila na sila ay lumilikha lang nang "chismis"? At ano kayang napapala nila sa paglikha ng "chismis"? At higit sa lahat ano ang nagtutulak sa kanila sa pag-gawa ng chismis?
Ayoko nang isipin. Kung ano man 'yon ay ayoko nang isa-isahin pa.
Isa lang ang masasabi ko sa taong malikhaing nag-isip nang chismis na ito tungkol sa akin, "Madapakasana!"
Jake de Asis
Hercules, CA
Seept. 20, 2006

If anyone wishes to really know what he's up to... well... he's been travelling and travelling.... He's not in the mood to still find a job yet... still enjoying the free time he has.... ( finally that he is away from the crazy world of advertising)....
We surely miss you Jake... There's nothing like having you around the
La union scene carcking jokes.. even Angel has been asking how you're doing. Take care and we will see you soonest. Muah!

Where is jake the God father?

How to become a Champ by: Luke Landrigan

How to become a champ would probably be to enjoy the sport to it's fullest potential: try it with some carabao training perhaps.

Luke is the hearthrob of san juan.... But beneath the half aussie half pinoy cuteness... lies a totally hilarious personality. seen here, playing with the carabao in palawan, this champ surfer is really nuts. Often seen inside his little nook in his surf shop, and never ceases to ask friends if they would like to share the fruits he's eating(he's like a monkey eating bananas all the time). Lukas, Lukee, Luke...so many names! One thing for sure though, the girls are always " making pa-cute" with our Papa Luke. I guess....thats why he hangs out a lot inside the surf shop, peeping through the small hole where you could see his half naked body.... ( leaving everyone wondering...." is he wearing boardhorts behind that counter?" heheh") Probably that's where he gets his best lighting.... He's like a moving photograph inside the window frame of his surf shop. awwww.....how cute.

Enough of his caricature side.... in real life... Luke is a champ surfer. Very Popular in the surfing scene having very good skills in competitions. He has bagged several trophies all over the country, surfed most parts of Australia and Indonesia. He started quite early having a dad who's been titled world "Iron-man", who wouldn't actually be as athletic right? Though he owns the most successful surf resort in La Union,the SAN JUAN SURF RESORT or usually called the surfcamp, You would never trace a bit of arrogance. He grew up in La union and has the heart of a local..... the only difference maybe is that he is more exposed with people, giving him more understanding about different cultures. Luke runs their surf school too. He is a man with direction. He really knows what he wants.... He wants to surf and become a pro handling the businesses connected to surfing as well.

Either or... I wish to end this roller coaster article about Luke's boo-boos and Luke's good side.... with this question.." Luke? doesn't your eyes hurt when you try to stare directly at the glare of the sun? trying oh so hard to have your bronzed skin glow, leaving your face pointed straightforward to the sun's rays....emoting, just so you get a very good lighting effect in your surf shop's window only to attract bebots? just wondering. " Love you bro!!!

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