siargao-island-(san francisco)
One of the best known surfing waves on Siargao and the
Philippines, with a worldwide reputation for thick, hollow tubes is "Cloud
9". This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a
domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial
government of Surigao del Norte.
The wave was discovered by travelling surfers in the late
1980s. It was named after a chocolate bar of same name, and was featured by
American photographer John S. Callahan in the United States-based Surfer
magazine in March 1993. Cloud 9 also has a reputation for being a relatively
cheap destination for surfers with many cheap accommodations and restaurants
and bars to choose from.
There are several other quality waves on Siargao and nearby
islands, but Cloud 9 has received more publicity than any other surf spot in
the Philippines. It is the only wave easily accessible without a boat, leading
to overcrowding and the nickname of "Crowd 9" among surfers. Eager
foreign and locally owned accommodation and tourist facilities have profited
from the magazine publicity and the influx of visitors drawn by the annual
Siargao Cup competition in September.
Siargao, particularly the municipality of General Luna, is
well known as "The Surfing Capital of the Philippines" with a
reputation among surfers within the Philippines and the International scene.
Eddie Florano has also written a song called "Surfin'
in Siargao" from the 2006 Ukulele World: Acoustic & Power Ukulele
compilation album.
